Isaiah 56
International Standard Version
The Covenant Extended to the Righteous
56 For[a] this is what the Lord says:
“Maintain justice, and do what is right,
for soon my salvation will come,
and soon my deliverance will be revealed.
2 Blessed is the one who does this,
and the person that holds it fast,
who observes the Sabbath without profaning it,
and restrains his hands[b] from practicing any evil.
3 “Let[c] no foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say:
‘The Lord will surely exclude me from his people.’
Furthermore, let no eunuch say,
‘Look![d] I am just a dry tree.’”
4 For this is what the Lord says:
“To the eunuchs who observe my Sabbaths,
who choose the things that please me,
and who hold fast my covenant—
5 to them I will give in my house[e] and within my walls
a monument and a name
better than sons and daughters.
I will give them[f] an everlasting name
that will not be cut off.[g]
6 “Also, the foreigners who join themselves to[h] the Lord,
to minister to him,
to love the name of the Lord,[i]
to be his servants,
and to bless the Lord’s name,
observing[j] the Sabbath without profaning it,
and who hold fast my covenant—
7 these I will bring to my holy mountain,
and make them joyful in my house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
will rise up to be accepted[k] on my altar;
for my house will be called a house of prayer
for everyone.”[l]
A Rebuke to Israel’s Guardians
8 This is what the Lord God says,
the one who gathers the outcasts of Israel:
“I’ll gather still others to them
besides those already gathered.[m]
9 “All you wild animals,[n] come and devour—
even[o] all of you wild animals.[p]
10 His[q] watchmen[r] are blind;
they are all without knowledge.
They are all dumb dogs—
they cannot bark.
They keep on dreaming and lying around,
and they’re lovers of sleep![s]
11 Meanwhile,[t] the dogs have a mighty appetite—
they can never get enough.
And as for them, they are the shepherds[u] who lack understanding;
they have all turned to their own way,
each one to his gain,
each and every one.
12 “‘Come!’ they say, ‘let’s[v] have some wine,
and let’s fill ourselves with strong drink!
Then,[w] tomorrow will be like today,[x]
or even much better!’”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 56:1 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX lack For
- Isaiah 56:2 So 1QIsaa LXX 1QIsab MT read hand
- Isaiah 56:3 So 1QIsaa LXX; 1QIsab MT read And let
- Isaiah 56:3 So 1QIsaa 1QIsab MT; LXX lacks Look!
- Isaiah 56:5 I.e. God’s Temple
- Isaiah 56:5 So 1QIsaa LXX; 1QIsab MT read him
- Isaiah 56:5 The Heb. verb is a word play on the Heb. word eunuch
- Isaiah 56:6 So 1QIsaa (cf. v 3); 1QIsab MT read upon
- Isaiah 56:6 So 1QIsab MT LXX; 1QIsaa lacks this line
- Isaiah 56:6 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT LXX read all who observe
- Isaiah 56:7 1QIsaa; 1QIsab 4QIsai MT LXX read will be accepted
- Isaiah 56:7 Lit. for all peoples
- Isaiah 56:8 Lit. besides their gathered ones
- Isaiah 56:9 So 1QIsaa LXX; 1QIsab MT read Every wild animal
- Isaiah 56:9 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT LXX lack even
- Isaiah 56:9 So 1QIsaa LXX; 1QIsab MT read every wild animal
- Isaiah 56:10 I.e. Israel’s; so 1QIsaa MTq
- Isaiah 56:10 MT reads His watchman; LXX reads Look! They all
- Isaiah 56:10 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT reads sleeping
- Isaiah 56:11 Lit. And
- Isaiah 56:11 So 1QIsaa; MT reads shepherds; LXX reads evil
- Isaiah 56:12 So 1QIsaa MTms; 1QIsab reads I will; MT reads let me
- Isaiah 56:12 Or And
- Isaiah 56:12 1QIsaa reads this the day; 1QIsab MT read this day
Isaiah 56
New International Version
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.
2 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.”
3 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.”
4 For this is what the Lord says:
“To the eunuchs(J) who keep my Sabbaths,
who choose what pleases me
and hold fast to my covenant(K)—
5 to them I will give within my temple and its walls(L)
a memorial(M) and a name
better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name(N)
that will endure forever.(O)
6 And foreigners(P) who bind themselves to the Lord
to minister(Q) to him,
to love the name(R) of the Lord,
and to be his servants,
all who keep the Sabbath(S) without desecrating it
and who hold fast to my covenant—
7 these I will bring to my holy mountain(T)
and give them joy in my house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices(U)
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house will be called
a house of prayer for all nations.(V)”(W)
8 The Sovereign Lord declares—
he who gathers the exiles of Israel:
“I will gather(X) still others to them
besides those already gathered.”
God’s Accusation Against the Wicked
9 Come, all you beasts of the field,(Y)
come and devour, all you beasts of the forest!
10 Israel’s watchmen(Z) are blind,
they all lack knowledge;(AA)
they are all mute dogs,
they cannot bark;
they lie around and dream,
they love to sleep.(AB)
11 They are dogs with mighty appetites;
they never have enough.
They are shepherds(AC) who lack understanding;(AD)
they all turn to their own way,(AE)
they seek their own gain.(AF)
12 “Come,” each one cries, “let me get wine!(AG)
Let us drink our fill of beer!
And tomorrow will be like today,
or even far better.”(AH)
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.