56 This is what the Lord says:
‘Always be fair and do what is right.
Soon I will come to rescue you.
I will do what is right for my people.
2 God will bless the people who do what is right.
They must be careful to obey my laws.
They must respect the rules for the Sabbath day
and keep it special.
They must refuse to do anything that is evil.
3 When a foreigner decides to serve the Lord , he should not say, “The Lord will keep me separate from his own people.” A eunuch should not say, “I am no better than a dead tree.” ’
4 The Lord says this:
‘I will bless eunuchs who obey my laws.
They must respect the rules for Sabbath days.
They must choose to do what pleases me.
They must always obey my covenant with my people.
5 If they do that, I will give them a special place in my temple.
It will cause people to remember them.
Their name will continue in a better way
than through sons and daughters.
People will always honour their name.
Nobody will cut it off. [ a ]
6 I will also bless foreigners who decide to serve me.
They must be faithful to me as my servants.
They must respect the rules for the Sabbath day and keep it special.
They must always obey my covenant.
7 Then I will bring them to my holy mountain. [ b ]
I will make them happy in my house, where people pray to me.
I will accept their burnt offerings and sacrifices,
when they offer them to me on my altar.
People will call my temple,
“A house where people from all nations may pray.” ’ [ c ]
8 The Almighty Lord is the one who brings together all the Israelite people who are in exile. He says, ‘I will continue to bring more people to join with them.’
9 ‘Come here, you wild animals!
Come, you wild animals that live in the forest!
Come and eat my people! [ d ]
10 Israel's guards are blind!
They do not see what is happening.
They are all like dogs that cannot make a noise.
They cannot warn people about danger.
They love to lie on the ground
and they dream while they sleep.
11 They are like dogs who are always hungry.
They eat a lot but they never have enough.
They are like shepherds
who do not understand what to do.
They do whatever they want to do,
so that it will help them get what they want.
12 They say to each other,
“Come! We must go and find more wine to drink!
We can drink as much beer as we want!
Tomorrow we can do it all again!
It might be even better than today!” ’
56 The Lord said these things, “Be fair to all people. Do what is right, because soon my salvation will come to you. My goodness will soon be shown to the whole world. 2 I will bless those who refuse to do wrong and who obey the law about the Sabbath.”
3 Some foreigners will choose to follow the Lord . They should not say, “The Lord will not really accept me like the rest of his people.” A eunuch should not say, “I am only a dry piece of wood. I cannot have any children. ”
4 They should not say that because the Lord says, “Some eunuchs obey the laws about the Sabbath. They choose to do what I want, and they follow my agreement. [ a ] 5 So I will put a memorial stone in my Temple for them. Their name will be remembered in my city! Yes, I will give those eunuchs something better than sons and daughters. I will give them a name that will last forever! They will not be cut off [ b ] from my people.
6 “Some foreigners have chosen to follow the Lord . They do this so that they can serve him and love his name and be his servants. They keep the Sabbath as a special day of worship, and they will continue to follow closely my agreement. 7 So I will bring them to my holy mountain and make them happy in my house of prayer. The offerings and sacrifices they give me will please me, because my Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” 8 The Lord God said these things.
The Israelites were forced to leave their country, but the Lord will gather them together again. He says, “I will bring them back together again!”
9 Wild animals in the forest,
come and eat.
10 The watchmen [ c ] are all blind.
They don’t know what they are doing.
They are like dogs that will not bark.
They lie on the ground and sleep.
Oh, they love to sleep.
11 They are like hungry dogs.
They are never satisfied.
The shepherds don’t know what they are doing.
Like their sheep, they have all wandered away.
They are greedy.
All they want is to satisfy themselves.
12 They come and say,
“I will drink some wine.
I will drink some beer.
I will do the same thing tomorrow,
but I will drink even more.”
56 Thus saith the Lord , Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.
2 Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.
3 Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the Lord , speak, saying, The Lord hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree.
4 For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant;
5 Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.
6 Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the Lord , to serve him, and to love the name of the Lord , to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant;
7 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 people.
8 The Lord God , which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him.
9 All ye beasts of the field, come to devour, yea, all ye beasts in the forest.
10 His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.
11 Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.
12 Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant.
56 This is what the Lord says:
“ ( A ) Guard justice and do righteousness,
For My ( B ) salvation is about to come
And My righteousness to be revealed.
2 ( C ) Blessed is a man who does this,
And a son of man who ( D ) takes hold of it;
Who ( E ) keeps from profaning the Sabbath,
And keeps his hand from doing any evil.”
3 Let not the ( F ) foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say,
“The Lord will certainly separate me from His people.”
Nor let the ( G ) eunuch say, “Behold, I am a dry tree.”
4 For this is what the Lord says:
“To the eunuchs who ( H ) keep My Sabbaths,
And choose what pleases Me,
And ( I ) hold firmly to My covenant,
5 To them I will give in My ( J ) house and within My ( K ) walls a memorial,
And a name better than that of sons and daughters;
I will give [ a ] them an everlasting ( L ) name which ( M ) will not be eliminated.
6 “Also the ( N ) foreigners who join themselves to the Lord ,
To attend to His service and to love the name of the Lord ,
To be His servants, every one who ( O ) keeps the Sabbath so as not to profane it,
And holds firmly to My covenant;
7 Even ( P ) those I will bring to My ( Q ) holy mountain,
And ( R ) make them joyful in My house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on ( S ) My altar;
For ( T ) My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.”
8 The Lord [ b ] God , who ( U ) gathers the dispersed of Israel, declares,
“I will yet gather ( V ) others to [ c ] them, to those already gathered.”
9 All you [ d ] ( W ) wild animals,
All you animals in the forest,
Come to eat.
10 His ( X ) watchmen are ( Y ) blind,
All of them know nothing.
All of them are mute dogs unable to bark,
Dreamers lying down, who love to slumber;
11 And the dogs are [ e ] ( Z ) greedy, they [ f ] are never satisfied.
And they are shepherds who have ( AA ) no understanding;
They have all ( AB ) turned to their own way,
Each one to his unjust gain, [ g ] without exception.
12 “Come,” they say , “ [ h ] let’s get ( AC ) wine, and let’s drink heavily of intoxicating drink;
And ( AD ) tomorrow will be like today, only more so.”
56 This is what the Lord says:
“Maintain justice ( A )
and do what is right, ( B )
for my salvation ( C ) is close at hand
and my righteousness ( D ) will soon be revealed.
2 Blessed ( E ) is the one who does this—
the person who holds it fast,
who keeps the Sabbath ( F ) without desecrating it,
and keeps their hands from doing any evil.”
3 Let no foreigner ( G ) who is bound to the Lord say,
“The Lord will surely exclude me from his people.” ( H )
And let no eunuch ( I ) complain,
“I am only a dry tree.”
4 For this is what the Lord says:
“To the eunuchs ( J ) who keep my Sabbaths,
who choose what pleases me
and hold fast to my covenant ( K ) —
5 to them I will give within my temple and its walls ( L )
a memorial ( M ) and a name
better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name ( N )
that will endure forever. ( O )
6 And foreigners ( P ) who bind themselves to the Lord
to minister ( Q ) to him,
to love the name ( R ) of the Lord ,
and to be his servants,
all who keep the Sabbath ( S ) without desecrating it
and who hold fast to my covenant—
7 these I will bring to my holy mountain ( T )
and give them joy in my house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices ( U )
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house will be called
a house of prayer for all nations. ( V ) ” ( W )
8 The Sovereign Lord declares—
he who gathers the exiles of Israel:
“I will gather ( X ) still others to them
besides those already gathered.”
9 Come, all you beasts of the field, ( Y )
come and devour, all you beasts of the forest!
10 Israel’s watchmen ( Z ) are blind,
they all lack knowledge; ( AA )
they are all mute dogs,
they cannot bark;
they lie around and dream,
they love to sleep. ( AB )
11 They are dogs with mighty appetites;
they never have enough.
They are shepherds ( AC ) who lack understanding; ( AD )
they all turn to their own way, ( AE )
they seek their own gain. ( AF )
12 “Come,” each one cries, “let me get wine! ( AG )
Let us drink our fill of beer!
And tomorrow will be like today,
or even far better.” ( AH )
