Isaiah

Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.

1Get up and shine! Your light has come. The glory of the LORD is shining on you.

2For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.

2Look: darkness covers the earth, and thick darkness covers the peoples. But the LORD will rise on you, and his glory will be seen on you.

3And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

3Nations will come toward your light, and kings will come toward the brightness of your sunrise.

4Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.

4Look up and look around you. They are all gathering and coming to you. Your sons are coming from far away, and your daughters are carried on the arm.

5Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.

5Then you will look and your face will shine. Your heart will pound and swell with joy. The riches of the sea will be brought to you, and the wealth of the nations will come to you.

Note"The forces of the Gentiles" in the old wording does not mean armies. It means the riches and goods of the other nations.

6The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the LORD.

6Herds of camels will cover your land, young camels from Midian and Ephah. Everyone from Sheba will come. They will bring gold and sweet-smelling incense, and they will tell out the praises of the LORD.

7All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory.

7All the flocks of Kedar will be gathered to you, and the rams of Nebaioth will serve you. They will be brought up onto my altar and accepted there. And I will make my glorious house beautiful.

8Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?

8Who are these coming along like a drifting cloud, like doves flying home to their nests?

9Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the LORD thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee.

9The lands across the sea are waiting for me, with the ships of Tarshish in the lead. They bring your children home from far away, and their silver and gold with them. This honors the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, because he has given you honor.

10And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee.

10Foreigners will rebuild your walls, and their kings will serve you. I struck you when I was angry, but now I am kind to you and show you mercy.

11Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought.

11So your gates will always stand open. They will never be shut, day or night. Then people can bring the wealth of the nations in to you, and their kings can be led in too.

12For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.

12Any nation or kingdom that will not serve you will come to an end. Those nations will be completely ruined.

13The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious.

13The finest trees of Lebanon will be brought to you: cypress, pine, and boxwood together. They will make my holy place beautiful, and I will honor the place where my feet rest.

Note"The box" is the boxwood tree. Its wood is hard and smooth, and builders prized it for fine work.

14The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, The city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

14The children of the people who hurt you will come and bow to you. Everyone who looked down on you will bow low at your feet. They will call you The City of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

15Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations.

15You were left alone and hated, and no one even traveled through you. Now I will make you great forever, a joy for all generations.

16Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.

16The nations will feed you like a nurse, and kings will care for you the same way. Then you will know that I, the LORD, am the one who saves you and buys you back, the Mighty One of Jacob.

Note"You shall suck the milk of the Gentiles" is a picture, not a rule. It means the nations will feed and support the city the way a nurse feeds a child.

17For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron: I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness.

17Instead of bronze I will bring you gold, and instead of iron, silver. Instead of wood I will bring bronze, and instead of stones, iron. I will make peace your governor and right living your ruler.

18Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise.

18No one will hear of violence in your land again, or of ruin and destruction inside your borders. You will name your walls Salvation and your gates Praise.

19The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.

19You will not need the sun for light in the daytime, or the shining moon at night. The LORD himself will be your light forever, and your God will be your glory.

20Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.

20Your sun will never set, and your moon will never fade. The LORD will be your light forever, and your days of sadness will be over.

21Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.

21All your people will do what is right. The land will be theirs forever. They are the young shoot I planted, the work of my own hands, and they will bring me honor.

22A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the LORD will hasten it in his time.

22The smallest family will grow into a thousand, and the weakest into a strong nation. I am the LORD. When the time is right, I will make it happen fast.