< Isaiah 55 >
1 “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you without money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost!
“Behold, every thirsty one, Come to the waters, And he who has no money, Come, buy and eat, Indeed, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price.
2 Why spend money on that which is not bread, and your labor on that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of foods.
Why do you weigh money for that which is not bread? And your labor for that which is not for satiety? Listen diligently to Me, and eat good, And your soul delights itself in fatness.
3 Incline your ear and come to Me; listen, so that your soul may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant— My loving devotion promised to David.
Incline your ear, and come to Me, Hear, and your soul lives, And I make a perpetual covenant for you, The kind blessings of David that are steadfast.
4 Behold, I have made him a witness to the nations, a leader and commander of the peoples.
Behold, I have given him [as] a witness to peoples, A leader and commander to peoples.
5 Surely you will summon a nation you do not know, and nations who do not know you will run to you. For the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, has bestowed glory on you.”
Behold, a nation you do not know, you call, And a nation who does not know you runs to you, For the sake of your God YHWH, And for the Holy One of Israel, Because He has beautified you.”
6 Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.
Seek YHWH while He may be found, Call Him while He is near,
7 Let the wicked man forsake his own way and the unrighteous man his own thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that He may have compassion, and to our God, for He will freely pardon.
Let the wicked forsake his way, And the man of iniquity his thoughts, And he returns to YHWH, And He pities him, And to our God, For He multiplies to pardon.
8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,”
“For My thoughts [are] not your thoughts, Nor your ways My ways,” A declaration of YHWH,
9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.
“For [as] high [as] the heavens have been above the earth, So high have been My ways above your ways, And My thoughts above your thoughts.
10 For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return without watering the earth, making it bud and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat,
For as the shower comes down, And the snow from the heavens, And does not return there, But has watered the earth, And has caused it to yield, and to spring up, And has given seed to the sower, and bread to the eater,
11 so My word that proceeds from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please, and it will prosper where I send it.
So is My word that goes out of My mouth, It does not return to Me empty, But has done that which I desired, And prosperously effected that [for] which I sent it.
12 You will indeed go out with joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
For you go forth with joy, And you are brought in with peace, The mountains and the hills Break forth before you [with] singing, And all trees of the field clap the hand.
13 Instead of the thornbush, a cypress will grow, and instead of the brier, a myrtle will spring up; they will make a name for the LORD, an everlasting sign, never to be destroyed.”
Instead of the thorn comes up fir, Instead of the brier comes up myrtle, And it has been to YHWH for a name, For a perpetual sign—it is not cut off!”