Ἠσαΐας 56
1 τάδε λέγει κύριος φυλάσσεσθε κρίσιν ποιήσατε δικαιοσύνην ἤγγισεν γὰρ τὸ σωτήριόν μου παραγίνεσθαι καὶ τὸ ἔλεός μου ἀποκαλυφθῆναι
Yahweh says: “Maintain justice and do what is right, for my salvation is near and my righteousness will soon be revealed.
2 μακάριος ἀνὴρ ὁ ποιῶν ταῦτα καὶ ἄνθρωπος ὁ ἀντεχόμενος αὐτῶν καὶ φυλάσσων τὰ σάββατα μὴ βεβηλοῦν καὶ διατηρῶν τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ μὴ ποιεῖν ἀδίκημα
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.”
3 μὴ λεγέτω ὁ ἀλλογενὴς ὁ προσκείμενος πρὸς κύριον ἀφοριεῖ με ἄρα κύριος ἀπὸ τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ καὶ μὴ λεγέτω ὁ εὐνοῦχος ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι ξύλον ξηρόν
Let no foreigner who has joined himself to Yahweh speak, saying, “Yahweh will surely separate me from his people.” Do not let the eunuch say, “Behold, I am a dry tree.”
4 τάδε λέγει κύριος τοῖς εὐνούχοις ὅσοι ἂν φυλάξωνται τὰ σάββατά μου καὶ ἐκλέξωνται ἃ ἐγὼ θέλω καὶ ἀντέχωνται τῆς διαθήκης μου
For Yahweh says, “To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, choose the things that please me, and hold fast to my covenant,
5 δώσω αὐτοῖς ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ μου καὶ ἐν τῷ τείχει μου τόπον ὀνομαστὸν κρείττω υἱῶν καὶ θυγατέρων ὄνομα αἰώνιον δώσω αὐτοῖς καὶ οὐκ ἐκλείψει
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.
6 καὶ τοῖς ἀλλογενέσι τοῖς προσκειμένοις κυρίῳ δουλεύειν αὐτῷ καὶ ἀγαπᾶν τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου τοῦ εἶναι αὐτῷ εἰς δούλους καὶ δούλας καὶ πάντας τοὺς φυλασσομένους τὰ σάββατά μου μὴ βεβηλοῦν καὶ ἀντεχομένους τῆς διαθήκης μου
Also the foreigners who join themselves to Yahweh to serve him, and to love Yahweh’s name, to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath from profaning it, and holds fast my covenant,
7 εἰσάξω αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ ὄρος τὸ ἅγιόν μου καὶ εὐφρανῶ αὐτοὺς ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τῆς προσευχῆς μου τὰ ὁλοκαυτώματα αὐτῶν καὶ αἱ θυσίαι αὐτῶν ἔσονται δεκταὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου μου ὁ γὰρ οἶκός μου οἶκος προσευχῆς κληθήσεται πᾶσιν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν
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.”
8 εἶπεν κύριος ὁ συνάγων τοὺς διεσπαρμένους Ισραηλ ὅτι συνάξω ἐπ’ αὐτὸν συναγωγήν
The Lord Yahweh, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, says, “I will yet gather others to him, in addition to his own who are gathered.”
9 πάντα τὰ θηρία τὰ ἄγρια δεῦτε φάγετε πάντα τὰ θηρία τοῦ δρυμοῦ
All you animals of the field, come to devour, all you animals in the forest.
10 ἴδετε ὅτι πάντες ἐκτετύφλωνται οὐκ ἔγνωσαν φρονῆσαι πάντες κύνες ἐνεοί οὐ δυνήσονται ὑλακτεῖν ἐνυπνιαζόμενοι κοίτην φιλοῦντες νυστάξαι
His watchmen are blind. They are all without knowledge. They are all mute dogs. They can’t bark— dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber.
11 καὶ οἱ κύνες ἀναιδεῖς τῇ ψυχῇ οὐκ εἰδότες πλησμονήν καί εἰσιν πονηροὶ οὐκ εἰδότες σύνεσιν πάντες ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῶν ἐξηκολούθησαν ἕκαστος κατὰ τὸ ἑαυτοῦ
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.
“Come,” they say, “I will get wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and tomorrow will be as today, great beyond measure.”
