Isaiah 56 - Lexham English Bible (LEB)

Salvation for All Who Obey

56 Thus says Yahweh:

“Observe justice
and do righteousness,
for my salvation is close to coming,
and my justice to being revealed.
2 Happy is the man who does this,
and the son of humankind who keeps hold of it,
who keeps the Sabbath so as not to profane[a] it,
and who keeps his hand from doing any[b] evil.”
3 And do not let the foreigner[c] who joins himself to Yahweh say, “Surely Yahweh will separate me from his people.”
And do not let the eunuch say, “Look! I am a dry tree!”
4 For thus says Yahweh, “To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths,
and choose that in which I delight,
and who keep hold of my covenant.
5 And I will give them a monument and a name in my house and within my walls,
better than sons and daughters;
I will give him an everlasting name
that shall not be cut off.
6 And the foreigners[d] who join themselves to Yahweh to serve him
and to love the name of Yahweh, to become his servants,
every one who keeps the Sabbath, so as not to profane[e] it,
and those who keep hold of my covenant,
7 I will bring them to my holy mountain;[f]
I will make them merry in my house of prayer.
their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted[g] on my altar,
for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples,”

8 declares[h] the Lord Yahweh, who gathers[i] the scattered ones of Israel (still I will gather to[j] him, to his gathered ones).

Wicked Leaders

9 All wild animals in the field, come,
to devour,[k] all wild animals in the forest!
10 His watchmen are blind,
none of them know.
They are all dumb dogs;
they are unable to bark,
panting, lying down,
loving to slumber.
11 And the dogs have a greedy appetite;[l]
they are never satisfied.[m]
And they are the shepherds!
They do not have[n] understanding.
They all turn to their own way,
each one for his own gain, every one of them.[o]
12 “Come, let me take wine,
and let us carouse with intoxicating drink,
and tomorrow will be like today,
very great indeed.”[p]

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 56:2 Literally “from profaning”
  2. Isaiah 56:2 Or “all”
  3. Isaiah 56:3 Literally “son of the foreign country”
  4. Isaiah 56:6 Literally “sons of the foreign country”
  5. Isaiah 56:6 Literally “from profaning”
  6. Isaiah 56:7 Literally “the mountain of my holiness”
  7. Isaiah 56:7 Literally “for acceptance”
  8. Isaiah 56:8 Literally “declaration of”
  9. Isaiah 56:8 Or “gathering”
  10. Isaiah 56:8 Or “upon”
  11. Isaiah 56:9 Or “eat”
  12. Isaiah 56:11 Literally “are strong of soul”
  13. Isaiah 56:11 Literally “do not know satiation”
  14. Isaiah 56:11 Or “know”
  15. Isaiah 56:11 Literally “from his end “
  16. Isaiah 56:12 Literally “excessively”