Old/New Testament
Foreigners Keeping Shabbat
56 Thus says Adonai:
“Preserve justice,
do righteousness.
For My salvation is about to come,
and My righteousness to be revealed.
2 Blessed is the one who does this,
the son of man who takes hold of it,
who keeps from profaning Shabbat,
and keeps his hand from doing any evil.
3 Do not let a son of a foreigner who has joined himself to Adonai[a] say,
‘Adonai will surely exclude me from His people.”
Nor let the eunuch say,
‘Behold, I am a dry tree.’”
4 For thus says Adonai,
“To the eunuchs who keep My Shabbatot,
who choose what pleases Me,
and hold fast My covenant:
5 I will give to them in My House and within My walls
a memorial and a name[b]
better than sons and daughters.
I will give them an everlasting name
that will not be cut off.
6 Also the foreigners who join themselves to Adonai, to minister to Him,
and to love the Name of Adonai,
and to be His servants—
all who keep from profaning Shabbat,
and hold fast to My covenant—
7 these I will bring to My holy mountain,
and let them rejoice in My House of Prayer.
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices
will be acceptable on My altar.
For My House will be called
a House of Prayer for all nations.”[c]
8 Adonai Elohim,
who gathers the dispersed of Israel, declares,
“I will gather still others to him,
to those already gathered.”
9 All you beasts of the field, come to eat,
all you beasts in the forest.
10 His watchmen are all blind.
All of them know nothing.
All of them are mute dogs unable to bark,
dreamers lying down, lovers of slumber,
11 and the dogs are greedy—
they never have enough.
They are shepherds with no discernment.
They have all turned to their own way,
each to his own gain, one and all.
12 “Come, let’s get wine, let’s guzzle strong drink.
Tomorrow will be like today,
only even better!”
Remove Every Stumbling Block
57 The righteous one perishes,
but no one takes it to heart.
Godly men are taken away,
but no one discerns
that the righteous man is taken from evil.
2 He enters into shalom.
They rest on their beds,
each who walked in his integrity.
3 But as for you, come here, you children of a sorceress,
offspring of an adulterer and prostitute.
4 Whom are you mocking?
At whom do you open your mouth wide
and stick out your tongue?
Are you not children of transgression,
offspring of deceit?
5 You who burn with lust among the oaks
and under every green tree,
who sacrifice your children in the wadis
and under the clefts of the rocks?
6 Among the smooth stones of the wadi is your portion—
they are your lot.
To them you have even poured out a drink offering,
made a grain offering.
Shall I relent concerning these things?
7 Upon a high and lofty mountain you made your bed.
You also went up there to offer sacrifice.
8 Behind the door and the doorpost
you have set up your memorial sign.
For away from Me, you uncovered,
went up and made your bed wide,
and cut covenant with them.
You loved their bed—
you looked on their nakedness.
9 You journeyed to the king with oil
and multiplied your perfumes.
You sent your ambassadors far away,
and made them go down to Sheol.
10 You wearied of the length of your way,
yet you did not say, “It is hopeless!”
You found renewed strength,
so you did not weaken.
11 “Whom was it you dreaded and feared,
so that you lied.
But you did not remember Me
or take it to heart?
Have I not kept silent a long time—
yet you do not fear Me?
12 I will expose your ‘righteousness’, and your deeds—
they will not profit you.
13 When you cry out,
will your collection of idols save you?
The wind will carry them off,
a breath will take them away.
But he who takes refuge in Me
will possess the land,
and will inherit My holy mountain.”
14 Then it will be said:
“Build up, build up, prepare the way,
remove every stumbling block out of the way of My people.”
15 For thus says the High and Exalted One
who inhabits eternity, whose Name is Holy:
“I dwell in a high and holy place,
yet also with a contrite and humble spirit,
to revive the spirit of the humble,
and revive the heart of the contrite.
16 For I will not contend forever,
nor will I always be angry,
for the spirit would grow weak before Me,
the breath of those whom I made.
17 Because of the iniquity of his unjust gain I was angry;
I struck him; I hid My face; I was angry—
but he went on backsliding in the way of his heart.
18 I have seen his ways, but I will heal him.
I will lead him and restore comfort to him
and his mourners.
19 Creating the praise of lips:
‘Shalom, shalom to him who is far and to him who is near,’
says Adonai, ‘and I will heal him.’”
20 But the wicked are like a troubled sea,
for it cannot rest,
and its waters toss up mire and dirt.
21 “There is no shalom,” says my God
“for the wicked.”
Fasting and Tzedakah
58 “Cry aloud, do not hold back!
Raise your voice like a shofar.
Tell My people their transgression,
and the house of Jacob their sins.
2 Yet they seek Me day to day
and delight to know My ways,
as if they were a nation that did right,
and had not forsaken their God’s decree.
They ask Me for righteous judgments;
they delight in the nearness of God.”
3 “Why have we fasted.
yet You do not see?
Why have we afflicted our souls,
yet You take no notice?”
“Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure,
and exploit all your laborers.
4 Behold, you fast for strife and contention
and to strike with a wicked fist.
You should not fast as you do today
to make your voice heard on high.
5 Is this the fast I have chosen?
A day for one to afflict his soul?
Is it to bow down his head like a reed,
and spreading out sackcloth and ashes?
Will you call this a fast
and a day acceptable to Adonai?
6 “Is not this the fast I choose:
to release the bonds of wickedness,
to untie the cords of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to tear off every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
to bring the homeless poor into your house?
When you see the naked, to cover him,
and not hide yourself from your own flesh and blood?
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will spring up speedily.
Your righteousness will go before you,
the glory of Adonai as your rear guard.”
9 Then you will call, and Adonai will answer.
You will cry and He will say, “Here I am.”
If you get rid of the yoke among you—
finger-pointing and badmouthing—
10 If you give yourself to the hungry,
and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
then your light will rise in darkness,
and your gloom will be like midday.
11 Then Adonai will guide you continually,
satisfy your soul in drought
and strengthen your bones.
You will be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water whose waters never fail.
12 Some of you will rebuild the ancient ruins,
will raise up the age-old foundations,
will be called Repairer of the Breach,
Restorer of Streets for Dwelling.
13 If you turn back your foot from Shabbat,
from doing your pleasure on My holy day,
and call Shabbat a delight,
the holy day of Adonai honorable,
If you honor it, not going your own ways,
not seeking your own pleasure,
nor speaking your usual speech,
14 then You will delight yourself in Adonai,
and I will let you ride over the heights of the earth,
I will feed you with the heritage of your father Jacob.”
For the mouth of Adonai has spoken.
The Man of Lawlessness
2 Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, concerning the coming of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah and our gathering together to Him, 2 not to get shaken out of your mind or disturbed—either by a spirit or a word or a letter as if through us—as though the Day of the Lord[a] has come. 3 Let no one deceive you in any way, for the Day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the one destined to be destroyed. [b] 4 He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he sits in the Temple of God, proclaiming himself that he is God.[c]
5 Don’t you remember that when I was still with you I was telling you these things? 6 And you know what now holds back, for him to be revealed in his own time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already operating; only there is one who holds back just now, until he is taken out of the way. 8 Then the lawless one will be revealed. The Lord Yeshua will slay him with the breath of His mouth and wipe him out with the appearance of His coming. [d] 9 The coming of the lawless one is connected to the activity of satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, 10 and with every kind of wicked deception toward those who are perishing. They perish because they did not accept the love of the truth so as to be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a delusional force, to lead them to believe what is false, [e] 12 so that they may be judged—all those who did not believe the truth but delighted in wickedness.[f]
Firstfruits of Salvation
13 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits for salvation[g] through sanctification by the Ruach and belief in the truth. 14 He called you to this salvation through our proclaiming the Good News, for you to gain the glory of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. 15 So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold on to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by our letter.
16 Now may our Lord Yeshua the Messiah Himself and God our Father, who loved us and by grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, 17 comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good deed and word.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.