< Isaiah 55 >
1 “Hey! 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.
Ho, every one of ye that thirsteth, come ye to the water, and he too that hath no money: come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy without money and without price wine and milk.
2 Why do you spend money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which doesn’t satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in richness.
Wherefore will ye spend money for what is not bread? and your labor for what satisfieth not? hearken then unto me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
3 Turn your ear, and come to me. Hear, and your soul will live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
Incline your ear, and come unto me, hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, the promised mercies of David, which are sure.
4 Behold, I have given him for a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander to the peoples.
Behold, for a lawgiver unto the people have I appointed him, a prince and commander to the people.
5 Behold, you shall call a nation that you don’t know; and a nation that didn’t know you shall run to you, because of the LORD your God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he has glorified you.”
Behold, a nation thou knowest not shalt thou call, and a nation that knew thee not shall run unto thee; for the sake of the Lord thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel, for he hath glorified thee.
6 Seek the LORD while he may be found. Call on him while he is near.
Seek ye the Lord, while he may be found, call ye on him, while he is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, to our God, for he will freely pardon.
Let the wicked forsake his way, and the man of unrighteousness his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and unto our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways,” says the LORD.
For not my thoughts are your thoughts, and not your ways are my ways, saith 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 high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways, and my thoughts above your thoughts.
10 For as the rain comes down and the snow from the sky, and doesn’t return there, but waters the earth, and makes it grow and bud, and gives seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and return not thither, but water the earth, and render it fruitful, and cause it to bring forth plants; and give seed to the sower and bread to him that eateth:
11 so is my word that goes out of my mouth: it will not return to me void, but it will accomplish that which I please, and it will prosper in the thing I sent it to do.
So shall ever be my word which goeth forth from my mouth, it shall not return unto me without effect; but it accomplisheth what I desire, and it prospereth in that whereto I have sent it.
12 For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace. The mountains and the hills will break out before you into singing; and all the trees of the fields will clap their hands.
For in joy shall ye go out, and in peace shall ye be brought home: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thorn the cypress tree will come up; and instead of the brier the myrtle tree will come up. It will make a name for the LORD, for an everlasting sign that will not be cut off.”
Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir-tree, and instead of the nettle shall come up the myrtle; and it shall be unto the Lord for a name, for a sign of everlasting that shall not be cut off.