56:3 No foreigner who becomes a follower of ¹  the Lord should say,

‘The Lord will certainly ²  exclude me from his people.’

The eunuch should not say,

‘Look, I am like a dried-up tree.’”

56:4 For this is what the Lord says:

“For the eunuchs who observe my Sabbaths

and choose what pleases me

and are faithful to ³  my covenant,

56:5 I will set up within my temple and my walls a monument ⁴ 

that will be better than sons and daughters.

I will set up a permanent monument ⁵  for them that will remain.

56:6 As for foreigners who become followers of ⁶  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 ⁷  my covenant –

56:7 I will bring them to my holy mountain;

I will make them happy in the temple where people pray to me. ⁸ 

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.” ⁹ 

56:8 The sovereign Lord says this,

the one who gathers the dispersed of Israel:

“I will still gather them up.” ¹⁰