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Isaiah 56:3-8
New English Translation
Isaiah 56:3-8
New English Translation
3 No foreigner who becomes a follower of[a] the Lord should say,
‘The Lord will certainly[b] exclude me from his people.’
The eunuch should not say,
‘Look, I am like a dried-up tree.’”
4 For this is what the Lord says:
“For the eunuchs who observe my Sabbaths
and choose what pleases me
and are faithful to[c] my covenant,
5 I will set up within my temple and my walls a monument[d]
that will be better than sons and daughters.
I will set up a permanent monument[e] for them that will remain.
6 As for foreigners who become followers of[f] the Lord and serve him,
who love the name of the Lord and want to be his servants—
all who observe the Sabbath and do not defile it,
and who are faithful to[g] my covenant—
7 I will bring them to my holy mountain;
I will make them happy in the temple where people pray to me.[h]
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar,
for my temple will be known as a temple where all nations may pray.”[i]
8 The Sovereign Lord says this,
the one who gathers the dispersed of Israel:
“I will still gather them up.”[j]
Footnotes
- Isaiah 56:3 tn Heb “who attaches himself to.”
- Isaiah 56:3 tn The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis.
- Isaiah 56:4 tn Heb “and take hold of” (so KJV); NASB “hold fast.”
- Isaiah 56:5 tn Heb “a hand and a name.” For other examples where יָד (yad) refers to a monument, see HALOT 388 s.v.
- Isaiah 56:5 tn Heb “name” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV).
- Isaiah 56:6 tn Heb “who attach themselves to.”
- Isaiah 56:6 tn Heb “and take hold of”; NAB “hold to”; NIV, NRSV “hold fast.”
- Isaiah 56:7 tn Heb “in the house of my prayer.”
- Isaiah 56:7 tn Heb “for my house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations.”
- Isaiah 56:8 tn The meaning of the statement is unclear. The text reads literally, “Still I will gather upon him to his gathered ones.” Perhaps the preposition ל (lamed) before “gathered ones” introduces the object of the verb, as in Jer 49:5. The third masculine singular suffix on both עָלָיו (ʿalayv) and נִקְבָּצָיו (niqbatsayv) probably refers to “Israel.” In this case one can translate literally, “Still I will gather to him his gathered ones.”
Isaiah 56:3-8
New International Version
Isaiah 56:3-8
New International Version
3 Let no foreigner(A) who is bound to the Lord say,
“The Lord will surely exclude me from his people.”(B)
And let no eunuch(C) complain,
“I am only a dry tree.”
4 For this is what the Lord says:
“To the eunuchs(D) who keep my Sabbaths,
who choose what pleases me
and hold fast to my covenant(E)—
5 to them I will give within my temple and its walls(F)
a memorial(G) and a name
better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name(H)
that will endure forever.(I)
6 And foreigners(J) who bind themselves to the Lord
to minister(K) to him,
to love the name(L) of the Lord,
and to be his servants,
all who keep the Sabbath(M) without desecrating it
and who hold fast to my covenant—
7 these I will bring to my holy mountain(N)
and give them joy in my house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices(O)
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house will be called
a house of prayer for all nations.(P)”(Q)
8 The Sovereign Lord declares—
he who gathers the exiles of Israel:
“I will gather(R) still others to them
besides those already gathered.”
Isaiah 56:3-8
English Standard Version
Isaiah 56:3-8
English Standard Version
3 Let not (A)the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say,
“The Lord will surely separate me from his people”;
and let not the eunuch say,
“Behold, I am (B)a dry tree.”
4 For thus says the Lord:
“To the eunuchs (C)who keep my Sabbaths,
who choose the things that please me
and hold fast my covenant,
5 (D)I will give in my house and within my walls
a (E)monument and a name
better than sons and daughters;
(F)I will give them an everlasting name
that shall not be cut off.
6 “And (G)the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord,
to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord,
and to be his servants,
everyone (H)who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it,
and holds fast my covenant—
7 (I)these I will bring to (J)my holy mountain,
and make them joyful in my house of prayer;
(K)their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
will be accepted on my altar;
for (L)my house shall be called a house of prayer
for all peoples.”
8 The Lord God,
(M)who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares,
(N)“I will gather yet others to him
besides those already gathered.”
New English Translation (NET)
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New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.