Isaiah 56
Complete Jewish Bible
56 Here is what Adonai says:
“Observe justice, do what is right,
for my salvation is close to coming,
my righteousness to being revealed.”
2 Happy is the person who does this,
anyone who grasps it firmly,
who keeps Shabbat and does not profane it,
and keeps himself from doing any evil.
3 A foreigner joining Adonai should not say,
“Adonai will separate me from his people”;
likewise the eunuch should not say,
“I am only a dried-up tree.”
4 For here is what Adonai says:
“As for the eunuchs who keep my Shabbats,
who choose what pleases me
and hold fast to my covenant:
5 in my house, within my walls,
I will give them power and a name
greater than sons and daughters;
I will give him an everlasting name
that will not be cut off.
6 “And the foreigners who join themselves to Adonai
to serve him, to love the name of Adonai,
and to be his workers,
all who keep Shabbat and do not profane it,
and hold fast to my covenant,
7 I will bring them to my holy mountain
and make them joyful in my house of prayer;
their burnt offerings and sacrifices
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house will be called
a house of prayer for all peoples.”
8 Adonai Elohim says,
he who gathers Isra’el’s exiles:
“There are yet others I will gather,
besides those gathered already.”
9 All you wild animals, come and devour,
yes, all you animals in the forest!
10 [Isra’el’s] watchmen are, all of them, blind;
they don’t know anything.
They are all dumb dogs, unable to bark,
lying there dreaming, loving to sleep.
11 Greedy dogs, never satisfied —
such are the shepherds, unable to understand;
they all turn to their own way,
each one intent on his own gain:
12 “Come, I’ll get some wine,
we’ll fill up on good, strong liquor!
Tomorrow will be like today;
in fact, it will be even better!”
Yeshayah 56
Orthodox Jewish Bible
56 Thus saith Hashem, Be shomer over mishpat, and do tzedakah (righteousness); for My Yeshuah (salvation) is near to come, and My tzedakah to be revealed.
2 Ashrei enosh that doeth this, and the ben adam that layeth hold on it; that is shomer Shabbos avoiding chillul Shabbos, and is shomer to keep his yad from doing kol rah.
3 Neither let the ben hanekhar, that hath joined himself to Hashem, speak, saying, Hashem hath utterly separated me from His people; neither let the saris say, See, I am an etz yavesh (dry tree).
4 For thus saith Hashem unto the sarisim that are shomer Shabbos over My Shabbatot, and choose the things that please Me, and hold fast to My Brit;
5 Even unto them will I give in Mine Bais [HaMikdash] within My chomot a yad vashem tov better than of banim and of banot; I will give them a Shem Olam, that shall not be yikaret (cut off).
6 Also the bnei hanekhar, that join themselves to Hashem to minister unto Him, and l’ahavah es Shem Hashem, to be His avadim, every one that is shomer Shabbos avoiding chillul Shabbos, and holding fast to My Brit;
7 Even them will I bring to My Har Kodesh, and make them have simcha in My Bais Tefillah; their olot and their zevakhim shall be accepted upon Mine Mizbe’ach; for Mine Bais shall be called Bais Tefillah l’khol HaAmim (House of Prayer for All Nations).
8 Thus says Adonoi Hashem, Who gathereth the Nidchei Yisroel (the outcasts of Israel, i.e., those being divinely gathered back from the Golus), Yet will I gather others, besides those that are already gathered [See Yn 10:16].
9 All ye animals of the wild, come to devour, yes, all ye animals in the ya’ar (forest).
10 His tzof (watchmen, sentinels, nevi’im) are ivrim (blind); they all lack da’as, they are all kelavim illemim (mute watchdogs) that cannot bark; lying around dreaming, they love to slumber [See Jer 6:17; Ezek 3:17 by contrast].
11 Yes, they are kelavim azei nefesh (hungry dogs) never satisfied, and they are ro’im (shepherds) with no da’as; they all look to their own way [See Isa 53:6], every one having his end fixated on his own gain.
12 Come ye, say they, I will get yayin, and we will fill ourselves with shekhar (strong drink); and makhar (tomorrow) shall be like this day, and gadol yeter me’od (and even much better).
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International