In verses 5-6 God promises to restore the Israelites to their homeland, regardless of where they have been scattered in exile. Good News Translation places a stanza break after the first line of verse 5, but it is better to place it before verse 5, making verses 5-7 one stanza.

Fear not, for I am with you: This second part of Yahweh’s speech begins in the same way as the first part with the command Fear not (see the comments on Isa 43.1). After this command God gives several reasons why the Israelites should not be afraid, but the principal one is I am with you, which is the same promise he gives in verse 2.

I will bring your offspring from the east: Your offspring is literally “your [singular] seed,” which is a figurative expression for Israel’s children. However, both the children and their parents are in view here, so Good News Translation says “your people.” For the east, see the comments on 2.6, where the translation of all four compass points is discussed. If translators need to say where the LORD will bring the Israelites, they may add “home” or even “the land of Israel.”

From the west I will gather you is parallel to the previous line. Good News Translation combines both lines, saying “From the distant east and the farthest west I will bring your people home.” Adding the words “distant” and “farthest” makes it clear that the four compass points in these two verses are figurative expressions for any faraway places where the Israelites were in exile. For the east and the west together, see 9.12 and 11.14.

I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold: These two lines are parallel. God will order the nations to the north and to the south of Israel to hand over his people who are in exile in these nations. The verb phrase I will say is implied in the second line. The north occurred earlier in 14.31 and 41.25, but this is the only place where the south is used in Isaiah. The command Give up means the northern nations should release God’s people whom they are holding captive. Good News Translation has “let them go.” Another possible rendering is “Release my people!” The command Do not withhold means the southern nations should not prevent God’s people in exile there from leaving. It may be rendered “Let my people go!” Good News Translation uses indirect speech for these two commands, which other languages may find helpful (see also the first example below).

For languages that find it difficult to render the four compass points here, a possible rendering for the last two lines of verse 5 and the first two lines of verse 6 is “I will bring you and your children home from every distant place to which you have been taken in exile.”

Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth: These two parallel lines are a summary command of God in which he orders the nations to release his people from every distant place of exile so that they can return to the land of Israel. The verb bring is implied in the last line. This verb is literally “cause to come/go,” so it may be rendered “Send back.” My sons and my daughters refers to all the Israelites, not just the children. Good News Translation combines these two expressions, saying “my people.” For from the end of the earth, see the comments on 42.10.

Translation examples for verses 5-6 are:

• 5 “Do not be afraid. I am with you.
I will bring your people from the east,
and I will gather you from the west.
6 I will order nations in the north to release you,
and I will tell those in the south to let you go;
I will order them to send my sons back from afar,
and my daughters from the ends of the earth.

• 5 “Do not fear! I am with you.
I will bring back your people from the east,
and gather you together from the west.
6 I will command nations in the north, ‘Release them!’
I will say to nations in the south, ‘Let them go!
Send back my sons from those distant places,
and my daughters from the ends of the earth!

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Sterk, Jan. A Handbook on Isaiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .