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.

57 The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.

² He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.

³ But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore.

⁴ Against whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom make ye a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue? are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood.

⁵ Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clifts of the rocks?

⁶ Among the smooth stones of the stream is thy portion; they, they are thy lot: even to them hast thou poured a drink offering, thou hast offered a meat offering. Should I receive comfort in these?

⁷ Upon a lofty and high mountain hast thou set thy bed: even thither wentest thou up to offer sacrifice.

⁸ Behind the doors also and the posts hast thou set up thy remembrance: for thou hast discovered thyself to another than me, and art gone up; thou hast enlarged thy bed, and made thee a covenant with them; thou lovedst their bed where thou sawest it.

⁹ And thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst debase thyself even unto hell.

¹⁰ Thou art wearied in the greatness of thy way; yet saidst thou not, There is no hope: thou hast found the life of thine hand; therefore thou wast not grieved.

¹¹ And of whom hast thou been afraid or feared, that thou hast lied, and hast not remembered me, nor laid it to thy heart? have not I held my peace even of old, and thou fearest me not?

¹² I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works; for they shall not profit thee.

¹³ When thou criest, let thy companies deliver thee; but the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take them: but he that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain;

¹⁴ And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people.

¹⁵ For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

¹⁶ For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.

¹⁷ For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart.

¹⁸ I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.

¹⁹ I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord; and I will heal him.

²⁰ But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.

²¹ There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.

12 Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish.

² A good man obtaineth favour of the Lord: but a man of wicked devices will he condemn.

³ A man shall not be established by wickedness: but the root of the righteous shall not be moved.

⁴ A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones.

⁵ The thoughts of the righteous are right: but the counsels of the wicked are deceit.

⁶ The words of the wicked are to lie in wait for blood: but the mouth of the upright shall deliver them.

⁷ The wicked are overthrown, and are not: but the house of the righteous shall stand.

⁸ A man shall be commended according to his wisdom: but he that is of a perverse heart shall be despised.

⁹ He that is despised, and hath a servant, is better than he that honoureth himself, and lacketh bread.

¹⁰ A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.

¹¹ He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread: but he that followeth vain persons is void of understanding.

¹² The wicked desireth the net of evil men: but the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit.

¹³ The wicked is snared by the transgression of his lips: but the just shall come out of trouble.

¹⁴ A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth: and the recompence of a man's hands shall be rendered unto him.

¹⁵ The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.

¹⁶ A fool's wrath is presently known: but a prudent man covereth shame.

¹⁷ He that speaketh truth sheweth forth righteousness: but a false witness deceit.

¹⁸ There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health.

¹⁹ The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment.

²⁰ Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil: but to the counsellors of peace is joy.

²¹ There shall no evil happen to the just: but the wicked shall be filled with mischief.

²² Lying lips are abomination to the Lord: but they that deal truly are his delight.

²³ A prudent man concealeth knowledge: but the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness.

²⁴ The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute.

²⁵ Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad.

²⁶ The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour: but the way of the wicked seduceth them.

²⁷ The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man is precious.

²⁸ In the way of righteousness is life: and in the pathway thereof there is no death.