Isaiah 56-58

International Standard Version

³ “Let^[c] no foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say:
    ‘The Lord will surely exclude me from his people.’
Furthermore, let no eunuch say,
    ‘Look!^[d] I am just a dry tree.’”
⁴ For this is what the Lord says:

“To the eunuchs who observe my Sabbaths,
    who choose the things that please me,
        and who hold fast my covenant—
⁵ to them I will give in my house^[e] and within my walls
    a monument and a name
        better than sons and daughters.
I will give them^[f] an everlasting name
    that will not be cut off.^[g]

⁶ “Also, the foreigners who join themselves to^[h] the Lord,
    to minister to him,
        to love the name of the Lord,^[i]
to be his servants,
    and to bless the Lord’s name,
observing^[j] the Sabbath without profaning it,
    and who hold fast my covenant—
⁷ these I will bring to my holy mountain,
    and make them joyful in my house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
    will rise up to be accepted^[k] on my altar;
for my house will be called a house of prayer
    for everyone.”^[l]

“I’ll gather still others to them
    besides those already gathered.^[m]

⁹ “All you wild animals,^[n] come and devour—
    even^[o] all of you wild animals.^[p]
10 His^[q] watchmen^[r] are blind;
    they are all without knowledge.
They are all dumb dogs—
    they cannot bark.
They keep on dreaming and lying around,
    and they’re lovers of sleep!^[s]
11 Meanwhile,^[t] the dogs have a mighty appetite—
    they can never get enough.
And as for them, they are the shepherds^[u] who lack understanding;
    they have all turned to their own way,
each one to his gain,
    each and every one.

¹² “‘Come!’ they say, ‘let’s^[v] have some wine,
    and let’s fill ourselves with strong drink!
Then,^[w] tomorrow will be like today,^[x]
    or even much better!’”

³ “But as for you, come here,
    you children of a sorceress,
        you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes!^[af]
4 Whom are you mocking?
    And^[ag] against whom do you make a wide mouth
        and stick out your tongue?
Are you not children of transgression,
    the offspring of lies,
⁵ you who burn with lust among the oaks,
    under every spreading tree,
who slaughter your children in the ravines,
    under the clefts of the rocks?

⁶ “Among the smooth stones^[ah] of the ravines is your portion—
    there they are as^[ai] your lot.
To them you have poured out drink offerings;
    you have brought grain offerings.
        Should I be lenient over such things?

⁷ “You have made your bed
    on a high and lofty mountain,
        and you went up to offer sacrifice there.
⁸ Behind the doors and the doorposts
    you have set up your pagan sign.”
For in deserting me you have uncovered your bed—
    you have climbed up into it
        and have opened it wide.
And you^[aj] have made a pact for yourself with them;
    you have loved their bed,
        you have looked on their private parts.^[ak]
9 You went to Molech^[al] with olive oil
    and increased your perfumes;
you sent your ambassadors far away,
    you sent them down even to Sheol^[am] itself!
¹⁰ You grew tired with your many wanderings,^[an]
    but you wouldn’t say: ‘It is hopeless.’
You found new strength for your desire,
    and so you did not falter.

¹¹ “Whom did you so dread—
    and while you feared me^[ao]—
that you lied,
    and you did not remember me,
        and^[ap] did not lay to heart these things?^[aq]
Haven’t I remained silent for a long time,
    and still you don’t fear me?”

¹² “I will denounce your righteousness^[ar] and your works,
    for your collections of idols^[as] will not benefit you.
¹³ When you cry out, let your collection deliver you!
    The wind will carry them all off,
        and^[at] a mere breath will sweep them all away.”

¹⁵ “For this is what the high and lofty One says,
    who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
“He lives^[ax] in the height and in holiness,^[ay]
    and also with the one who is of a contrite and humble spirit,
to revive the spirit of the humble,
    and to revive the heart of the contrite.
¹⁶ For I won’t accuse forever,
    nor will I always be angry;
for then the human spirit would grow faint before me—
    even the souls that I have created.
¹⁷ Because of his wicked greed I was angry,
    so I punished him;
and^[az] I hid my face, and was angry—
    but he kept turning back to his stubborn will.^[ba]
18 I’ve seen his ways,^[bb] yet I will heal him,^[bc]
    and restore for him^[bd] comfort^[be] to him
        and for those who mourn for him^[bf]
19 when^[bg] I create the fruit of the lips:
    Peace^[bh] to the one who is far away or near,” says the Lord,
        “and I’ll heal him.
²⁰ But the wicked are tossed like the sea;^[bi]
    for it is not able to^[bj] keep still,
        and its waters toss up mire and mud.

²¹ “Yet^[bk] there is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”

“They ask me to reveal just decisions;
    they are eager to draw near to God.
³ ‘Why have we fasted,’ they ask,^[bo]
    ‘but you do not see?
‘Why have we humbled ourselves,’^[bp] they ask,^[bq]
    ‘but you take no notice?’”

⁴ “Look! You fast only for quarreling, and for^[br] fighting,
    and for hitting with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
    and have your voice heard on high.

⁵ “Is this the kind of fast that I have chosen,
    merely a day for a person to humble himself?
Is it merely for bowing down one’s head like a bulrush,
    for lying^[bs] on sackcloth and ashes?
Is this what you^[bt] call a fast,
    an^[bu] acceptable day to the Lord?
⁶ Isn’t this the^[bv] fast that^[bw] I have been choosing:
    to loose the bonds of injustice,
and^[bx] to untie the cords of the yoke,
    and^[by] to let the oppressed go free,
        and to break every yoke?
⁷ Isn’t it to share your bread with the hungry,
    and to bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked,
    to cover him with clothing,^[bz]
        and not to raise yourself up^[ca] from your own flesh and blood?”

“If you do away with the yoke among you,
    and^[cc] pointing fingers and malicious talk;
¹⁰ if you pour yourself out for the hungry
    and satisfy the needs of afflicted souls,
then your light will rise in darkness,
    and your night will be like noonday.
¹¹ And the Lord will guide you continually,
    and satisfy your soul in parched places,^[cd]
        and they^[ce] will strengthen your bones;
and you’ll be like a watered garden,
    like a spring of water,
        whose waters never fail.
¹² And your people will rebuild the ancient ruins;
    You’ll raise up the age-old foundations,^[cf]
and people will call you^[cg] ‘Repairer of Broken Walls,’
    ‘Restorer of Streets to Live In.’

¹³ “If you keep your feet from trampling the Sabbath,
    from^[ch] pursuing your own interests on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight
    and^[ci] the Lord’s holy day honorable;
and if you honor it by not going your own ways^[cj]
    and^[ck] seeking your own pleasure or speaking merely idle^[cl] words,
¹⁴ then you will take delight in the Lord,
    and he^[cm] will make you ride upon the heights of the earth;
and he^[cn] will make you feast on the inheritance of your ancestor Jacob, your father.

“Yes! The mouth of the Lord has spoken.”