[56:1] The Lord says to his people, “Do what is just and right, for soon I will save you.
[56:2] I will bless those who always observe the Sabbath and do not misuse it. I will bless those who do nothing evil.”
[56:3] A foreigner who has joined the Lord's people should not say, “The Lord will not let me worship with his people.” A man who has been castrated should never think that because he cannot have children, he can never be part of God's people.
[56:4] The Lord says to such a man, “If you honor me by observing the Sabbath and if you do what pleases me and faithfully keep my covenant,
[56:5] then your name will be remembered in my Temple and among my people longer than if you had sons and daughters. You will never be forgotten.”
[56:6] And the Lord says to those foreigners who become part of his people, who love him and serve him, who observe the Sabbath and faithfully keep his covenant:
[56:7] “I will bring you to Zion, my sacred hill, give you joy in my house of prayer, and accept the sacrifices you offer on my altar. My Temple will be called a house of prayer for the people of all nations.”
[56:8] The Sovereign Lord, who has brought his people Israel home from exile, has promised that he will bring still other people to join them.