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 Yahweh, Observe ye justice, And execute righteousness, —For near, is My salvation, to come in, and My righteousness 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.
How happy the frail man, who doeth this! Yea the son of the earth-born who firmly graspeth it! Keeping the sabbath lest he profane it, and Keeping his own hand from doing any wrong.
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 son of the foreigner, who hath joined himself unto Yahweh, speak, saying, Yahweh, will separate, me from his people, Neither let the eunuch, say, Lo! I, am a tree dried up!
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 Yahweh—Of the eunuchs, Who shall keep my sabbaths, And choose what I delight in, —And lay firm hold on 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.
That I will give unto them—In my house, And within my walls, A sign and a name, better than sons and daughters, —A name age-abiding, will I give him, which shall not be cut off.
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].
And, as for the sons of the foreigner—Who have joined themselves unto Yahweh To wait upon him, and To love the name of Yahweh, To become his for servants, —Every one who keepeth the sabbath, lest he profane it. And who, layeth firm hold on 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.
Surely I will bring them into my holy mountain And make them joyful in my house of prayer, Their ascending-offerings and their sacrifices, being accepted upon mine altar, —For, my house, a house of prayer, shall be called, for all the peoples!
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.'”
Declareth My Lord, Yahweh, Who is gathering the outcasts of Israel: —Yet others, will I gather unto him Besides his own gathered ones.
9 “You [surrounding nations have armies that are like] [MET] animals in the forest; come and attack/destroy [Israel]!
All ye beasts of the field! come ye to devour, All ye beasts in the forest.
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 blind None of them, know, All of them, are dumb dogs, they cannot bark, —Dreaming, sleeping, 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.
And, the dogs, are greedy they know not to be satisfied. Yea, they, are shepherds who know not to discern, —All of them unto their own way, have turned, Every man to his unjust gain, on every hand:
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 ye! I will fetch wine Let us fill ourselves with strong drink, —And like this day, shall, to-morrow be—Great beyond measure!
