Isaiah 60

¹ Arise, shine out, for your light has come, the glory of Yahweh is rising on you,

² though night still covers the earth and darkness the peoples.

³ Above you Yahweh now rises and above you his glory appears. The nations come to your light and kings to your dawning brightness.

⁴ Lift up your eyes and look round: all are assembling and coming towards you, your sons from far away and your daughters being tenderly carried.

⁵ At this sight you will grow radiant, your heart throbbing and full; since the riches of the sea will flow to you, the wealth of the nations come to you;

⁶ camels in throngs will cover you, and dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; everyone in Sheba will come, bringing gold and incense and singing the praise of Yahweh.

⁷ All the flocks of Kedar will gather inside you, the rams of Nebaioth[*a] will be at your service. They will come up, for acceptance, to my altar, to adorn the Temple of my glory.

⁸ Who are these flying like a cloud, like doves to their cote?

⁹ Yes, for me the ships are assembling, vessels of Tarshish in the front, to bring your sons from far away, and their silver and gold with them, for the sake of the name of Yahweh your God, for the sake of the Holy One of Israel who has made you glorious.

¹⁰ Foreigners will rebuild your walls and their kings will be your servants. For though I struck you in anger, in mercy I have pitied you.

¹¹ And your gates will lie open continually, shut neither by day nor by night, for men to bring you the wealth of the nations with their kings leading them;

¹² for the nation and kingdom that refuses to serve you shall perish, such nations shall be utterly ruined.

¹³ The glory of Lebanon[*b] will come to you, with cypress and plane and box, to adorn the site of my sanctuary, to glorify the resting place of my feet.

¹⁴ The sons of your oppressors will come to you bowing, at your feet shall fall all who despised you. They will call you ‘City of Yahweh’, ‘Zion of the Holy One of Israel’.

¹⁵ Though you have been abandoned, and hated and shunned, I will make you an eternal pride, a joy for ever and ever.

¹⁶ You will be suckled on the milk of nations, suckled on the riches of kings, and you shall know that I, Yahweh, am your saviour, that your redeemer is the Mighty One of Jacob.

¹⁷ For bronze I will bring gold; for iron, silver; and bronze for wood; and iron for stone; I will put Peace in as magistrate, and Integrity as the government.

¹⁸ Violence will no longer be heard of in your country, nor devastation and ruin within your frontiers. You will call your walls ‘Salvation’ and your gates ‘Praise’.

¹⁹ No more will the sun give you daylight, nor moonlight shine on you, but Yahweh will be your everlasting light, your God will be your splendour.

²⁰ Your sun will set no more nor your moon wane, but Yahweh will be your everlasting light and your days of mourning will be ended.

²¹ Your people will all be upright, possessing the land for ever; a shoot that Yahweh has planted, my handiwork, designed for beauty.

²² The least among you will become a clan and the smallest a mighty nation. I, Yahweh, have spoken; in due time I shall act with speed.