15 “Although you have been forsaken(A) and hated,
    with no one traveling(B) through,
I will make you the everlasting pride(C)
    and the joy(D) of all generations.
16 You will drink the milk of nations
    and be nursed(E) at royal breasts.
Then you will know(F) that I, the Lord, am your Savior,(G)
    your Redeemer,(H) the Mighty One of Jacob.(I)
17 Instead of bronze I will bring you gold,(J)
    and silver in place of iron.
Instead of wood I will bring you bronze,
    and iron in place of stones.
I will make peace(K) your governor
    and well-being your ruler.(L)
18 No longer will violence(M) be heard in your land,
    nor ruin or destruction(N) within your borders,
but you will call your walls Salvation(O)
    and your gates Praise.(P)
19 The sun will no more be your light by day,
    nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you,
for the Lord will be your everlasting light,(Q)
    and your God will be your glory.(R)
20 Your sun(S) will never set again,
    and your moon will wane no more;
the Lord will be your everlasting light,
    and your days of sorrow(T) will end.
21 Then all your people will be righteous(U)
    and they will possess(V) the land forever.
They are the shoot I have planted,(W)
    the work of my hands,(X)
    for the display of my splendor.(Y)
22 The least of you will become a thousand,
    the smallest a mighty nation.(Z)
I am the Lord;
    in its time I will do this swiftly.”(AA)

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Israel: the Joy of Generations

15 “Although you have been forsaken and despised,
    with no one traveling through,
I will make you the everlasting pride,
    the joy of all generations.
16 You’ll suck the milk of nations,
    You’ll suck the breasts of kings.
Then you will realize that I, the Lord, am your Savior
    and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.

17 “Instead of bronze, I’ll bring gold,
    and instead of iron, I’ll bring silver;
instead of wood, bronze,
    and instead of stones, iron.
I’ll appoint peace as your supervisor
    and righteousness as your taskmaster.
18 Then[a] violence will no longer be heard in your land,
    nor devastation or destruction within your borders;
but you’ll call your walls ‘Salvation’,
    and your gates ‘Praise’.

19 “The sun will no longer be your light by day,
    nor for brightness will the moon shine on you by night[b]
for the Lord will be your everlasting light,[c]
    and your God will be your glory.
20 Your sun won’t[d] set,
    nor will your moon withdraw itself—
for the Lord will be your everlasting light,
    and your days of mourning will end.
21 Then your people will all be righteous;
    They’ll possess the land forever.
They are the shoot[e] that the Lord planted,[f]
    the works[g] of his hands,
        so that I might be glorified.
22 The least of them will become a thousand,
    and the smallest one a mighty nation.

“I am the Lord;
    When the time is right,[h] I will do this swiftly.”

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 60:18 So 1QIsaa LXX; 1QIsab MT lack Then
  2. Isaiah 60:19 So 1QIsaa LXX. Not in 1QIsab MT
  3. Isaiah 60:19 1QIsab lacks and your God … light; 1QIsaa MT LXX contain the longer reading
  4. Isaiah 60:20 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT reads will no longer
  5. Isaiah 60:21 So 1QIsaa 4QIsam MT; 1QIsaa MTms lacks the shoot; LXX reads Guarding
  6. Isaiah 60:21 Lit. of the plantings of the Lord; so 1QIsaa; 1QIsab reads of his plantings MT reads of his planting MTqere reads of my planting LXX reads the planting
  7. Isaiah 60:21 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT read work
  8. Isaiah 60:22 Lit. In its time