Isaiah 56
1 Thus said YHWH: “Keep judgment, and do righteousness, For My salvation [is] near to come, And My righteousness to 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 O the blessedness of a man who does this, And of a son of man who keeps hold on it, Keeping the Sabbath from defiling it, And keeping his hand from doing any evil.
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 Do not let a son of the stranger speak, Who is joined to YHWH, saying, “YHWH certainly separates me from His people.” Nor let the eunuch say, “Behold, I am a dried up tree,”
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 thus said YHWH: “To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths, And have fixed on that which I desired, And are keeping hold on My covenant:
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 have given to them in My house, And within My walls a station and a name, Better than sons and than daughters, I give a continuous name to him That is not cut off.
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 And sons of the stranger, who are joined to YHWH, To serve Him, and to love the Name of YHWH, To be for servants to Him, All keeping from defiling the Sabbath, And those keeping hold on My covenant,
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 have brought them to My holy mountain, And caused them to rejoice in My house of prayer, Their burnt-offerings and their sacrifices [Are] for a pleasing thing on My altar, For My house is called a house of prayer for all the peoples.”
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 A declaration of Lord YHWH, Who is gathering the outcasts of Israel: “Again I gather to him—to his gathered ones.”
Thus saith the Lord Eternal who gathereth the outcasts of Israel, I will yet gather [others] to him, beside his own gathered [outcasts].
9 Every beast of the field, Come to devour, every beast in the forest.
All ye beasts of the field, come to devour, [yea, ] all ye beasts in the forest.
10 His watchmen [are] blind—all of them, They have not known, All of them [are] mute dogs, they are not able to bark, Dozing, lying down, loving to slumber.
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 And the dogs [are] strong of desire, They have not known sufficiency, And they [are] shepherds! They have not known understanding, All of them turned to their own way, Each to his dishonest gain from his quarter:
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, I take wine, And we drink, gulp strong drink, And tomorrow has been as this day, Great—exceedingly abundant!”
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.
