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Unworthy Shepherds[a]

All you beasts of the field,[b]
    come to devour,
    all you beasts in the forest!(A)
10 [c]All the sentinels of Israel are blind,
    they are without knowledge;
They are all mute dogs,
    unable to bark;
Dreaming, reclining,
    loving their sleep.
11 Yes, the dogs have a ravenous appetite;
    they never know satiety,
Shepherds who have no understanding;
    all have turned their own way,
    each one covetous for gain:
12 “Come, let me bring wine;
    let us fill ourselves with strong drink,
And tomorrow will be like today,
    or even greater.”(B)

Chapter 57

The just have perished,
    but no one takes it to heart;
The steadfast are swept away,
    while no one understands.
Yet the just are taken away from the presence of evil,
    [d]and enter into peace;
They rest upon their couches,
    the sincere, who walk in integrity.(C)

Footnotes

  1. 56:9–57:21 This section is made up of two pronouncements of judgment (56:9–57:2; 57:3–13) and an oracle of salvation (57:14–21), each of which ends with a reversal of imagery and language. While there are harsh indictments against the corrupt leaders of Israel (56:9–12), a promise of peace is offered to those who are just (57:1–2). Then the judgment and its subsequent punishment for idolaters (57:3–13a) change to an announcement of reward for those who place their trust in God (57:13c). And the promises of salvation (57:14–19) then shift to a word of warning to the wicked (57:20–21).
  2. 56:9 Beasts of the field: foreign nations, which are invited to come and ravage Israel.
  3. 56:10–11 These shepherds of Israel are without “knowledge,” a theme developed earlier in the Isaian corpus; cf. 1:3; 6:9–10. Ezekiel 34 has similar condemnatory words against the unfaithful shepherds of Israel.
  4. 57:2 Despite their sad fate, the just will ultimately attain peace (most likely in this world); cf. v. 13.