< Isaiah 55 >
1 “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.
"Come, everyone who thirsts, to the waters. Come, he who has no money, buy, and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
2 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.
Why do you spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which doesn't satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat you that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
3 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.
Turn your ear, and come to me; hear, and your soul shall live: and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, the faithful kindnesses of David.
4 Look, I have placed him as a witness to the nations, as a leader and commander to the peoples.
Look, I have given him for a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander to the peoples.
5 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.”
Look, you shall call a nation that you do not know; and a nation that did not know you shall run to you, because of the LORD your God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he has glorified you."
6 Seek Yahweh while he may be found; call on him while he is nearby.
Seek the LORD while he may be found; call you on him while he is near:
7 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.
let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways—this is Yahweh's declaration—
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," says the LORD.
9 for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts 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 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,
For as the rain comes down and the snow from the sky, and doesn't return there, but waters the earth, and makes it bring forth and bud, and gives seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
11 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.
so shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing I sent it to do.
12 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.
For you 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 fields shall clap their hands.
13 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.”
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."