Isaiah 56
1 This is what the Lord says: Follow the law, and do what is right, for my salvation will soon arrive, and my goodness will be revealed.
Thus hath said the Lord, Keep ye justice, and do equity; for near is my salvation to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.
2 Blessed is everyone who does this—those who keep to it, who observe the Sabbath without violating it, and who don't do anything wrong.
Happy is the mortal that ever doth this, and the son of man that ever layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath by not violating it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.
3 Don't allow foreigners who have dedicated themselves to the Lord say, “The Lord will definitely exclude me from his people.” And don't allow eunuchs to say, “Look at me—I'm as worthless as a dried-up tree because I'm childless.”
And let not say the son of the stranger, that joineth himself unto the Lord, saying, Surely the Lord will exclude me from his people; nor let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree.
4 For this is what the Lord says: To the eunuchs who observe my Sabbaths, who choose to do what pleases me, and to keep my agreement,
For thus hath said the Lord concerning the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and make choice of what pleaseth me, and take hold of my covenant.
5 I will give them, in my house and within my walls, a place to remember them and a reputation better than that of sons and daughters. I will give them an everlasting reputation that will never fade.
I will indeed give unto them in my house and within my walls a place and a name, better than sons and daughters: an everlasting name will I give them, that shall not be cut off.
6 About the foreigners who have dedicated themselves to the Lord, who worship him, who love the Lord, and who are his servants, everyone who observes the Sabbath without violating it and who keep to my agreement—
Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves unto the Lord, to serve him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be unto him as servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath by not violating it, and those who take hold of my covenant:
7 I will bring these foreigners to my holy mountain and make them happy in my house of prayer. I will accept their burnt offerings and sacrifices, because my Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations.
Even these will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt-offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations.
8 This is what the Lord God says, who brought back the scattered people of Israel: I will bring back still others to join you.
Thus saith the Lord Eternal who gathereth the outcasts of Israel, I will yet gather [others] to him, beside his own gathered [outcasts].
9 Come, wild animals, wild animals of the countryside and forests, come and eat my people!
All ye beasts of the field, come to devour, [yea, ] all ye beasts in the forest.
10 For all the watchmen are blind. None of them know what's going on. They're all silent—they can't bark. They spend their time lying down, dreaming, loving to sleep.
His watchmen are all of them blind, they know nothing; they all are dumb dogs, they cannot bark; dreamers, lying down, loving to slumber.
11 They're greedy dogs that are never satisfied. They're sheepdogs who don't know their job. All of them go their own way, each of them looking out for themselves.
But the dogs are of a greedy disposition, they know not how to be satisfied; and those are shepherds that know how to understand: they all turn to their own way, every one after his gain, from all quarters.
12 “Come on,” they say, “I'll get some wine and let's get drunk! We'll do this today, and tomorrow we'll drink so much more!”
Come ye, I will fetch wine, and let us swallow abundantly of strong drink; and like this day shall it be tomorrow, excellent and in very great abundance.
