Isaiah 60:15-20

60:15 You were once abandoned

and despised, with no one passing through,

but I will make you ¹  a permanent source of pride

and joy to coming generations.

60:16 You will drink the milk of nations;

you will nurse at the breasts of kings. ² 

Then you will recognize that I, the Lord, am your deliverer,

your protector, ³  the powerful ruler of Jacob. ⁴ 

60:17 Instead of bronze, I will bring you gold,

instead of iron, I will bring you silver,

instead of wood, I will bring you ⁵  bronze,

instead of stones, I will bring you ⁶  iron.

I will make prosperity ⁷  your overseer,

and vindication your sovereign ruler. ⁸ 

60:18 Sounds of violence ⁹  will no longer be heard in your land,

or the sounds of ¹⁰  destruction and devastation within your borders.

You will name your walls, ‘Deliverance,’

and your gates, ‘Praise.’

60:19 The sun will no longer supply light for you by day,

nor will the moon’s brightness shine on you;

the Lord will be your permanent source of light –

the splendor of your God will shine upon you. ¹¹ 

60:20 Your sun will no longer set;

your moon will not disappear; ¹² 

the Lord will be your permanent source of light;

your time ¹³  of sorrow will be over.

Isaiah 66:10

66:10 Be happy for Jerusalem

and rejoice with her, all you who love her!

Share in her great joy,

all you who have mourned over her!

Ezekiel 20:6

20:6 On that day I swore ¹⁴  to bring them out of the land of Egypt to a land which I had picked out ¹⁵  for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, ¹⁶  the most beautiful of all lands.

Malachi 3:12

3:12 “All nations will call you happy, for you indeed will live in ¹⁷  a delightful land,” says the Lord who rules over all.

Hebrews 12:22

12:22 But you have come to Mount Zion, the city ¹⁸  of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the assembly

[60:15]  ¹ tn Heb “Instead of your being abandoned and despised, with no one passing through, I will make you.”

[60:16]  ² sn The nations and kings are depicted as a mother nursing her children. Restored Zion will be nourished by them as she receives their wealth as tribute.

[60:16]  ³ tn Or “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.

[60:16]  ⁴ sn See 1:24 and 49:26.

[60:17]  ⁵ tn The words “I will bring you” are supplied in the translation; they are understood by ellipsis (see the preceding lines).

[60:17]  ⁶ tn The words “I will bring you” are supplied in the translation; they are understood by ellipsis (see the first two lines of the verse).

[60:17]  ⁷ tn Or “peace” (KJV and many other English versions).

[60:17]  ⁸ tn The plural indicates degree. The language is ironic; in the past Zion was ruled by oppressive tyrants, but now personified prosperity and vindication will be the only things that will “dominate” the city.

[60:18]  ⁹ tn The words “sounds of” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[60:18]  ¹⁰ tn The words “sounds of” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[60:19]  ¹¹ tn Heb “and your God for your splendor.”

[60:20]  ¹² sn In this verse “sun” and “moon” refer to the Lord’s light, which will replace the sun and moon (see v. 19). Light here symbolizes the restoration of divine blessing and prosperity in conjunction with the Lord’s presence. See 30:26.

[60:20]  ¹³ tn Heb “days” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).

[20:6]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “I lifted up my hand to them.”

[20:6]  ¹⁵ tn Or “searched out.” The Hebrew word is used to describe the activity of the spies in “spying out” the land of Canaan (Num 13-14); cf. KJV “I had espied for them.”

[20:6]  ¹⁶ sn The phrase “a land flowing with milk and honey,” a figure of speech describing the land’s abundant fertility, occurs in v. 15 as well as Exod 3:8, 17; 13:5; 33:3; Lev 20:24; Num 13:27; Deut 6:3; 11:9; 26:9; 27:3; Josh 5:6; Jer 11:5; 32:23 (see also Deut 1:25; 8:7-9).

[3:12]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “will be” (so NAB, NRSV); TEV “your land will be a good place to live in.”

[12:22]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “and the city”; the conjunction is omitted in translation since it seems to be functioning epexegetically – that is, explaining further what is meant by “Mount Zion.”