Isaiah 56
The Lord Will Save Those Who Come to Him
1The Lord says,
“Do what is fair and right.
I will soon come and save you.
Soon everyone will know that what I do is right.
2Blessed is the person who does what I want them to.
They are faithful in keeping the Sabbath day.
They do not misuse it.
They do not do what is evil on that day.”
3Suppose an outsider wants to follow the Lord.
Then that person shouldn’t say,
“The Lord won’t accept me as one of his people.”
And a eunuch shouldn’t say,
“I’m like a dry tree
that doesn’t bear any fruit.”
4The Lord says,
“Suppose some eunuchs keep my Sabbath days.
They choose to do what pleases me.
And they are faithful in keeping my covenant.
5Then I will set up a monument in the area of my temple.
Their names will be written on it.
That will be better for them than having sons and daughters.
The names of the eunuchs will be remembered forever.
They will never be forgotten.
6“Suppose outsiders want to follow me
and serve me.
They want to love me
and worship me.
They keep the Sabbath day and do not misuse it.
And they are faithful in keeping my covenant.
7Then I will bring them to my holy mountain of Zion.
I will give them joy in my house.
They can pray there.
I will accept their burnt offerings and sacrifices on my altar.
My house will be called
a house where people from all nations can pray.”
8The Lord and King will gather
those who were taken away from their homes in Israel.
He announces, “I will gather them to myself.
And I will gather others to join them.”
The Lord Judges Israel’s Evil Leaders
9Come, all you enemy nations! Come like wild animals.
Come and destroy like animals in the forest.
10Israel’s prophets are blind.
They don’t know the Lord.
All of them are like watchdogs that can’t even bark.
They just lie around and dream.
They love to sleep.
11They are like dogs that love to eat.
They never get enough.
They are like shepherds who don’t have any understanding.
All of them do as they please.
They only look for what they can get for themselves.
12“Come!” they shout. “Let’s get some wine!
Let’s drink all the beer we can!
Tomorrow we’ll do the same thing.
And that will be even better than today.”