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!
Ho! every one that thirsteth! Come ye to the waters, Yea he that hath no money, —Come ye—buy corn, and eat, Yea come—buy corn without money, And without price, wine and milk,
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.
Wherefore should ye spend, Money, for that which is not bread? Or your labour, for that which, satisfieth not? Keep on hearkening unto me, And, so eat that which is good, And let your soul take exquisite delight 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 unto me, Hearken, That your soul, may live, —That I may solemnise for you a covenant age-abiding, The Lovingkindness to David, well-assured.
4 Behold, I have made him a witness to the nations, a leader and commander of the peoples.
Lo! As a witness to the peoples, have I given him, —As a leader and commander to the 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.”
Lo! A nation thou shalt not know, shalt thou call, And, a nation which hath not known thee, unto thee, shall run, —For the sake of Yahweh thy God, And for the Holy One of Israel, because he hath adorned thee.
6 Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.
Seek Yahweh while he may be found, —Call ye upon 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 lawless forsake his way, And the man of iniquity, his thoughts, —And let him return unto Yahweh That he may have compassion upon him, And unto our God, For he will abundantly 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, —Declareth Yahweh.
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, higher, are the heavens than the earth, —So, higher, are My ways than your ways, and My thoughts than 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 rain and the snow descend from the heavens. And thither, do not return, Except they have watered the earth. And caused it to bring forth and bud, —And 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, shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth, It shall not return unto me void, —But shall accomplish that which I please, And shall prosper in that whereunto I have 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 with gladness shall ye come forth, And in peace, shall ye be led, —the mountains and the hills shall break out, before you, into shouts of triumph, And all the wild trees shall clap their hands:
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-bush, shall come up the fir-tree, And instead of the nettle, shall come up the myrtle-tree, —So shall it become unto Yahweh, a Name, A Sign age-abiding, which shall not be cut off.
