Isaiah 56:1–57:21
56 This is what the Lord says:
“Maintain justicec
and do what is right,d
for my salvatione is close at hand
and my righteousnessf will soon be revealed.
2 Blessedg is the one who does this—
the person who holds it fast,
who keeps the Sabbathh without desecrating it,
and keeps their hands from doing any evil.”
3 Let no foreigneri who is bound to the Lord say,
“The Lord will surely exclude me from his people.”j
And let no eunuchk complain,
“I am only a dry tree.”
4 For this is what the Lord says:
“To the eunuchsl who keep my Sabbaths,
who choose what pleases me
and hold fast to my covenantm—
5 to them I will give within my temple and its wallsn
a memorialo and a name
better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting namep
that will endure forever.q
6 And foreignersr who bind themselves to the Lord
to ministers to him,
to love the namet of the Lord,
and to be his servants,
all who keep the Sabbathu without desecrating it
and who hold fast to my covenant—
7 these I will bring to my holy mountainv
and give them joy in my house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and sacrificesw
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house will be called
a house of prayer for all nations.x”y
8 The Sovereign Lord declares—
he who gathers the exiles of Israel:
“I will gatherz still others to them
besides those already gathered.”
God’s Accusation Against the Wicked
9 Come, all you beasts of the field,a
come and devour, all you beasts of the forest!
10 Israel’s watchmenb are blind,
they all lack knowledge;c
they are all mute dogs,
they cannot bark;
they lie around and dream,
they love to sleep.d
11 They are dogs with mighty appetites;
they never have enough.
They are shepherdse who lack understanding;f
they all turn to their own way,g
they seek their own gain.h
12 “Come,” each one cries, “let me get wine!i
Let us drink our fill of beer!
And tomorrow will be like today,
or even far better.”j
57 The righteous perish,k
and no one takes it to heart;l
the devout are taken away,
and no one understands
that the righteous are taken away
to be spared from evil.m
2 Those who walk uprightlyn
enter into peace;
they find resto as they lie in death.
3 “But you—come here, you children of a sorceress,p
you offspring of adulterersq and prostitutes!r
At whom do you sneer
and stick out your tongue?
Are you not a brood of rebels,s
the offspring of liars?
5 You burn with lust among the oakst
and under every spreading tree;u
you sacrifice your childrenv in the ravines
and under the overhanging crags.
6 The idolsw among the smooth stones of the ravines are your portion;
indeed, they are your lot.
Yes, to them you have poured out drink offeringsx
and offered grain offerings.
In view of all this, should I relent?y
7 You have made your bed on a high and lofty hill;z
there you went up to offer your sacrifices.a
8 Behind your doors and your doorposts
you have put your pagan symbols.
Forsaking me, you uncovered your bed,
you climbed into it and opened it wide;
you made a pact with those whose beds you love,b
and you looked with lust on their naked bodies.c
9 You went to Moleka d with olive oil
and increased your perfumes.e
You sent your ambassadorsb f far away;
you descended to the very realm of the dead!g
10 You weariedh yourself by such going about,
but you would not say, ‘It is hopeless.’i
You found renewal of your strength,j
and so you did not faint.
11 “Whom have you so dreaded and fearedk
that you have not been true to me,
and have neither rememberedl me
nor taken this to heart?m
Is it not because I have long been silentn
that you do not fear me?
12 I will expose your righteousness and your works,o
and they will not benefit you.
13 When you cry outp for help,
let your collection of idols saveq you!
The wind will carry all of them off,
a mere breath will blowr them away.
But whoever takes refuges in me
will inherit the landt
and possess my holy mountain.”u
14 And it will be said:
“Build up, build up, prepare the road!v
Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.”w
15 For this is what the high and exaltedx One says—
he who lives forever,y whose name is holy:
“I live in a highz and holy place,
but also with the one who is contritea and lowly in spirit,b
to revive the spirit of the lowly
and to revive the heart of the contrite.c
16 I will not accused them forever,
nor will I always be angry,e
for then they would faint away because of me—
the very peoplef I have created.
17 I was enraged by their sinful greed;g
I punished them, and hidh my face in anger,
yet they kept on in their willful ways.i
18 I have seen their ways, but I will healj them;
I will guidek them and restore comfortl to Israel’s mourners,
19 creating praise on their lips.m
Peace, peace,n to those far and near,”o
says the Lord. “And I will heal them.”
20 But the wickedp are like the tossing sea,q
which cannot rest,
whose waves cast up mirer and mud.