ISAIAH 56 [†] Thus says the LORD:

“Keep justice, and do righteousness,

 w for soon my salvation will come,

and my righteousness be revealed.

2[†] Blessed is the man who does this,

and the son of man who holds it fast,

 x who keeps the Sabbath, not profaning it,

and keeps his hand from doing any evil.”

3[†] Let not  y the foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say,

“The LORD will surely separate me from his people”;

and let not the eunuch say,

“Behold, I am  z a dry tree.”

4 For thus says the LORD:

“To the eunuchs  x who keep my Sabbaths,

who choose the things that please me

and hold fast my covenant,

5  a I will give in my house and within my walls

a  b monument and a name

better than sons and daughters;

 c I will give them an everlasting name

that shall not be cut off.

6[†] “And  y the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD,

to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD,

and to be his servants,

everyone  x who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it,

and holds fast my covenant—

7[^][†]  d these I will bring to  e my holy mountain,

and make them joyful in my house of prayer;

 f their burnt offerings and their sacrifices

will be accepted on my altar;

for  g my house shall be called a house of prayer

for all peoples.”

8[†] The Lord GOD,

 h who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares,

 i “I will gather yet others to him

besides those already gathered.”

9[†]  j All you beasts of the field, come to devour—

all you beasts in the forest.

10[†]  k His watchmen are blind;

they are all without knowledge;

they are all silent  l dogs;

they cannot bark,

dreaming, lying down,

loving to slumber.

11[†]  m The dogs have a mighty appetite;

they never have enough.

But  n they are shepherds who have no understanding;

they have all turned to their own way,

 o each to his own gain, one and all.

12[†]  p “Come,” they say, “let me get wine;

let us fill ourselves with strong drink;

 q and tomorrow will be like this day,

great beyond measure.”