Isaiah — Chapter 55

Ho, all who are thirsty,Come for water,Even if you have no money;Come, buy food and eat:Buy food without money,Wine and milk without cost.

Why do you spend money for what is not bread,Your earnings for what does not satisfy?Give heed to Me,And you shall eat choice foodAnd enjoy the richest viands.

Incline your ear and come to Me;Hearken, and you shall be revived.And I will make with you an everlasting covenant,The enduring loyalty promised to David.

As I made him a leaderaleader Cf. Targum; in contrast to others “witness.” of peoples,A prince and commander of peoples,

So you shall summon a nation you did not know,And a nation that did not know youShall come running to youbAs I made him … to you Cf. 2 Sam. 22.44–45 (Ps. 18.44–45).—For the sake of the ETERNAL your God,The Holy One of Israel who has glorified you.

Seek GOD while you can,cwhile you can Lit. “while He can be found.”Call out while [God] is near.

Let the wicked give up their ways,The sinful, their plans;Let each one turn back to GOD So as to be pardoned;To our God,Who freely forgives.

For My plans are not your plans,Nor are My waysdways Emendation yields “words”; cf. v. 11 and 40.8. your wayseways See preceding note. —declares GOD.

But as the heavens are high above the earth,So are My waysfways See first note in v. 8. high above your waysgways See preceding note. And My plans above your plans.

For as the rain or snow drops from heavenAnd returns not there,But soaks the earthAnd makes it bring forth vegetation,Yielding seed for sowing and bread for eating,hseed for sowing and bread for eating Lit. “seed for the sower and bread for the eater.”

So is the word that issues from My mouth:It does not come back to Me unfulfilled,But performs what I purpose,Achieves what I sent it to do.

Yea, you shall leaveileave I.e., leave the Babylonian exile. in joy and be led home secure.Before you, mount and hill shall shout aloud,And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

Instead of the brier, a cypress shall rise;Instead of the nettle, a myrtle shall rise.These shall stand as a testimony to GOD,As an everlasting sign that shall not perish.