Isaiah 56

₁The LORD said:

Be honest and fair!

Soon I will come to save you;

my saving power will be seen

everywhere on earth.

₂I will bless everyone

who respects the Sabbath

and refuses to do wrong.

₃Foreigners who worship me

must not say,

“The LORD won't let us

be part of his people.”

Men who are unable

to become fathers

must no longer say,

“We are dried up trees.”

₄To them, I, the LORD, say:

Respect the Sabbath,

obey me completely,

and keep our agreement.

₅Then I will set up monuments

in my temple with your names

written on them.

This will be much better

than having children,

because these monuments

will stand there for ever.

₆Foreigners will follow me.

They will love me and worship

in my name;

they will respect the Sabbath

and keep our agreement.

₇I will bring them

to my holy mountain,

where they will celebrate

in my house of worship.

Their sacrifices and offerings

will always be welcome

on my altar.

Then my house will be known

as a house of worship

for all nations.

₈I, the LORD, promise

to bring together my people

who were taken away,

and let them join the others.

₉Come from the forest,

you wild animals!

Attack and gobble up

your victims.

₁₀You leaders of Israel

should be watchdogs,

protecting my people.

But you can't see a thing,

and you never warn them.

Dozing and daydreaming

are all you ever do.

₁₁You stupid leaders are a pack

of hungry and greedy dogs

that never get enough.

You are shepherds

who ill-treat your own sheep

for selfish gain.

₁₂You say to each other,

“Let's drink till we're drunk!

Tomorrow we'll do it again.

We'll really enjoy ourselves.”