1‘Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.2Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labour on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare.3Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.4See, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a ruler and commander of the peoples.5Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations you do not know will come running to you, because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendour.’6Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.7Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.8‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord.9‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.10As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,11so is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.12You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.13Instead of the thorn-bush will grow the juniper, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord’s renown, for an everlasting sign, that will endure for ever.’
Isaiah 55
English Standard Version
The Compassion of the Lord
1“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. (Pr 9:5; Isa 44:3; Mt 5:6; Joh 7:37)2Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. (Joh 6:27)3Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. (Ps 89:33; Pr 4:4; Isa 54:8; Isa 59:21; Isa 61:8; Jer 30:9; Jer 32:40; Eze 37:26; Ac 13:34)4Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. (Ps 18:43; Isa 9:6; Da 9:25; Mic 5:2; Ac 5:31; Re 17:14; Re 19:16)5Behold, 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 of the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you. (Isa 44:23; Isa 55:4; Zec 8:22; Ac 3:13)6“Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; (Ps 32:6; Am 5:4)7let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.8For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Ps 103:11)10“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, (Ps 148:8; 2Co 9:10)11so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. (Isa 40:8)12“For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. (Ps 98:8; Isa 35:10; Isa 44:23; Isa 48:20; Isa 52:12)13Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall make a name for the Lord, an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.” (Isa 35:1; Isa 41:19)