Isaiah 60 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.
Time Period
Addressed to the era around 540 to 500 BC, as Persian rule replaced Babylonian power and exiles began returning home
Location
Jerusalem, a hill city in Judah, imagined as the destination of caravans crossing the Arabian desert and ships arriving from the western Mediterranean
Audience
Judean Jews returning from Babylon to a city with broken walls and a modest population, along with those who remained behind
Situation
The prophet calls the ruined city to rise and shine because the glory of God has dawned on it. Nations, kings, and camel caravans stream in bearing gold, incense, flocks, and timber, and the city's own exiled children come home.
Key Background
The tribute lists are drawn from real trade: Midian, Ephah, and Sheba were caravan peoples of the Arabian trade routes who dealt in gold and frankincense, and Kedar and Nebaioth were desert herding groups, so the picture is of the ordinary commerce of the region redirected toward Jerusalem. Ships of Tarshish were the large long-distance vessels of the Phoenician trade network, the biggest cargo carriers people of the time knew. Foreign rulers rebuilding a temple and sending materials was a familiar political gesture in the Persian period, when imperial policy actually did fund the restoration of local shrines, which made this vision sound plausible rather than purely fantastic.
up! Let your break through — because your has arrived, and the of Yahweh has dawned over you.
Look — darkness covers the earth, and blankets the but Yahweh is rising over you, and his radiance is being revealed through you.
Nations will walk toward your light, and will come to the brightness of your
Lift your eyes and look around — they are all gathering, they are coming to you. Your sons are coming from far away, and your daughters are being on the
Then you will see it and with your heart will race and swell — because the of the will pour toward you, the riches of the nations will flow in.
Caravans of camels will flood your land — young camels from and Ephah. Everyone from Sheba will come, carrying gold and and announcing the of Yahweh.
All the flocks of will gather to you, the rams of Nebaioth will serve your needs — they will be accepted on my altar, and I will make my even more
Who are these, a doves rushing to their nesting holes?
The are looking to me, with the leading the way, to bring your children from far off, their silver and gold with them, for the name of Yahweh your God, for the No Other in because he has made you stunning.
Foreigners will rebuild your walls, and their kings will serve you. Though I struck you in my anger, in my I have shown you compassion.
Your will stay open — always. Day and night they will never be shut, so the wealth of the nations can be brought in, with their kings being led in procession.
Because any nation or kingdom that will not serve you will be destroyed — those nations will be left in
The magnificence of will come to you, cypress and elm and pine together, to make beautiful the for me, and I will make the ground where I stand glorious.
The children of those who oppressed you will come bowing before you, and everyone who treated you with contempt will fall at your feet. They will call you 'The City of Yahweh,' of the One Like No Other in Israel.'
Instead of being abandoned and despised, with no one passing through, I will make you an of a joy that lasts through every generation.
You will drink the milk of nations and nurse at the breast of kings, and you will know that I, Yahweh, am your that the of is the who you.
Instead of bronze I will bring gold, instead of iron I will bring silver, instead of wood — bronze, and instead of stones — iron. I will make your government and your authority.
Violence will never again be heard in your land, nor devastation or destruction within your borders. You will call your walls and your gates
The sun will no longer be your by day, and the brightness of the moon will not shine for you — because Yahweh will be your and your God will be your
Your sun will never set again, and your moon will never fade — because Yahweh will be your everlasting light, and your of will be over.
Your people will all be they will possess the land forever — the I have planted, the work of my hands, so that I might be in all my
The will become a thousand, and the least will become a mighty nation. I am Yahweh — when the is I will make it happen quickly.