Isaiah 56
56
Chapter 56
God promises to bless all the nations
1This is what the Lord says:
‘Always be fair and do what is right.
Soon I will come to rescue you.
I will do what is right for my people.
2God will bless the people who do what is right.
They must be careful to obey my laws.
They must respect the rules for the Sabbath day
and keep it special.
They must refuse to do anything that is evil.
3When a foreigner decides to serve the Lord, he should not say, “The Lord will keep me separate from his own people.” A eunuch should not say, “I am no better than a dead tree.” ’
4The Lord says this:
‘I will bless eunuchs who obey my laws.
They must respect the rules for Sabbath days.
They must choose to do what pleases me.
They must always obey my covenant with my people.
5If they do that, I will give them a special place in my temple.
It will cause people to remember them.
Their name will continue in a better way
than through sons and daughters.
People will always honour their name.
Nobody will cut it off. #56:5 ‘cut it off’. A eunuch could not have children, because someone had cut off his testicles.
6I will also bless foreigners who decide to serve me.
They must be faithful to me as my servants.
They must respect the rules for the Sabbath day and keep it special.
They must always obey my covenant.
7Then I will bring them to my holy mountain. #56:7 ‘my holy mountain’ means Mount Zion in Jerusalem, where Solomon built God's temple.
I will make them happy in my house, where people pray to me.
I will accept their burnt offerings and sacrifices,
when they offer them to me on my altar.
People will call my temple,
“A house where people from all nations may pray.” ’ #56:7 See Matthew 21:13.
8The Almighty Lord is the one who brings together all the Israelite people who are in exile. He says, ‘I will continue to bring more people to join with them.’
God warns Israel's leaders
9‘Come here, you wild animals!
Come, you wild animals that live in the forest!
Come and eat my people! #56:9 God is speaking to Israel's enemies as if they are wild animals. He is telling them to come and punish his people.
10Israel's guards are blind!
They do not see what is happening.
They are all like dogs that cannot make a noise.
They cannot warn people about danger.
They love to lie on the ground
and they dream while they sleep.
11They are like dogs who are always hungry.
They eat a lot but they never have enough.
They are like shepherds
who do not understand what to do.
They do whatever they want to do,
so that it will help them get what they want.
12They say to each other,
“Come! We must go and find more wine to drink!
We can drink as much beer as we want!
Tomorrow we can do it all again!
It might be even better than today!” ’
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MissionAssist 2018
Isaiah 56
56
1Yahweh says:
“Maintain justice
and do what is right,
for my salvation is near
and my righteousness will soon be revealed.
2Blessed is the man who does this,
and the son of man who holds it fast;
who keeps the Sabbath without profaning it
and keeps his hand from doing any evil.”
3Let no foreigner who has joined himself to Yahweh speak, saying,
“Yahweh will surely separate me from his people.”
Do not let the eunuch say, “Behold, I am a dry tree.”
4For Yahweh says, “To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths,
choose the things that please me,
and hold fast to my covenant,
5I will give them in my house and within my walls a memorial and a name better than of sons and of daughters.
I will give them an everlasting name that will not be cut off.
6Also the foreigners who join themselves to Yahweh
to serve him,
and to love Yahweh’s name,
to be his servants,
everyone who keeps the Sabbath from profaning it,
and holds fast my covenant,
7I will bring these to my holy mountain,
and make them joyful in my house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar;
for my house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”
8The Lord Yahweh, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, says,
“I will yet gather others to him,
in addition to his own who are gathered.”
9All you animals of the field,
come to devour,
all you animals in the forest.
10His watchmen are blind.
They are all without knowledge.
They are all mute dogs.
They can’t bark—
dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber.
11Yes, the dogs are greedy.
They can never have enough.
They are shepherds who can’t understand.
They have all turned to their own way,
each one to his gain, from every quarter.
12“Come,” they say, “I will get wine,
and we will fill ourselves with strong drink;
and tomorrow will be as today,
great beyond measure.”
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