Isaiah 60
Contemporary English Version

A New Day for Jerusalem

1Jerusalem, stand up! Shine!

Your new day is dawning.

The glory of the Lord

shines brightly on you.

2The earth and its people

are covered with darkness,

but the glory of the Lord

is shining upon you.

3Nations and kings

will come to the light

of your dawning day.

Crowds Are Coming to Jerusalem

The Lord said:

4 Open your eyes! Look around!

Crowds are coming.

Your sons are on their way

from distant lands;

your daughters are being carried

like little children.

5When you see this,

your faces will glow;

your hearts will pound

and swell with pride.+

Treasures from across the sea

and the wealth of nations

will be brought to you.

6Your country will be covered

with caravans of young camels

from Midian and Ephah.+

The people of Sheba+

will bring gold and spices

in praise of me, the Lord.

7Every sheep of Kedar

will come to you;

rams from Nebaioth+

will be yours as well.

I will accept them as offerings

and bring honor to my temple.

8What is that sailing by

like clouds

or like doves flying home?

9On those distant islands

your people are waiting

for me, the Lord.+

Seagoing ships+ lead the way

to bring them home

with their silver and gold.

I, the holy Lord God of Israel,

do this to honor your people,

so they will honor me.

Jerusalem Will Be Rebuilt

The Lord said:

10Jerusalem, your city walls

will be rebuilt by foreigners;

their rulers will become

your slaves.

I punished you in my anger;

now I will be kind

and treat you with mercy.

11 Your gates will be open

day and night

to let the rulers of nations

lead their people to you

with all their treasures.

12Any nation or kingdom

that refuses to serve you

will be wiped out.

13Wood from Lebanon's best trees

will be brought to you—

the pines, the firs,

and the cypress trees.

It will be used in my temple

to make beautiful the place

where I rest my feet.

14 The descendants of enemies

who hated and mistreated you

will kneel at your feet.

They will say, “You are Zion,

the city of the Lord,

the holy One of Israel.”

15You were hated and deserted,

rejected by everyone.

But I will make you beautiful,

a city to be proud of

for all time to come.

16You will drain the wealth

of kings and foreign nations.

You will know that I,

the mighty Lord God of Israel,

have saved and rescued you.

17I will bring bronze and iron

in place of wood and stone;

in place of bronze and iron,

I will bring gold and silver.

I will appoint peace and justice

as your rulers and leaders.

18Violence, destruction, and ruin

will never again be heard of

within your borders.

“Victory” will be the name

you give to your walls;

“Praise” will be the name

you give to your gates.

19 You won't need the light

of the sun or the moon.

I, the Lord your God,

will be your eternal light

and bring you honor.

20Your sun will never set

or your moon go down.

I, the Lord, will be

your everlasting light,

and your days of sorrow

will come to an end.

21Your people will live right

and always own the land;

they are the trees I planted

to bring praise to me.

22Even the smallest family

will be a powerful nation.

I am the Lord,

and when the time comes,

I will quickly do all this.




Footnotes:

60.5 swell with pride: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
60.6 Midian … Ephah: Midian was the ancestor of a nomadic tribe of the Arabian desert, east of the Gulf of Aqaba. Ephah was a clan within the tribe of Midian.
60.6 Sheba: Perhaps a place in what is now southwest Arabia. The Queen of Sheba brought gifts to Solomon (1 Kings 10.1-13).
60.7 Kedar … Nebaioth: Regions in northern Arabia.
60.9 On … Lord: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
60.9 Seagoing ships: See the note at 2.16.


Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)

© 2006 American Bible Society.  All rights reserved.

Bible text from the Contemporary English Version 2nd Edition (CEV®) is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by American Bible Society, 101 North Independence Mall East, Floor 8, Philadelphia, PA 19106-2155  (www.americanbible.org). Learn more at www.cev.bible. Discover .BIBLE resources for your ministry at www.get.bible/cev



Home


Isaiah 59
Top of Page
Top of Page