Isaiah 56

Common English Bible

Keepers of God’s Sabbath

56 The Lord says:
    Act justly and do what is righteous,
    because my salvation is coming soon,
    and my righteousness will be revealed.
²Happy is the one who does this,
    the person who holds it fast,
    who keeps the Sabbath, not making it impure,
    and avoids doing any evil.

³Don’t let the immigrant who has joined with the Lord say,
    “The Lord will exclude me from the people.”
    And don’t let the eunuch say,
        “I’m just a dry tree.”
⁴The Lord says:
    To the eunuchs who keep my sabbaths,
    choose what I desire,
    and remain loyal to my covenant.
⁵    In my temple and courts, I will give them
    a monument and a name better than sons and daughters.
    I will give to them an enduring name
    that won’t be removed.
⁶The immigrants who have joined me,^[a]
    serving me and loving my name,^[b] becoming my servants,^[c]
    everyone who keeps the Sabbath without making it impure,
    and those who hold fast to my covenant:
⁷    I will bring them to my holy mountain,
    and bring them joy in my house of prayer.
    I will accept their entirely burned offerings and sacrifices on my altar.
    My house will be known as a house of prayer for all peoples,
⁸        says the Lord God,
    who gathers Israel’s outcasts.
I will gather still others to those I have already gathered.

Neglectful leaders

⁹All you beasts of the field,
    come and eat, all you beasts of the forest!
¹⁰The lookouts are blind;
    they all lack sense.
They are all mute dogs that can’t bark,
    dreamers, loungers, loving to sleep.
¹¹But the dogs have monstrous appetites.
    They never have enough.
    They are shepherds who don’t understand.
All of them have turned to their own ways,
    every last one greedy for profit.
¹²“Come! I’ll get some wine!
    Let’s drink beer!
    Tomorrow will be like today, or even much better.”