Isaiah

Salvation for the Gentiles

56 
Thus says the Lord:
“Keep justice, and do righteousness,

For My salvation is about to come,

And My righteousness to be revealed.

Blessed is the man who does this,

And the son of man who lays hold on it;

Who keeps from defiling the Sabbath,

And keeps his hand from doing any evil.”

Do not let the son of the foreigner

Who has joined himself to the Lord

Speak, saying,

“The Lord has utterly separated me from His people”;

Nor let the eunuch say,

“Here I am, a dry tree.”

For thus says the Lord:

“To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths,

And choose what pleases Me,

And hold fast My covenant,

Even to them I will give in My house

And within My walls a place and a name

Better than that of sons and daughters;

I will give [a]them an everlasting name

That shall not be cut off.

“Also the sons of the foreigner

Who join themselves to the Lord, to serve Him,

And to love the name of the Lord, to be His servants—

Everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath,

And holds fast My covenant—

Even them I will bring 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 shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.”

The Lord God, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, says,

“Yet I will gather to him

Others besides those who are gathered to him.”

Israel’s Irresponsible Leaders

All you beasts of the field, come to devour,

All you beasts in the forest.

10 His watchmen are blind,

They are all ignorant;

They are all dumb dogs,

They cannot bark;

[b]Sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.

11 Yes, they are greedy[c] dogs

Which never[d] have enough.

And they are shepherds

Who cannot understand;

They all look to their own way,

Every one for his own gain,

From his own territory.

12 “Come,” one says, “I will bring wine,

And we will fill ourselves with intoxicating drink;

Tomorrow will be as today,

And much more abundant.”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 56:5 Lit. him
  2. Isaiah 56:10 Or Dreaming
  3. Isaiah 56:11 Lit. strong of soul
  4. Isaiah 56:11 Lit. do not know satisfaction