“Arise,
shine; for your light has come,
and
Yahweh’s glory has risen on you.
For,
behold, darkness will cover the earth,
and
thick darkness the peoples;
but
Yahweh will arise on you,
and
his glory shall be seen on you.
Nations
will come to your light,
and
kings to the brightness of your rising.
“Lift
up your eyes all around, and see:
they
all gather themselves together.
They
come to you.
Your
sons will come from far away,
and
your daughters will be carried in arms.
Then
you shall see and be radiant,
and
your heart will thrill and be enlarged;
because
the abundance of the sea will be turned to you.
The
wealth of the nations will come to you.
A
multitude of camels will cover you,
the
dromedaries of Midian and Ephah.
All
from Sheba will come.
They
will bring gold and frankincense,
and
will proclaim the praises of Yahweh.
All
the flocks of Kedar will be gathered together to you.
The
rams of Nebaioth will serve you.
They
will be accepted as offerings on my altar;
and
I will beautify my glorious house.
“Who
are these who fly as a cloud,
and
as the doves to their windows?
Surely
the islands will wait for me,
and
the ships of Tarshish first,
to
bring your sons from far,
their
silver and their gold with them,
for
the name of Yahweh your God,
and
for the Holy One of Israel,
because
he has glorified you.
“Foreigners
will build up your walls,
and
their kings will serve you:
for
in my favor, I have had mercy on you.
Your
gates also shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night,
that men may bring to you the wealth of the nations.
“The
glory of Lebanon shall come to you, the cypress tree, the pine, and the box
tree together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place
of my feet glorious.
The
sons of those who afflicted you will come bowing to you;
and
all those who despised you will bow themselves down at the soles of your feet.
They
will call you Yahweh’s City,
the
Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
“Whereas
you have been forsaken and hated,
so
that no one passed through you,
I
will make you an eternal excellency,
a
joy of many generations.
You
will also drink the milk of the nations,
and
will nurse from royal breasts.
Then
you will know that I, Yahweh, am your Savior,
your
Redeemer,
the
Mighty One of Jacob.
For
bronze I will bring gold;
for
iron I will bring silver;
for
wood, bronze,
and
for stones, iron.
I
will also make peace your governor,
and
righteousness your ruler.
Violence
shall no more be heard in your land,
nor
desolation or destruction within your borders;
but
you will call your walls Salvation,
and
your gates Praise.
The
sun will be no more your light by day;
nor
will the brightness of the moon give light to you,
but
Yahweh will be your everlasting light,
and
your God will be your glory.
Your
sun will not go down any more,
nor
will your moon withdraw itself;
for
Yahweh will be your everlasting light,
and
the days of your mourning will end.
Then
your people will all be righteous.
They
will inherit the land forever,
the
branch of my planting,
the
work of my hands,
that
I may be glorified.
22 The
little one will become a thousand,
and
the small one a strong nation.
I,
Yahweh, will do this quickly in its time.”
Isaiah 60:1-11;
13-22