Isaiah 60

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 bright 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. Thick darkness covers the people. But the LORD will shine on you. Everyone will see his glory over you.

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

3Nations will come to your light. Kings will come to your bright new morning.

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 all around you. People are gathering. They are coming to you. Your sons will come from far away. Your daughters will be carried in someone's arms.

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 fill up with joy. Riches from the sea will be brought to you. The wealth of the nations will come to you.

Note"Thine heart shall fear" does not mean being scared here. It means the heart pounds and swells up with joy.

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.

6Long lines of camels will cover your land. Young camels will come from Midian and Ephah. Everyone from Sheba will come too. They will bring gold and incense, a spice that smells sweet when it burns. They will tell how great the LORD is.

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 sheep and goats of Kedar will be brought to you. The rams of Nebaioth will serve you. They will be given on my altar, the special table where gifts are given to God. I will accept them. I will make my beautiful house even more beautiful.

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

8Who are these coming? They fly like clouds. They are 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 faraway lands across the sea are waiting for me. The big ships of Tarshish will lead the way. They will bring your children home from far away. They will bring their silver and gold with them. This honors the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel. He has made you great.

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.

10People from other lands will build your walls again. Their kings will serve you. I was angry, and I hurt you. But now I am kind, and I will be gentle with you.

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.

11Your gates will always stand open. They will never be shut, day or night. Then people can bring you the riches of the nations. Their kings will 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 come to you. Cypress, elm, and boxwood trees will come together. They will make my holy house lovely. I will make the place where my feet rest full of glory.

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 made fun of you will bow low at your feet. They will call you the City of the LORD. They will call you 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 all alone and hated. No one even walked through you. But I will make you great forever. You will be a joy for all time.

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.

16You will drink the milk of the nations. Kings will feed you, the way a nurse feeds a baby. Then you will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior. I am the one who sets you free. I am the Mighty One of Jacob.

Note"Suck the milk of the Gentiles" is a word picture. It means other nations will feed and care for the city, like a nurse feeding a baby.

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.

17I will bring you gold instead of bronze. I will bring silver instead of iron. I will bring bronze instead of wood, and iron instead of stones. I will make peace your leader. I will make what is right your ruler.

Note"Brass" in the King James Bible means bronze. "Exactors" means rulers or bosses.

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 about violence in your land anymore. Nothing will be wrecked or ruined inside your borders. You will name your walls Salvation, which means being kept safe. You will name 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. You will not need the moon to shine at night. The LORD will be your light forever. Your God will be your shining beauty.

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 go down. Your moon will never fade away. The LORD will be your light forever. Your sad days 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 belong to them forever. They are the young plant I planted. They are the work of my hands. They show how great I am.

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. The weakest one will become a strong nation. I am the LORD. When the time is right, I will do it quickly.