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Salvation for All Who Obey

56 Thus says Yahweh:

“Observe justice
    and do righteousness,
for my salvation is close to coming,
    and my justice to being revealed.
Happy is the man who does this,
    and the son of humankind who keeps hold of it,
who keeps the Sabbath so as not to profane[a] it,
    and who keeps his hand from doing any[b] evil.”
And do not let the foreigner[c] who joins himself to Yahweh say, “Surely Yahweh will separate me from his people.”
    And do not let the eunuch say, “Look! I am a dry tree!”
For thus says Yahweh, “To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths,
    and choose that in which I delight,
    and who keep hold of my covenant.
And I will give them a monument and a name in my house and within my walls,
    better than sons and daughters;
I will give him an everlasting name
    that shall not be cut off.
And the foreigners[d] who join themselves to Yahweh to serve him
    and to love the name of Yahweh, to become his servants,
every one who keeps the Sabbath, so as not to profane[e] it,
    and those who keep hold of my covenant,
I will bring them to my holy mountain;[f]
    I will make them merry in my house of prayer.
their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted[g] on my altar,
    for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples,”

declares[h] the Lord Yahweh, who gathers[i] the scattered ones of Israel (still I will gather to[j] him, to his gathered ones).

Wicked Leaders

All wild animals in the field, come,
    to devour,[k] all wild animals in the forest!
10 His watchmen are blind,
    none of them know.
They are all dumb dogs;
    they are unable to bark,
panting, lying down,
    loving to slumber.
11 And the dogs have a greedy appetite;[l]
    they are never satisfied.[m]
And they are the shepherds!
    They do not have[n] understanding.
They all turn to their own way,
    each one for his own gain, every one of them.[o]
12 “Come, let me take wine,
    and let us carouse with intoxicating drink,
and tomorrow will be like today,
    very great indeed.”[p]

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 56:2 Literally “from profaning”
  2. Isaiah 56:2 Or “all”
  3. Isaiah 56:3 Literally “son of the foreign country”
  4. Isaiah 56:6 Literally “sons of the foreign country”
  5. Isaiah 56:6 Literally “from profaning”
  6. Isaiah 56:7 Literally “the mountain of my holiness”
  7. Isaiah 56:7 Literally “for acceptance”
  8. Isaiah 56:8 Literally “declaration of”
  9. Isaiah 56:8 Or “gathering”
  10. Isaiah 56:8 Or “upon”
  11. Isaiah 56:9 Or “eat”
  12. Isaiah 56:11 Literally “are strong of soul”
  13. Isaiah 56:11 Literally “do not know satiation”
  14. Isaiah 56:11 Or “know”
  15. Isaiah 56:11 Literally “from his end “
  16. Isaiah 56:12 Literally “excessively”