Isaiah 55
1 “All you [people who are in exile], listen to me! [It is as though] [MET] you are thirsty, so come and get water from me! [It is as though] you have no money, but you can come and get things from me [that are like] wine and milk! You can get [what you need from me], [and] you will not need to give me any money for them!
| הוי כל צמא לכו למים ואשר אין לו כסף לכו שברו ואכלו ולכו שברו בלוא כסף ובלוא מחיר יין וחלב |
2 [What you really need is to have a close relationship with me], so (why do you spend money to buy things that do not supply what you really need?/you should not spend money to buy things that do not supply what you really need.) [RHQ] (Why do you work hard to get money to buy things that do not (satisfy your [inner beings]/cause you to be happy)?) [RHQ] Pay attention to what I say and acquire what is really good [MET]! If you do that, then you will truly be happy [MET].
| למה תשקלו כסף בלוא לחם ויגיעכם בלוא לשבעה שמעו שמוע אלי ואכלו טוב ותתענג בדשן נפשכם |
3 Listen to me and come to me; pay attention to me, and if you do that, you will have new life in your souls. I will make an agreement with you that will last forever to faithfully love you like I loved [King] David.
| הטו אזנכם ולכו אלי שמעו ותחי נפשכם ואכרתה לכם ברית עולם חסדי דוד הנאמנים |
4 By what he did, I showed [my power to many] people-groups; I caused him to be a leader and commander [DOU] over [the people of many nations].
| הן עד לאומים נתתיו נגיד ומצוה לאמים |
5 And similarly, you will summon people of other nations to come to you, nations that previously you have not heard about, and they had not heard about you; and they will come to you quickly because [they will have heard that I], Yahweh, your God, the Holy One of Israel, have honored you.
| הן גוי לא תדע תקרא וגוי לא ידעוך אליך ירוצו--למען יהוה אלהיך ולקדוש ישראל כי פארך |
6 Seek [to know] me while it is still possible for you to do that; call to me while I am near!
| דרשו יהוה בהמצאו קראהו בהיותו קרוב |
7 Wicked [people] should abandon their wicked behavior, and evil people should stop thinking what is evil. They should turn to me, and if they do that, I will act mercifully toward them; they should turn to me, their God, because I will fully pardon them [for all the wicked things that they have done].
| יעזב רשע דרכו ואיש און מחשבתיו וישב אל יהוה וירחמהו ואל אלהינו כי ירבה לסלוח |
8 I, Yahweh, declare that what I think is not the same as what you think, and what I do is very different from what you do.
| כי לא מחשבותי מחשבותיכם ולא דרכיכם דרכי--נאם יהוה |
9 Just as the sky is far above the earth, what I do is far greater than what you do, and what I think is much greater than what you think.
| כי גבהו שמים מארץ--כן גבהו דרכי מדרכיכם ומחשבתי ממחשבתיכם |
10 Rain and snow come down from the sky, and they cause the ground to be moist before the moisture returns [to the sky and produces more clouds]. When the ground becomes moist, it causes plants to sprout and grow, with the result that the soil produces seed for the farmer [to plant] and [grain to produce flour to make] bread for people to eat.
| כי כאשר ירד הגשם והשלג מן השמים ושמה לא ישוב--כי אם הרוה את הארץ והולידה והצמיחה ונתן זרע לזרע ולחם לאכל |
11 And similarly the things that I promise to do, I will [always] cause to happen; my promises will [always] be fulfilled [LIT]. They will accomplish the things that I gave them to accomplish [DOU].
| כן יהיה דברי אשר יצא מפי לא ישוב אלי ריקם כי אם עשה את אשר חפצתי והצליח אשר שלחתיו |
12 You will leave [Babylon] joyfully, you will have peace as I lead you out. [It will be as though] the hills and mountains will sing joyfully, and the trees in the fields will clap their hands.
| כי בשמחה תצאו ובשלום תובלון ההרים והגבעות יפצחו לפניכם רנה וכל עצי השדה ימחאו כף |
13 Instead of thornbushes and briers, pine/cypress [trees] and myrtle [trees] will grow [in your land]. As a result of that, people will honor me much more; and what I do will remind everyone that [I do what I have promised].”
| תחת הנעצוץ יעלה ברוש תחת (ותחת) הסרפד יעלה הדס והיה ליהוה לשם לאות עולם לא יכרת |
