Isa 56:3-8 | NET2full | STEP | No foreigner who becomes a follower of the Lord should say , ‘The Lord will certainly exclude me from his people .’ The eunuch should not say , ‘ Look , I am like a dried-up tree .’”

‏ Isaiah 56:3-8

3 No foreigner who becomes a follower of ^{▼▼tn Heb “who attaches himself to.”} the Lord should say,
‘The Lord will certainly ^{▼▼tn The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis.} exclude me from his people.’
The eunuch should not say,
‘Look, I am like a dried-up tree.’”

4 For this is what the Lord says:
“For the eunuchs who observe my Sabbaths
and choose what pleases me
and are faithful to ^{▼▼tn Heb “and take hold of” (so KJV); NASB “hold fast.”} my covenant,
5 I will set up within my temple and my walls a monument ^{▼▼tn Heb “a hand and a name.” For other examples where יָד (yad) refers to a monument, see HALOT 388 s.v.}
that will be better than sons and daughters.
I will set up a permanent monument ^{▼▼tn Heb “name” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV).} for them that will remain.
6 As for foreigners who become followers of ^{▼▼tn Heb “who attach themselves to.”} the Lord and serve him,
who love the name of the Lord and want to be his servants—
all who observe the Sabbath and do not defile it,
and who are faithful to ^{▼▼tn Heb “and take hold of”; NAB “hold to”; NIV, NRSV “hold fast.”} my covenant—
7 I will bring them to my holy mountain;
I will make them happy in the temple where people pray to me. ^{▼▼tn Heb “in the house of my prayer.”}
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar,
for my temple will be known as a temple where all nations may pray.” ^{▼▼tn Heb “for my house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations.”}
8 The Sovereign Lord says this,
the one who gathers the dispersed of Israel:
“I will still gather them up.” ^{▼▼tn The meaning of the statement is unclear. The text reads literally, “Still I will gather upon him to his gathered ones.” Perhaps the preposition ל (lamed) before “gathered ones” introduces the object of the verb, as in Jer 49:5. The third masculine singular suffix on both עָלָיו (ʿalayv) and נִקְבָּצָיו (niqbatsayv) probably refers to “Israel.” In this case one can translate literally, “Still I will gather to him his gathered ones.”}