Isaiah 55
1 “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.
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.
2 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.
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.
3 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.
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.
4 Behold, I have given him [as] a witness to peoples, A leader and commander to peoples.
Behold, I have presented him as a witness to the people, as a commander and instructor to the nations.
5 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.”
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.
6 Seek YHWH while He may be found, Call Him while He is near,
Seek the Lord, while he is able to be found. Call upon him, while he is near.
7 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.
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.
8 “For My thoughts [are] not your thoughts, Nor your ways My ways,” A declaration of YHWH,
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways, says the Lord.
9 “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.
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.
10 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,
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,
11 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.
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.
12 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.
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.
13 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!”
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.
