Isaiah 56:3–12

³Let not ^ythe 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 ^za dry tree.”

⁴For thus says the Lord:

“To the eunuchs ^xwho keep my Sabbaths,

who choose the things that please me

and hold fast my covenant,

^5aI will give in my house and within my walls

a ^bmonument and a name

better than sons and daughters;

^cI will give them an everlasting name

that shall not be cut off.

⁶“And ^ythe foreigners who join themselves to the Lord,

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

and to be his servants,

everyone ^xwho keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it,

and holds fast my covenant—

^7dthese I will bring to ^emy holy mountain,

and make them joyful in my house of prayer;

^ftheir burnt offerings and their sacrifices

will be accepted on my altar;

for ^gmy house shall be called a house of prayer

for all peoples.”

⁸The Lord God,

^hwho gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares,

ⁱ“I will gather yet others to him

besides those already gathered.”

Israel’s Irresponsible Leaders

^9jAll you beasts of the field, come to devour—

all you beasts in the forest.

^10kHis watchmen are blind;

they are all without knowledge;

they are all silent ^ldogs;

they cannot bark,

dreaming, lying down,

loving to slumber.

^11mThe dogs have a mighty appetite;

they never have enough.

But ⁿthey are shepherds who have no understanding;

they have all turned to their own way,

^oeach to his own gain, one and all.

^12p“Come,” they say, “let me get wine;

let us fill ourselves with strong drink;

^qand tomorrow will be like this day,

great beyond measure.”