Isaiah 56
International Children’s Bible
All Nations Will Obey the Lord
56 This is what the Lord says:
“Give justice to all people.
Do what is right.
Do this because my salvation will come to you soon.
Soon everyone will know that I do what is right.
2 The person who obeys the law about the Sabbath
will be blessed.
And the person who does no evil
will be blessed.”
3 Foreigners have joined the Lord. They should not say,
“The Lord will not accept me with his people.”
The eunuch should not say,
“Because I cannot have children the Lord will not accept me.”
4 This is what the Lord says:
“The eunuchs should obey the law about the Sabbath.
They should do what I want.
They should keep my agreement.
5 If they do, I will make their names remembered
within my Temple and its walls.
It will be better for them than children.
I will give them a name that will last forever.
It will never be forgotten.
6 Foreigners will join the Lord to serve him.
They will worship and love him.
They will worship him.
They will obey the law about the Sabbath.
They will keep the agreement with the Lord.
7 I will bring these people to my holy mountain.
I will give them joy in my house of prayer.
The offerings and sacrifices
they place on my altar will please me.
This is because my Temple will be called
a house for prayer for people from all nations.”
8 The Lord gathers the Israelites who were forced to leave their country.
This is what the Lord God says,
“I will bring other people to those who are already gathered.”
Israel’s Leaders Are Evil
9 All you animals of the field, come to eat.
All you animals of the forest, come to eat.
10 The leaders who are to guard the people are blind.
They don’t know what they are doing.
All of them are like quiet dogs.
They don’t know how to bark.
They lie down and dream.
They love to sleep.
11 They are like hungry dogs.
They are never satisfied.
They are like shepherds
who don’t know what they are doing.
They each have gone their own way.
All they want to do is satisfy themselves.
12 They say, “Come, let’s drink some wine.
Let’s drink all the beer we want.
And tomorrow we will do this again.
Or, maybe we will have even a better time.”
Isaiah 56
New King James Version
Salvation for the Gentiles
56 Thus says the Lord:
“Keep justice, and do righteousness,
(A)For My salvation is about to come,
And My righteousness to be revealed.
2 Blessed is the man who does this,
And the son of man who lays hold on it;
(B)Who keeps from defiling the Sabbath,
And keeps his hand from doing any evil.”
3 Do not let (C)the son of the foreigner
Who has joined himself to the Lord
Speak, saying,
“The Lord has utterly separated me from His people”;
Nor let the (D)eunuch say,
“Here I am, a dry tree.”
4 For thus says the Lord:
“To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths,
And choose what pleases Me,
And hold fast My covenant,
5 Even to them I will give in (E)My house
And within My walls a place (F)and a name
Better than that of sons and daughters;
I will give [a]them an everlasting name
That shall not be cut off.
6 “Also the sons of the foreigner
Who join themselves to the Lord, to serve Him,
And to love the name of the Lord, to be His servants—
Everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath,
And holds fast My covenant—
7 Even them I will (G)bring to My holy mountain,
And make them joyful in My (H)house of prayer.
(I)Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
Will be (J)accepted on My altar;
For (K)My house shall be called a house of prayer (L)for all nations.”
8 The Lord God, (M)who gathers the outcasts of Israel, says,
(N)“Yet I will gather to him
Others besides those who are gathered to him.”
Israel’s Irresponsible Leaders
9 (O)All you beasts of the field, come to devour,
All you beasts in the forest.
10 His watchmen are (P)blind,
They are all ignorant;
(Q)They are all dumb dogs,
They cannot bark;
[b]Sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.
11 Yes, they are (R)greedy[c] dogs
Which (S)never[d] have enough.
And they are shepherds
Who cannot understand;
They all look to their own way,
Every one for his own gain,
From his own territory.
12 “Come,” one says, “I will bring wine,
And we will fill ourselves with intoxicating (T)drink;
(U)Tomorrow will be (V)as today,
And much more abundant.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 56:5 Lit. him
- Isaiah 56:10 Or Dreaming
- Isaiah 56:11 Lit. strong of soul
- Isaiah 56:11 Lit. do not know satisfaction
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.”
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
