Isaiah 56
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Covenant Extended to All Who Obey
56 Thus says the Lord:
Maintain justice, and do what is right,
for soon my salvation will come
and my deliverance be revealed.(A)
2 Happy is the mortal who does this,
the one who holds it fast,
who keeps the Sabbath, not profaning it,
and refrains from doing any evil.(B)
3 Do not let the foreigner joined to the Lord say,
“The Lord will surely separate me from his people,”
and do not let the eunuch say,
“I am just a dry tree.”(C)
4 For thus says the Lord:
To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths,
who choose the things that please me
and hold fast my covenant,(D)
5 I will give, in my house and within my walls,
a monument and a name
better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name
that shall not be cut off.(E)
6 And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord,
to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord,
and to be his servants,
all who keep the Sabbath and do not profane it
and hold fast my covenant—(F)
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 be accepted on my altar,
for my house shall be called a house of prayer
for all peoples.(G)
8 Thus says the Lord God,
who gathers the outcasts of Israel:
I will gather others to them
besides those already gathered.[a](H)
The Corruption of Israel’s Rulers
9 All you wild animals,
all you wild animals in the forest, come to devour!(I)
10 Israel’s[b] sentinels are blind;
they are all without knowledge;
they are all silent dogs
that cannot bark,
dreaming, lying down,
loving to slumber.(J)
11 The dogs have a mighty appetite;
they never have enough.
The shepherds also have no understanding;
they have all turned to their own way,
to their own gain, one and all.
12 “Come,” they say, “let us[c] get wine;
let us fill ourselves with strong drink.
And tomorrow will be like today,
great beyond measure.”
Isaiah 56
International Standard Version
The Covenant Extended to the Righteous
56 For[a] this is what the Lord says:
“Maintain justice, and do what is right,
for soon my salvation will come,
and soon my deliverance will be revealed.
2 Blessed is the one who does this,
and the person that holds it fast,
who observes the Sabbath without profaning it,
and restrains his hands[b] from practicing any evil.
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]
A Rebuke to Israel’s Guardians
8 This is what the Lord God says,
the one who gathers the outcasts of Israel:
“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!’”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 56:1 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX lack For
- Isaiah 56:2 So 1QIsaa LXX 1QIsab MT read hand
- Isaiah 56:3 So 1QIsaa LXX; 1QIsab MT read And let
- Isaiah 56:3 So 1QIsaa 1QIsab MT; LXX lacks Look!
- Isaiah 56:5 I.e. God’s Temple
- Isaiah 56:5 So 1QIsaa LXX; 1QIsab MT read him
- Isaiah 56:5 The Heb. verb is a word play on the Heb. word eunuch
- Isaiah 56:6 So 1QIsaa (cf. v 3); 1QIsab MT read upon
- Isaiah 56:6 So 1QIsab MT LXX; 1QIsaa lacks this line
- Isaiah 56:6 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT LXX read all who observe
- Isaiah 56:7 1QIsaa; 1QIsab 4QIsai MT LXX read will be accepted
- Isaiah 56:7 Lit. for all peoples
- Isaiah 56:8 Lit. besides their gathered ones
- Isaiah 56:9 So 1QIsaa LXX; 1QIsab MT read Every wild animal
- Isaiah 56:9 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT LXX lack even
- Isaiah 56:9 So 1QIsaa LXX; 1QIsab MT read every wild animal
- Isaiah 56:10 I.e. Israel’s; so 1QIsaa MTq
- Isaiah 56:10 MT reads His watchman; LXX reads Look! They all
- Isaiah 56:10 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT reads sleeping
- Isaiah 56:11 Lit. And
- Isaiah 56:11 So 1QIsaa; MT reads shepherds; LXX reads evil
- Isaiah 56:12 So 1QIsaa MTms; 1QIsab reads I will; MT reads let me
- Isaiah 56:12 Or And
- Isaiah 56:12 1QIsaa reads this the day; 1QIsab MT read this day
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