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Return of the First Captives[a]

Chapter 56

The Lord Welcomes All People

Thus says the Lord:
    Maintain justice
    and do what is right.
For my salvation is close at hand,
    and my righteousness will soon be revealed.
Happy is the man who does this,
    the one who holds fast to my instructions,
who observes the Sabbath without profaning it
    and refrains from every evil deed.
Let no foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say,
    “The Lord will surely exclude me from his people.”
Permit no eunuch[b] to believe,
    “I am nothing but a dried-up tree.”

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 56:1 The oracles of the third part of the Book of Isaiah give us a glimpse chiefly of the difficulties faced by Judaism, which was born during the Exile. Most of the passages seem to come from the most difficult years, those following upon the return (530–510 B.C.). All are not the work of one and the same author. The oracles endeavor to lead believers to a surer, but also purer and more spiritual hope.
  2. Isaiah 56:3 Eunuch[s] were to be equal in every respect to the other members of the community of Israel (see Deut 23:2).

Salvation for Others

56 This is what the Lord says:

“Maintain justice(A)
    and do what is right,(B)
for my salvation(C) is close at hand
    and my righteousness(D) will soon be revealed.
Blessed(E) is the one who does this—
    the person who holds it fast,
who keeps the Sabbath(F) without desecrating it,
    and keeps their hands from doing any evil.”

Let no foreigner(G) who is bound to the Lord say,
    “The Lord will surely exclude me from his people.”(H)
And let no eunuch(I) complain,
    “I am only a dry tree.”

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