Isaiah 56

A HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL

56This is what the Lord says:

Preserve justice and do what is right,^a

for my salvation is coming soon,

and my righteousness will be revealed.^b

²Happy is the person who does this,

the son of man who holds it fast,

who keeps the Sabbath without desecrating it,

and keeps his hand from doing any evil.^c

³No foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord

should say,

“The Lord will exclude me from his people,”^d

and the eunuch should not say,

“Look, I am a dried-up tree.”^e

⁴For the Lord says this:

“For the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths,

and choose what pleases me,

and hold firmly to my covenant,

⁵I will give them, in my house and within my walls,

a memorial and a name

better than sons and daughters.

I will give each of them an everlasting name

that will never be cut off.^f

⁶As for the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord

to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord,

and to become his servants—

all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it

and who hold firmly to my covenant—

⁷I will bring them to my holy mountain^g

and let them rejoice in my house of prayer.

Their burnt offerings and sacrifices

will be acceptable on my altar,^h

for my house will be called a house of prayer

for all nations.”ⁱ

⁸This is the declaration of the Lord God,

who gathers the dispersed of Israel:

“I will gather to them still others

besides those already gathered.”^j

UNRIGHTEOUS LEADERS CONDEMNED

⁹All you animals of the field and forest,

come and eat!

¹⁰Israel’s^A watchmen^* are blind, all of them,

they know nothing;

all of them are mute dogs,

they cannot bark;

they dream, lie down,

and love to sleep.

¹¹These dogs have fierce appetites;

they never have enough.

And they are shepherds

who have no discernment;

all of them turn to their own way,

every last one for his own profit.^k

¹²“Come, let me get some wine,

let’s guzzle some beer;

and tomorrow will be like today,

only far better!”^l