Isaiah 56

English Standard Version

Salvation for Foreigners

56 Thus says the Lord:
“Keep justice, and do righteousness,
^(A)for soon my salvation will come,
    and my righteousness be revealed.
²Blessed is the man who does this,
    and the son of man who holds it fast,
^(B)who keeps the Sabbath, not profaning it,
    and keeps his hand from doing any evil.”

³Let not ^(C)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 ^(D)a dry tree.”
⁴For thus says the Lord:
“To the eunuchs ^(E)who keep my Sabbaths,
    who choose the things that please me
    and hold fast my covenant,
⁵^(F)I will give in my house and within my walls
    a ^(G)monument and a name
    better than sons and daughters;
^(H)I will give them an everlasting name
    that shall not be cut off.

⁶“And ^(I)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 ^(J)who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it,
    and holds fast my covenant—
⁷^(K)these I will bring to ^(L)my holy mountain,
    and make them joyful in my house of prayer;
^(M)their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
    will be accepted on my altar;
for ^(N)my house shall be called a house of prayer
    for all peoples.”
⁸The Lord God,
    ^(O)who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares,
^(P)“I will gather yet others to him
    besides those already gathered.”

Israel's Irresponsible Leaders

⁹^(Q)All you beasts of the field, come to devour—
    all you beasts in the forest.
¹⁰^(R)His watchmen are blind;
    they are all without knowledge;
they are all silent ^(S)dogs;
    they cannot bark,
dreaming, lying down,
    loving to slumber.
¹¹^(T)The dogs have a mighty appetite;
    they never have enough.
But ^(U)they are shepherds who have no understanding;
    they have all turned to their own way,
    ^(V)each to his own gain, one and all.
¹²^(W)“Come,” they say, “let me get wine;
    let us fill ourselves with strong drink;
^(X)and tomorrow will be like this day,
    great beyond measure.”

Luke 15:11-32

English Standard Version

The Parable of the Prodigal Son

¹¹And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. ¹²And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me ^(A)the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided ^(B)his property between them. ¹³Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in ^(C)reckless living. ¹⁴And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵So he went and hired himself out to^[a] one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶And he ^(D)was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.

¹⁷“But ^(E)when he ^(F)came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! ¹⁸I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, ^(G)I have sinned against ^(H)heaven and before you. ¹⁹^(I)I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ ²⁰And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ^(J)ran and ^(K)embraced him and ^(L)kissed him. ²¹And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. ^(M)I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’^[b] ²²But the father said to his servants,^[c] ‘Bring quickly ^(N)the best robe, and put it on him, and put ^(O)a ring on his hand, and ^(P)shoes on his feet. ²³And bring ^(Q)the fattened calf and kill it, and ^(R)let us eat and celebrate. ²⁴For this my son ^(S)was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.

²⁵“Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. ²⁷And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ ²⁸But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, ²⁹but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might ^(T)celebrate with my friends. ³⁰But when this son of yours came, ^(U)who has devoured ^(V)your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ ³¹And he said to him, ‘Son, ^(W)you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. ³²It was fitting ^(X)to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother ^(Y)was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”