Isaiah 56
The Voice
The triumph of God over Israel’s enemies is certain. Filled with joy and expectation, God’s covenant people leave behind a strange country and begin the long, dangerous journey back to the promised land. But instead of fear and trepidation at the potential perils ahead, they are overwhelmed with a sense of peace and joy. Instead of holding dangers around every turn, the land and creation itself join in the celebration to welcome the exiles home. There is no need to worry about long, hard climbs or treacherous descents, for the mountains and the hills cheer them on. There’s no need to fret about shade from the sun’s blazing heat, for majestic trees grow up to cast their long, cooling shadows across the desert’s arid land. The prophet’s vision of the journey home is nearly complete.
56 Eternal One: Take care that you do what is right and fair,
because before you know it, I will come to save you;
Soon you will see how I rescue.
2 God’s favor rests on those who attend to justice,
who devote themselves to doing what is right,
Who keep the Sabbath and don’t disregard or belittle it,
who keep from doing what is wrong: destructive, deceitful, or violent.
3 No stranger who has put trust in the Eternal should ever say,
“I don’t count. I’m not part of Eternal’s chosen people.”
And no eunuch should ever say,
“I am all dried up, worthless and empty.”
4 For this is what the Eternal has to say:
Eternal One: The eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths,
make good choices, and follow the terms of My covenant
will blossom with My blessing.
5 I will give them, within My house, an enduring memorial
and a name better than if they had sons and daughters—
A name that will never be forgotten and will continue to inspire
and encourage forever.
6 And of those strangers who are not among the chosen people Israel
yet have bound themselves to the Eternal,
Attend to God, and love all that the Eternal is and does;
if they serve Him, keep the Sabbath, make good choices, and cling to the terms of the covenant,
7 I will bring them into My holy mountain where no foreigner is allowed
and give them a joyful welcome within My house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will find acceptance on My altar
because My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.[a]
These words must have come as a surprise to the Hebrews. They were the called-out ones and had been commanded to keep themselves separate from their pagan neighbors. Now they hear these words of inclusion. They are told it doesn’t matter who they are or where they’ve come from or what “imperfections” they might have. Any who have bound themselves to Israel’s God—even if they’re not Israel, even if they are not “whole”—belong to Him and will enjoy all the wonders that He has in store for them. One day it will be clear that they are a sign of God’s goodness and mercy, that God’s justice is on display through their lives. They are to live as the light of God to the neighboring countries.
8 And the One who brings all Israel together, the Lord, the Eternal, declares:
Eternal One: I am not done yet. I will still gather more to this community.
9 Bring in the ravenous, vicious beasts from forests and fields;
bring them in to pillage Jerusalem to rip and eat!
10 Those who should be guarding and directing the people
are blind and ignorant at best.
They are no better than hounds who can’t be bothered to bark at trouble;
they lie around, lost in their dreams, loving their sleep.
11 But these dogs sure love to eat.
They can’t get enough, greedily devouring Judah.
They are shepherds with no understanding,
guides with no sense of direction.
So they’ve all scattered, each out for himself,
trying to figure out how best to gain advantage.
12 “Come on!” they say, “I’ll get the wine; we’ll get our fill of booze.
Day after day, it just keeps getting better!”[b]
Footnotes
- 56:7 Matthew 21:13; Mark 11:17; Luke 19:46
- 56:12 Greek manuscripts omit this verse.
Isaiah 56
New English Translation
The Lord Invites Outsiders to Enter
56 This is what the Lord says,
“Promote[a] justice! Do what is right!
For I am ready to deliver you;
I am ready to vindicate you openly.[b]
2 The people who do this will be blessed,[c]
the people who commit themselves to obedience,[d]
who observe the Sabbath and do not defile it,
who refrain from doing anything that is wrong.[e]
3 No foreigner who becomes a follower of[f] the Lord should say,
‘The Lord will certainly[g] exclude me from his people.’
The eunuch should not say,
‘Look, I am like a dried-up tree.’”
4 For this is what the Lord says:
“For the eunuchs who observe my Sabbaths
and choose what pleases me
and are faithful to[h] my covenant,
5 I will set up within my temple and my walls a monument[i]
that will be better than sons and daughters.
I will set up a permanent monument[j] for them that will remain.
6 As for foreigners who become followers of[k] the Lord and serve him,
who love the name of the Lord and want to be his servants—
all who observe the Sabbath and do not defile it,
and who are faithful to[l] my covenant—
7 I will bring them to my holy mountain;
I will make them happy in the temple where people pray to me.[m]
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar,
for my temple will be known as a temple where all nations may pray.”[n]
8 The Sovereign Lord says this,
the one who gathers the dispersed of Israel:
“I will still gather them up.”[o]
The Lord Denounces Israel’s Paganism
9 All you wild animals in the fields, come and devour,
all you wild animals in the forest!
10 All their watchmen[p] are blind,
they are unaware.[q]
All of them are like mute dogs,
unable to bark.
They pant,[r] lie down,
and love to snooze.
11 The dogs have big appetites;
they are never full.[s]
They are shepherds who have no understanding;
they all go their own way,
each one looking for monetary gain.[t]
12 Each one says,[u]
‘Come on, I’ll get some wine!
Let’s guzzle some beer!
Tomorrow will be just like today!
We’ll have everything we want!’[v]
Footnotes
- Isaiah 56:1 tn Heb “guard”; KJV “Keep”; NAB “Observe”; NASB “Preserve”; NIV, NRSV “Maintain.”
- Isaiah 56:1 tn Heb “for near is my deliverance to enter, and my vindication [or “righteousness”] to be revealed.”
- Isaiah 56:2 tn Heb “blessed is the man who does this.”
- Isaiah 56:2 tn Heb “the son of mankind who takes hold of it.”
- Isaiah 56:2 tn Heb and who keeps his hand from doing any evil.”
- Isaiah 56:3 tn Heb “who attaches himself to.”
- Isaiah 56:3 tn The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis.
- Isaiah 56:4 tn Heb “and take hold of” (so KJV); NASB “hold fast.”
- Isaiah 56:5 tn Heb “a hand and a name.” For other examples where יָד (yad) refers to a monument, see HALOT 388 s.v.
- Isaiah 56:5 tn Heb “name” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV).
- Isaiah 56:6 tn Heb “who attach themselves to.”
- Isaiah 56:6 tn Heb “and take hold of”; NAB “hold to”; NIV, NRSV “hold fast.”
- Isaiah 56:7 tn Heb “in the house of my prayer.”
- Isaiah 56:7 tn Heb “for my house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations.”
- Isaiah 56:8 tn The meaning of the statement is unclear. The text reads literally, “Still I will gather upon him to his gathered ones.” Perhaps the preposition ל (lamed) before “gathered ones” introduces the object of the verb, as in Jer 49:5. The third masculine singular suffix on both עָלָיו (ʿalayv) and נִקְבָּצָיו (niqbatsayv) probably refers to “Israel.” In this case one can translate literally, “Still I will gather to him his gathered ones.”
- Isaiah 56:10 sn The “watchmen” are probably spiritual leaders, most likely prophets and priests, responsible for giving the people moral direction.
- Isaiah 56:10 tn Heb “they do not know”; KJV “they are all ignorant”; NIV “they all lack knowledge.”
- Isaiah 56:10 tn The Hebrew text has הֹזִים (hozim), which appears to be derived from an otherwise unattested verbal root הָזָה (hazah). On the basis of alleged cognates, BDB 223 s.v. הָזָה offers the definition “dream, rave” while HALOT 243 s.v. הזה lists “pant.” In this case the dog metaphor of the preceding lines continues. The reference to dogs at the beginning of v. 11 favors the extension of the metaphor. The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has חזים (“seers”) here. In this case the “watchmen” are directly identified as prophets and depicted as lazy.
- Isaiah 56:11 sn The phrase never full alludes to the greed of the leaders.
- Isaiah 56:11 tn Heb “for his gain from his end.”
- Isaiah 56:12 tn The words “each one says” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
- Isaiah 56:12 tn Heb “great, [in] abundance, very much,” i.e., “very great indeed.” See HALOT 452 s.v. יֶתֶר.
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 Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
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