Isaiah 56

1 This is what the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] says: “Maintain [keep, obey, watch over] justice [God’s righteous judgment] and do what is right [upright, righteous, virtuous], for My salvation [deliverance, rescue, victory] is coming soon [near, at hand], and My righteousness [moral virtue, justice] will be revealed [uncovered, made known]. word study 2 Blessed [happy, fortunate] is the man who does this [obeys God’s laws], and the son of man [human, descendant] who holds it fast [keeps firmly, strengthens], who keeps the Sabbath [day of rest, worship] without profaning [desecrating, polluting] it and keeps his hand [power, direction] from doing any evil [bad, harmful, morally wrong].” word study 3 Let no foreigner [son of the stranger, non-Jewish person] who has joined [dedicated, devoted] himself to the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] say, “The LORD [the supreme God, Yehovah] will utterly [completely, totally] exclude [separate, divide] me from His people [nation, community].” And let the eunuch [high-ranking official, one unable to have children] not say, “I am but [look, behold] a dry [barren, unfruitful] tree [a tree; wood, timber, a plank].” word study 4 For [because of this reason] this is what the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] says: “To the eunuchs [high-ranking officials, castrated men] who keep [obey, guard] My Sabbaths [days of rest and worship], who choose [select, prefer] what pleases [delights, is acceptable to] Me and hold fast [strengthen, seize] to My covenant [promise, agreement]— word study 5 I will give [bestow, grant] them, in My house [temple, dwelling place] and within My walls [place of protection, safety], a memorial [place of remembrance, monument] and a name [identity, reputation] better than that of sons [male children, descendants] and daughters [female children, heirs]. I will give [assign, provide] them an everlasting [eternal, forever] name [legacy, heritage] that will not be cut off [destroyed, eliminated]. word study 6 And the foreigners [from a strange country, sons of the stranger] who join themselves [to be united with, cleave to] to the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] to minister [to serve, worship] to Him, to love [to have affection for, cherish] the name [identity, honor, character] of the LORD, and to be [to exist, come into being] His servants [slaves, attendants]— all [everything, every one] who keep [protect, attend to, guard] the Sabbath [a day of rest, worship] without profaning [polluting, desecrating] it and who hold fast [strengthen, seize] to My covenant [promise, agreement, treaty]— word study 7 I will bring them to My holy [set-apart, sacred] mountain and make them joyful [filled with delight, rejoicing] in My house [dwelling place, temple] of prayer [supplication, worship]. Their burnt offerings [sacrifices completely consumed by fire] and sacrifices [gifts to God, acts of worship] will be accepted [pleasing, delightful] on My altar [place of sacrifice, worship], for My house [temple, dwelling place] will be called [named, known as] a house [dwelling place, temple] of prayer [supplication, worship] for all [every, entire] the nations [peoples, Gentiles].” word study 8 Thus declares [says, utters] the Lord [Adonay, Master] GOD [Yehovah], who gathers [brings together, collects] the dispersed [scattered, thrust away] of Israel [God’s chosen people]: “I will gather [bring together, assemble] to them still [yet, again] others [more, in addition] besides [in addition to, apart from] those already gathered [collected, assembled].” word study 9 Come, all [every single one, the entirety of] you beasts [living creatures, animals] of the field [open land, countryside]; eat [devour, consume] greedily [hungrily, without restraint], all [every single one, the entirety of] you beasts [living creatures, animals] of the forest [woodland, wild area]. word study 10 Israel’s watchmen [guardians, spiritual sentinels] are blind [spiritually unaware, unable to see], they are all [completely, without exception] oblivious [lacking knowledge, ignorant]; they are all [every one of them] mute dogs [incapable of warning, silent], they cannot bark [sound an alarm, warn]; they are dreamers [given to idle fancy, sleeping] lying around [resting, inactive], loving [having a strong affection for] to slumber [be in a state of torpor, dormant]. word study 11 Like ravenous dogs [greedy, strong, and fierce, with intense desires], they are never satisfied [lacking satiety, or the feeling of being full]. They are shepherds [leaders, caretakers, or rulers] with no discernment [lacking understanding, or the ability to separate and know]; they all turn to their own way [each following their own path, or manner of action], each one seeking his own gain [unjust profit, or advantage, from every quarter]: word study 12 “Come [approach, draw near], let me get [fetch, retrieve] the wine [fermented wine], let us imbibe [drink excessively, become drunk] the strong drink [intoxicating liquor], and tomorrow [morrow, the next day] will be like today [this day, the present], only far [much, exceedingly] better [great, abundant]!” word study