Isaiah 56

The Lord Will Save Those Who Come to Him

56The Lord says,

“Do what is fair and right.

I will soon come and save you.

Soon everyone will know that what I do is right.

²Blessed is the man who does what I want him to.

He is faithful in keeping the Sabbath day.

He does not misuse it.

He does not do what is evil on that day.”

³Suppose an outsider wants to follow the Lord.

Then he shouldn’t say,

“The Lord won’t accept me as one of his people.”

And a eunuch shouldn’t say,

“I’m like a dry tree

that doesn’t bear any fruit.”

⁴The Lord says,

“Suppose some eunuchs keep my Sabbath days.

They choose to do what pleases me.

And they are faithful in keeping my covenant.

⁵Then I will set up a monument in the area of my temple.

Their names will be written on it.

That will be better for them than having sons and daughters.

The names of the eunuchs will be remembered forever.

They will never be forgotten.

⁶“Suppose outsiders want to follow me

and serve me.

They want to love me

and worship me.

They keep the Sabbath day and do not misuse it.

And they are faithful in keeping my covenant.

⁷Then I will bring them to my holy mountain of Zion.

I will give them joy in my house.

They can pray there.

I will accept their burnt offerings and sacrifices on my altar.

My house will be called

a house where people from all nations can pray.”

⁸The Lord and King will gather

those who were taken away from their homes in Israel.

He announces, “I will gather them to myself.

And I will gather others to join them.”

The Lord Judges Israel’s Evil Leaders

⁹Come, all of you enemy nations! Come like wild animals.

Come and destroy like animals in the forest.

¹⁰Israel’s prophets are blind.

They don’t know the Lord.

All of them are like watchdogs that can’t even bark.

They just lie around and dream.

They love to sleep.

¹¹They are like dogs that love to eat.

They never get enough.

They are like shepherds who don’t have any understanding.

All of them do as they please.

They only look for what they can get for themselves.

¹²“Come!” they shout. “Let’s get some wine!

Let’s drink all the beer we can!

Tomorrow we’ll do the same thing.

And that will be even better than today.”