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Isaiah 56
EasyEnglish Bible
Isaiah 56
EasyEnglish Bible
God promises to bless all the nations
56 This is what the Lord says:
‘Always be fair and do what is right.
Soon I will come to rescue you.
I will do what is right for my people.
2 God will bless the people who do what is right.
They must be careful to obey my laws.
They must respect the rules for the Sabbath day
and keep it special.
They must refuse to do anything that is evil.
3 When a foreigner decides to serve the Lord, he should not say, “The Lord will keep me separate from his own people.” A eunuch should not say, “I am no better than a dead tree.” ’
4 The Lord says this:
‘I will bless eunuchs who obey my laws.
They must respect the rules for Sabbath days.
They must choose to do what pleases me.
They must always obey my covenant with my people.
5 If they do that, I will give them a special place in my temple.
It will cause people to remember them.
Their name will continue in a better way
than through sons and daughters.
People will always honour their name.
Nobody will cut it off.[a]
6 I will also bless foreigners who decide to serve me.
They must be faithful to me as my servants.
They must respect the rules for the Sabbath day and keep it special.
They must always obey my covenant.
7 Then I will bring them to my holy mountain.[b]
I will make them happy in my house, where people pray to me.
I will accept their burnt offerings and sacrifices,
when they offer them to me on my altar.
People will call my temple,
“A house where people from all nations may pray.” ’[c]
8 The Almighty Lord is the one who brings together all the Israelite people who are in exile. He says, ‘I will continue to bring more people to join with them.’
God warns Israel's leaders
9 ‘Come here, you wild animals!
Come, you wild animals that live in the forest!
Come and eat my people![d]
10 Israel's guards are blind!
They do not see what is happening.
They are all like dogs that cannot make a noise.
They cannot warn people about danger.
They love to lie on the ground
and they dream while they sleep.
11 They are like dogs who are always hungry.
They eat a lot but they never have enough.
They are like shepherds
who do not understand what to do.
They do whatever they want to do,
so that it will help them get what they want.
12 They say to each other,
“Come! We must go and find more wine to drink!
We can drink as much beer as we want!
Tomorrow we can do it all again!
It might be even better than today!” ’
Footnotes
- 56:5 ‘cut it off’. A eunuch could not have children, because someone had cut off his testicles.
- 56:7 ‘my holy mountain’ means Mount Zion in Jerusalem, where Solomon built God's temple.
- 56:7 See Matthew 21:13.
- 56:9 God is speaking to Israel's enemies as if they are wild animals. He is telling them to come and punish his people.
Isaiah 56
New International Version
Isaiah 56
New International Version
Salvation for Others
56 This is what the Lord says:
“Maintain justice(A)
and do what is right,(B)
for my salvation(C) is close at hand
and my righteousness(D) will soon be revealed.
2 Blessed(E) is the one who does this—
the person who holds it fast,
who keeps the Sabbath(F) without desecrating it,
and keeps their hands from doing any evil.”
3 Let no foreigner(G) who is bound to the Lord say,
“The Lord will surely exclude me from his people.”(H)
And let no eunuch(I) complain,
“I am only a dry tree.”
4 For this is what the Lord says:
“To the eunuchs(J) who keep my Sabbaths,
who choose what pleases me
and hold fast to my covenant(K)—
5 to them I will give within my temple and its walls(L)
a memorial(M) and a name
better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name(N)
that will endure forever.(O)
6 And foreigners(P) who bind themselves to the Lord
to minister(Q) to him,
to love the name(R) of the Lord,
and to be his servants,
all who keep the Sabbath(S) without desecrating it
and who hold fast to my covenant—
7 these I will bring to my holy mountain(T)
and give them joy in my house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices(U)
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house will be called
a house of prayer for all nations.(V)”(W)
8 The Sovereign Lord declares—
he who gathers the exiles of Israel:
“I will gather(X) still others to them
besides those already gathered.”
God’s Accusation Against the Wicked
9 Come, all you beasts of the field,(Y)
come and devour, all you beasts of the forest!
10 Israel’s watchmen(Z) are blind,
they all lack knowledge;(AA)
they are all mute dogs,
they cannot bark;
they lie around and dream,
they love to sleep.(AB)
11 They are dogs with mighty appetites;
they never have enough.
They are shepherds(AC) who lack understanding;(AD)
they all turn to their own way,(AE)
they seek their own gain.(AF)
12 “Come,” each one cries, “let me get wine!(AG)
Let us drink our fill of beer!
And tomorrow will be like today,
or even far better.”(AH)
Isaiah 56
English Standard Version
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.
2 Blessed 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.”
3 Let 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.”
4 For 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.”
8 The 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.”
Isaiah 56
King James Version
Isaiah 56
King James Version
56 Thus saith the Lord, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.
2 Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.
3 Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the Lord, speak, saying, The Lord hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree.
4 For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant;
5 Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.
6 Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the Lord, to serve him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant;
7 Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.
8 The Lord God, which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him.
9 All ye beasts of the field, come to devour, yea, all ye beasts in the forest.
10 His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.
11 Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.
12 Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant.
EasyEnglish Bible (EASY)
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New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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.