Isaiah 55
1 All you who thirst, come to the waters. And you who have no money: hurry, buy and eat. Approach, buy wine and milk, without money and without barter.
“Come, everyone who is thirsty, come to the water, and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.
2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and expend your labor for what does not satisfy? Listen very closely to me, and eat what is good, and then your soul will be delighted by a full measure.
Why do you weigh out silver for what is not bread, and why do you labor for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in fatness.
3 Incline your ear and draw near to me. Listen, and your soul will live. And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, by the faithful mercies of David.
Turn your ears and come to me! Listen, that you may live! I will make an everlasting covenant with you—my reliable, faithful love that I promised to David.
4 Behold, I have presented him as a witness to the people, as a commander and instructor to the nations.
Look, I have placed him as a witness to the nations, as a leader and commander to the peoples.
5 Behold, you will call to a nation that you did not know. And nations that did not know you will rush to you, because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel. For he has glorified you.
Look, you will call to a nation that you did not know; and a nation that did not know you will run to you because of Yahweh your God, the Holy One of Israel, who has glorified you.”
6 Seek the Lord, while he is able to be found. Call upon him, while he is near.
Seek Yahweh while he may be found; call on him while he is nearby.
7 Let the impious one abandon his way, and the iniquitous man his thoughts, and let him return to the Lord, and he will take pity on him, and to our God, for he is great in forgiveness.
Let the wicked leave his path, and the man of sin his thoughts. Let him return to Yahweh, and he will pity him, and to our God, who will abundantly forgive him.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways, says the Lord.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways—this is Yahweh's declaration—
9 For just as the heavens are exalted above the earth, so also are my ways exalted above your ways, and my thoughts above your thoughts.
for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 And in the same manner as rain and snow descend from heaven, and no longer return there, but soak the earth, and water it, and cause it to bloom and to provide seed to the sower and bread to the hungry,
For as the rain and snow come down from heaven and do not return there unless they saturate the earth and make it produce and sprout and give seed to the farmer who sows and bread to the eater,
11 so also will my word be, which will go forth from my mouth. It will not return to me empty, but it will accomplish whatever I will, and it will prosper in the tasks for which I sent it.
so also my word will be that goes from my mouth—it will not return to me empty, but it will achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
12 For you will go forth rejoicing, and you will be led forward in peace. The mountains and the hills will sing praise before you, and all the trees of the countryside will clap their hands.
For you will go out in joy and be led along peacefully; the mountains and the hills will break out in joyful shouts before you, and all the trees of the fields will clap their hands.
13 In place of the shrub, the pine tree will arise, and in place of the nettle, the myrtle tree will grow. And the Lord will be named with an eternal sign, which will not be taken away.
Instead of the thornbushes, the cypress will grow; and instead of the brier, the myrtle tree will grow, and it will be for Yahweh, for his name, as an everlasting sign that will not be cut off.”
