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.
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!
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 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.
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.
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.
4 Behold, I have given him [as] a witness to peoples, A leader and commander to peoples.
See how I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for them.
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.”
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.
6 Seek YHWH while He may be found, Call Him while He is near,
Look for the Lord while you can still find him; call out to him while he's nearby.
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.
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.
8 “For My thoughts [are] not your thoughts, Nor your ways My ways,” A declaration of YHWH,
For your thoughts are not my thoughts; and your ways are not my ways, declares 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.
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.
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,
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!”
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.
