Isaiah 56
1 Thus said Jehovah: 'Keep ye judgment, and do righteousness, For near [is] My salvation to come, And My righteousness to be revealed.'
Thus saith the LORD, Keep ye judgment, and do righteousness: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.
2 O the happiness of a man who doth this, And of a son of man who keepeth hold on it, Keeping the sabbath from polluting it, And keeping his hand from doing any evil.
Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that holdeth fast by it; that keepeth the sabbath from profaning it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.
3 Nor speak let a son of the stranger, Who is joined unto Jehovah, saying: 'Jehovah doth certainly separate me from His people.' Nor say let the eunuch, 'Lo, I am a tree dried up,'
Neither let the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD will surely separate me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree.
4 For thus said Jehovah of the eunuchs, Who do keep My sabbaths, And have fixed on that which I desired, And are keeping hold on My covenant:
For thus saith the LORD of the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and hold fast by 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, A name age-during I give to him That is not cut off.
Unto them will I give in mine 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 shall not be cut off.
6 And sons of the stranger, who are joined to Jehovah, To serve Him, and to love the name of Jehovah, To be to Him for servants, Every keeper of the sabbath from polluting it, And those keeping hold on My covenant.
Also the strangers, that join themselves to the LORD, to minister unto him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from profaning it, and holdeth fast by my covenant;
7 I have brought them unto 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 Mine altar, For My house, 'A house of prayer,' Is called for all the peoples.
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 mine altar: for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all peoples.
8 An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, Who is gathering the outcasts of Israel: 'Again I gather to him — to his gathered ones.'
The Lord GOD which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather [others] to him, beside his own that are gathered.
9 Every beast of the field, Come to devour, every beast in the forest.
All ye beasts of the field, come to devour, [yea], all ye beasts in the forest.
10 Blind [are] his watchmen — all of them, They have not known, All of them [are] dumb dogs, they are not able to bark, Dozing, lying down, loving to slumber.
His watchmen are blind, they are all without knowledge; they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber.
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 to their own way they did turn, Each to his dishonest gain from his quarter:
Yea, the dogs are greedy, they can never have enough; and these are shepherds that cannot understand: they have all turned to their own way, each one to his gain, from every quarter.
12 'Come ye, I take wine, And we drink, quaff strong drink, And as this day hath been to-morrow, Great — exceeding abundant!'
Come ye, [say they], I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and tomorrow shall be as this day, [a day] great beyond measure.
