Isaiah 55
1 Come, everyone of you who's thirsty, come and drink the water! You who don't have money, come—you can buy and eat! Come and buy wine and milk—you don't need money; there's no cost!
Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
2 Why are you spending money on what isn't food, and why work for something that doesn't satisfy you? Listen carefully to me: eat what is good, and you'll enjoy the very best food.
Why do ye spend money for [that which is] not bread? and your labor for [that which] satisfieth not? hearken diligently to me, and eat ye [that which is] good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
3 Come here, and pay attention, so you can truly live. I'm going to make an agreement with you that will last forever, based on the trustworthy love I showed to David.
Incline your ear, and come to me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, [even] the sure mercies of David.
4 See how I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for them.
Behold, I have given him [for] a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.
5 You will call nations you don't even know, and nations who don't know you will come running to you. For the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, I made you glorious.
Behold, thou shalt call a nation [that] thou knowest not, and nations [that] knew not thee shall run to thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel, for he hath glorified thee.
6 Look for the Lord while you can still find him; call out to him while he's nearby.
Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
7 Wicked people should change their ways and get rid of even the thought of doing something wrong. They should turn to the Lord so he can be merciful to them. Come back to our God, because he's generous with his forgiveness.
Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return to the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8 For your thoughts are not my thoughts; and your ways are not my ways, declares the Lord.
For my thoughts [are] not your thoughts, neither [are] your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
9 In the same way the heavens are higher than the earth, my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than 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 It's like the rain and snow that fall from heaven. They don't go back there until they've watered the earth, making plants grow and flower, providing seeds for the sower and food to eat.
For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
11 In the same way the words I say don't come back to me unfulfilled, they accomplish what I want—they successfully achieve my purpose.
So shall my word be that proceedeth from my mouth: it shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper [in the thing] for which I sent it.
12 You will live happily, taught the ways of peace. Mountains and hills will celebrate, singing beside you; and all the trees will clap their hands!
For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap [their] hands.
13 Cypress trees will grow instead of thorn bushes; myrtle trees will grow instead of brambles. This is to confirm the Lord's reputation—an everlasting sign, never to be destroyed.
Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir-tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle-tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign [that] shall not be cut off.
