< Isaiah 56 >
1 Thus saith the LORD, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation [is] near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.
Thus said YHWH: “Keep judgment, and do righteousness, For My salvation [is] near to come, And My righteousness to be revealed.”
2 Blessed [is] the man [that] doeth this, and the son of man [that] layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from profaning it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.
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.
3 Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I [am] a dry tree.
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,”
4 For thus saith the LORD to the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose [the things] that please me, and take hold of my covenant;
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:
5 Even to them will I give in my house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.
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.
6 Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from profaning it, and taketh hold of my covenant;
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,
7 Even them 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 people.
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.”
8 The Lord GOD who gathereth the outcasts of Israel, Yet will I gather [others] to him, besides those that are gathered to him.
A declaration of Lord YHWH, Who is gathering the outcasts of Israel: “Again I gather to him—to his gathered ones.”
9 All ye beasts of the field, come to devour, yes, all ye beasts in the forest.
Every beast of the field, Come to devour, every beast in the forest.
10 His watchmen [are] blind: they are all ignorant, they [are] all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.
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.
11 Yes, [they are] greedy dogs [which] can never have enough, and they [are] shepherds [that] cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.
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:
12 Come ye, [say they], I will bring wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to-morrow shall be as this day, [and] much more abundant.
“Come, I take wine, And we drink, gulp strong drink, And tomorrow has been as this day, Great—exceedingly abundant!”