A Glorified Zion

1“Arise, shine, for your light has come,

And the glory of Yahweh has risen upon you.

2For behold, darkness will cover the earth

And dense gloom the peoples;

But Yahweh will rise upon you,

And His glory will appear upon you.

3Nations will come to your light,

And kings to the brightness of your rising.

4“Lift up your eyes round about and see;

They all gather together; they come to you.

Your sons will come from afar,

And your daughters will be [†]carried on the nurses’ hip.

5Then you will see and be radiant,

And your heart will tremble and be large with joy;

Because the abundance of the sea will be turned to you,

The wealth of the nations will come to you.

6A multitude of camels will cover you,

The young camels of Midian and Ephah;

All those from Sheba will come;

They will bring gold and frankincense,

And will bear good news of the praises of Yahweh.

7All the flocks of Kedar will be gathered together to you;

The rams of Nebaioth will minister to you;

They will go up with acceptance on My altar,

And I shall [†]adorn My [†]glorious house with beautiful glory.

8Who are these who fly like a cloud

And like the doves to their [†]lattices?

9Surely the coastlands will hope in Me;

And the ships of Tarshish will come first,

To bring your sons from afar,

Their silver and their gold with them,

For the name of Yahweh your God,

And for the Holy One of Israel because He has [†]adorned you with beautiful glory.

10“Foreigners will build up your walls,

And their kings will minister to you;

For in My wrath I struck you,

And in My favor I have had compassion on you.

11Your gates will be open continually;

They will not be closed day or night,

So that men may bring to you the wealth of the nations,

With their kings led in procession.

12For the nation and the kingdom which will not serve you will perish,

And the nations will surely be laid waste.

13The glory of Lebanon will come to you,

The juniper, the box tree, and the cypress together,

To adorn the place of My sanctuary with beautiful glory;

And I shall make the place of My feet glorious.

14The sons of those who afflicted you will come bowing to you,

And all those who spurned you will bow themselves at the soles of your feet;

And they will call you the City of Yahweh,

The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

15“Instead of being forsaken and hated

With no one passing through,

I will make you an everlasting pride,

A joy from generation to generation.

16You will also suck the milk of nations

And suck the breast of kings;

Then you will know that I, Yahweh, am your Savior

And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.

17Instead of bronze I will bring gold,

And instead of iron I will bring silver,

And instead of wood, bronze,

And instead of stones, iron.

And I will make peace your overseers

And righteousness your taskmasters.

18Violence will not be heard again in your land,

Nor devastation or destruction within your borders;

But you will call your walls salvation, and your gates praise.

19No longer will you have the sun for light by day,

Nor for brightness will the moon give you light;

But you will have Yahweh for an everlasting light,

And your God for your [†]glory.

20Your sun will no longer set,

Nor will your moon wane;

For you will have Yahweh for an everlasting light,

And the days of your mourning will be finished.

21Then all your people will be righteous;

They will possess the land forever,

The branch of [†]My planting,

The work of My hands,

That I may show forth My beautiful glory.

22The smallest one will become a [†]clan,

And the miniscule one a mighty nation.

I, Yahweh, will hasten it in its time.”