Isaiah 56

1 Yahweh says [to all the people of Judah], “Do the things that are fair and just, because I will soon come to rescue [DOU] you.

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 I will bless those who faithfully obey my laws about the Sabbath/rest days. I will bless those who (keep sacred/honor) my Sabbath/rest days, and who do not do any work on those days, and who refrain from [MTY] doing anything that is 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 And foreigners who have believed in me should not say, ‘Yahweh will surely not allow me to belong to his people.’ And eunuchs should not say, ‘[Because I am unable to have children, I cannot belong to Yahweh]; I am like [MET] a tree that has completely withered.’

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 They should not say that, because [I], Yahweh, say this to the eunuchs who obey my laws about the Sabbath, and who choose to do the things that please me, and who obey all [the other laws of] the agreement that I [made with the Israeli people]:

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 cause to be put inside the walls of my temple a monument [DOU] to them; because of that monument, they will be honored more than they would have if they had children; they will be honored forever.

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 I will also bless those who are not Israelis, who (join themselves to/believe in) me, and who serve me and worship and love me, and who obey my laws about the Sabbath, and who faithfully obey [all the other laws of] the agreement that I [made with the Israeli people].

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 them to my sacred hill [in Jerusalem], I will cause them to be [very] joyful in my temple where people pray to me, and I will accept the sacrifices that they completely burn [on my altar] and other sacrifices that they offer. I will do those things for them because I want my temple to be a building where people of all nations pray to me.

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 [I], Yahweh, the Lord, the one who will bring back the people of Israel who have been (forced to go/exiled) to other countries, say this: 'I will bring [from other countries] many more people to join those Israelis whom I have brought back.'”

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 “You [surrounding nations have armies that are like] [MET] animals in the forest; come and attack/destroy [Israel]!

Come, all ye beasts of the field, Yea, all ye beasts of the forest, to devour!

10 The Israeli leaders [should be like] watchdogs to protect the people, but [it is as though] they are blind. They are stupid. They are all [like] [MET] dogs that cannot bark. [Good watchdogs bark when strangers approach], [but the Israeli leaders do not warn the people that their enemies are coming]. Instead, they just want to lie down and sleep and dream.

His watchmen are all blind; they know nothing; They are all dumb dogs, that cannot bark, Dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber;

11 [And they are like] greedy dogs; they never get all that they want. They are [supposed to lead the people, like good] shepherds [lead their flocks], but they are ignorant, and they each do whatever they want to do.

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 They say to each other, ‘Come, let’s go and get some wine and [other] alcoholic/strong drinks, and let’s become drunk! And tomorrow we will enjoy drinking even more!’”

“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.”