Isaiah 56
1 The LORD says: “Maintain justice and do what is right, for my salvation [yeshuah-ti] is near and my righteousness will soon 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 Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who holds it fast; who keeps the Sabbath without profaning it and keeps 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 Let no foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD speak, saying, “The LORD will surely separate me from his people.” Do not let the eunuch say, “Behold, I am a dry 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 the LORD says, “To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, choose the things that please me, and hold fast to 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 will give them in my house and within my walls a memorial and a name better than of sons and of daughters. I will give them an everlasting name that will not be 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 Also the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD to serve him, and to love the LORD’s name, to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath from profaning it, and holds fast 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 will bring these 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 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 The Lord GOD, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, says, “I will yet gather others to him, in addition to his own who are gathered.”
Thus saith the Lord Eternal who gathereth the outcasts of Israel, I will yet gather [others] to him, beside his own gathered [outcasts].
9 All you animals of the field, come to devour, all you animals in the forest.
All ye beasts of the field, come to devour, [yea, ] all ye beasts in the forest.
10 His watchmen are blind. They are all without knowledge. They are all mute dogs. They can’t bark— dreaming, 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 Yes, the dogs are greedy. They can never have enough. They are shepherds who can’t understand. They have all turned to their own way, each one to his gain, from every 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,” they say, “I will get wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and tomorrow will be as today, great beyond measure.”
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.
