Isaiah 56

Rewards for Obedience to God

1This is what the Lord says: “1Guard justice and do righteousness, For My 2salvation is about to come And My righteousness to be revealed.23Blessed is a man who does this, And a son of man who 4takes hold of it; Who 5keeps from profaning the Sabbath, And keeps his hand from doing any evil.”3Let not the 6foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say, “The Lord will certainly separate me from His people.” Nor let the 7eunuch say, “Behold, I am a dry tree.”4For this is what the Lord says: “To the eunuchs who 8keep My Sabbaths, And choose what pleases Me, And 9hold firmly to My covenant,5To them I will give in My 10house and within My 11walls a memorial, And a name better than that of sons and daughters; I will give 12them an everlasting 13name which 14will not be eliminated.

6“Also the 15foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, To attend to His service and to love the name of the Lord, To be His servants, every one who 16keeps the Sabbath so as not to profane it, And holds firmly to My covenant;7Even 17those I will bring to My 18holy mountain, And 19make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on 20My altar; For 21My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.”8The Lord 22God, who 23gathers the dispersed of Israel, declares, “I will yet gather 24others to 25them, to those already gathered.”

9All you 2627wild animals, All you animals in the forest, Come to eat.10His 28watchmen are 29blind, All of them know nothing. All of them are mute dogs unable to bark, Dreamers lying down, who love to slumber;11And the dogs are 3031greedy, they 32are never satisfied. And they are shepherds who have 33no understanding; They have all 34turned to their own way, Each one to his unjust gain, 35without exception.12“Come,” they say, “36let’s get 37wine, and let’s drink heavily of intoxicating drink; And 38tomorrow will be like today, only more so.”