Isaiah 56
1 Thus said YHWH: “Keep judgment, and do righteousness, For My salvation [is] near to come, And My righteousness to be revealed.”
This is what Yahweh says, “Observe what is right, do what is just; for my salvation is near, and my righteousness is about 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.
Blessed is the man that does this, and who holds it tightly. He observes the Sabbath, not defiling it, and keeps 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,”
Let no foreigner who has become a follower of Yahweh say, “Yahweh will certainly exclude me from his people.” The eunuch should not say, “See, 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 this is what Yahweh says, “To the eunuchs who observe my Sabbaths and choose what pleases me, and hold fast 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.
to them I will set up in my house and within my walls a monument that is better than having sons and of daughters. I will give them an everlasting monument that will never 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 foreigners who join themselves to Yahweh— to serve him, and who love the name of Yahweh, to worship him, every one who observes the Sabbath and who keeps from defiling it, and who holds fast 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.”
—I will bring 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 nations,
8 A declaration of Lord YHWH, Who is gathering the outcasts of Israel: “Again I gather to him—to his gathered ones.”
this is the declaration of the Lord Yahweh, who gathers the outcasts of Israel— I will still gather others in addition to them.”
9 Every beast of the field, Come to devour, every beast in the forest.
All you wild beasts of the field, come and devour, all you 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.
All their watchmen are blind, they do not understand. They are all silent dogs who cannot bark. They dream, and lying down they love to sleep.
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:
The dogs have big appetites; they can never get enough; they are shepherds without discernment; they have all turned to their own way, each one covetous for unjust gain.
12 “Come, I take wine, And we drink, gulp strong drink, And tomorrow has been as this day, Great—exceedingly abundant!”
“Come,” they say, “let us drink wine and liquor. Tomorrow will be like today, a day great beyond measure.”
