Isaiah 56
1 The LORD says: “Maintain justice and do what is right, for my salvation is near and my righteousness will soon be revealed.
Thus saith Jehovah: Keep ye justice, and practise righteousness; For the coming of my salvation is near, And my deliverance is soon to be revealed.
2 Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who holds it fast; who keeps the Sabbath without profaning it and keeps his hand from doing any evil.”
Happy the man that doeth this, And the son of man that holdeth it fast; That keepeth the sabbath, and profaneth it not, And restraineth his hand from doing evil.
3 Let no foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD speak, saying, “The LORD will surely separate me from his people.” Do not let the eunuch say, “Behold, I am a dry tree.”
And let not the stranger that joineth himself to Jehovah say, Jehovah hath wholly separated me from his people. And let not the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree!
4 For the LORD says, “To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, choose the things that please me, and hold fast to my covenant,
For thus saith Jehovah concerning the eunuchs: They that keep my sabbaths, And take pleasure in doing my will, And hold fast my covenant,
5 I will give them in my house and within my walls a memorial and a name better than of sons and of daughters. I will give them an everlasting name that will not be cut off.
To them will I give in my house, and within my walls, a portion and a name, Better than of sons and daughters; An everlasting name will I give them, That shall never fade away.
6 Also the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD to serve him, and to love the LORD’s name, to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath from profaning it, and holds fast my covenant,
The strangers, also, that join themselves to Jehovah, to serve him, To love the name of Jehovah, and to be his servants. Every one that keepeth the sabbath, and profaneth it not, And holdeth fast my covenant,
7 I will bring these to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”
Them will I bring to my holy mountain, And I will make them rejoice in my house of prayer; Their burnt-offerings and sacrifices shall be accepted on mine altar; For my house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.
8 The Lord GOD, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, says, “I will yet gather others to him, in addition to his own who are gathered.”
Thus saith the Lord Jehovah, That gathereth the outcasts of Israel; Yet will I gather others to him, Besides those that are already gathered.
9 All you animals of the field, come to devour, all you animals in the forest.
Come, all ye beasts of the field, Yea, all ye beasts of the forest, to devour!
10 His watchmen are blind. They are all without knowledge. They are all mute dogs. They cannot bark— dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber.
His watchmen are all blind; they know nothing; They are all dumb dogs, that cannot bark, Dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber;
11 Yes, the dogs are greedy. They can never have enough. They are shepherds who cannot understand. They have all turned to their own way, each one to his gain, from every quarter.
Yet are they greedy dogs that cannot be satisfied; The shepherds themselves will not attend; They all turn aside to their own way, Every one of them to their own gain.
12 “Come,” they say, “I will get wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and tomorrow will be as today, great beyond measure.”
“Come on, let me bring wine, And let us fill ourselves with strong drink, And to-morrow shall be as to-day, And even much more abundant.”
