Isaiah 56 YLT
Summary: The LORD calls His people to keep justice and do righteousness, for His salvation and righteousness are near, and pronounces blessing on anyone, including foreigners and eunuchs, who keeps the Sabbath and holds fast His covenant, promising them a place and a name within His house "better than of sons and of daughters" (v. 5), for His house will be "called an house of prayer for all people" (v. 7). Foreigners who join themselves to the LORD to serve and love His name, keeping the Sabbath and His covenant, will be brought to His holy mountain and their offerings accepted. The chapter sharply turns to condemn Israel's own corrupt "watchmen" — blind, ignorant, silent dogs that cannot bark, greedy shepherds each looking to his own gain. It closes describing drunken leaders who say tomorrow will be even better, indifferent to the harm they cause.
1Thus said Jehovah: `Keep ye judgment, and do righteousness, For near is My salvation to come, And My righteousness to be revealed.'
2O the happiness of a man who doth this, And of a son of man who keepeth hold on it, Keeping the sabbath from polluting it, And keeping his hand from doing any evil.
3Nor speak let a son of the stranger, Who is joined unto Jehovah, saying: `Jehovah doth certainly separate me from His people.' Nor say let the eunuch, `Lo, I am a tree dried up,'
4For thus said Jehovah of the eunuchs, Who do keep My sabbaths, And have fixed on that which I desired, And are keeping hold on My covenant:
5I have given to them in My house, And within My walls a station and a name, Better than sons and than daughters, A name age-during I give to him That is not cut off.
6And sons of the stranger, who are joined to Jehovah, To serve Him, and to love the name of Jehovah, To be to Him for servants, Every keeper of the sabbath from polluting it, And those keeping hold on My covenant.
7I have brought them unto My holy mountain, And caused them to rejoice in My house of prayer, Their burnt-offerings and their sacrifices Are for a pleasing thing on Mine altar, For My house, `A house of prayer,' Is called for all the peoples.
8An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, Who is gathering the outcasts of Israel: `Again I gather to him--to his gathered ones.'
9Every beast of the field, Come to devour, every beast in the forest.
10Blind are his watchmen--all of them, They have not known, All of them are dumb dogs, they are not able to bark, Dozing, lying down, loving to slumber.
11And the dogs are strong of desire, They have not known sufficiency, And they are shepherds! They have not known understanding, All of them to their own way they did turn, Each to his dishonest gain from his quarter:
12`Come ye, I take wine, And we drink, quaff strong drink, And as this day hath been to-morrow, Great--exceeding abundant!'
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