The Hebrew Prophets

Happy is the person who does this, anyone who grasps it firmly, who keeps Shabbat and does not profane it, and keeps himself from doing any evil.

A foreigner joining ADONAI should not say, "ADONAI will separate me from his people"; likewise the eunuch should not say, "I am only a dried-up tree."

For here is what ADONAI says: "As for the eunuchs who keep my Shabbats, who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant:

in my house, within my walls, I will give them power and a name greater than sons and daughters; I will give him an everlasting name that will not be cut off.

"And the foreigners who join themselves to ADONAI to serve him, to love the name of ADONAI, and to be his workers, all who keep Shabbat and do not profane it, and hold fast to my covenant,

I will bring them to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples."

Adonai ELOHIM says, he who gathers Isra'el's exiles: "There are yet others I will gather, besides those gathered already."

All you wild animals, come and devour, yes, all you animals in the forest!

[Isra'el's] watchmen are, all of them, blind; they don't know anything. They are all dumb dogs, unable to bark, lying there dreaming, loving to sleep.

Greedy dogs, never satisfied - such are the shepherds, unable to understand; they all turn to their own way, each one intent on his own gain:

"Come, I'll get some wine, we'll fill up on good, strong liquor! Tomorrow will be like today; in fact, it will be even better!"

The righteous person perishes, and nobody gives it a thought. Godly men are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous person is taken away from the evil yet to come.

Yes, those who live uprightly will have peace as they rest on their couches.

"But you, you witches' children, come here, you spawn of adulterers and whores!

Whom are you making fun of? At whom are you laughing and sticking out your tongue? Aren't you rebellious children, just a brood of liars?

You go into heat among the oak trees, under every spreading tree. You kill the children in the valleys under the cracks in the rocks.

Your place is among the smooth stones in the vadi; these, these are what you deserve; you pour out drink offerings to them, you offer grain offerings to them. Should I calmly ignore these things?

You set up your bed on a high, lofty mountain; you also went up there to offer sacrifices.

Behind door and doorpost you set up your [lewd] memorial; then, far from me, you uncovered your bed, climbed up on it and opened it wide, made an agreement with some of them, whose bed you loved when you saw their hand beckoning.

You went to the king with scented oil; you added to your perfumes; you sent your envoys far away, even down to Sh'ol.

Though worn out by so much travel, you did not say, 'All hope is gone'; rather, finding your strength renewed, you did not grow weak.

Of whom have you been so afraid, so fearful that you lied? But me you don't remember, you don't give me a thought! I have held my peace so long that you no longer fear me.

I will expose your [so-called] 'righteousness'; and what you have done won't help you.

When you cry, will those [idols] you gathered rescue you? The wind will carry them all away, a puff of air will take them off. But whoever takes refuge in me will possess the land and inherit my holy mountain."

Then he will say, "Keep building! Keep building! Clear the way! Remove everything blocking my people's path!"