Isaiah 55:6-12
New International Version
6 Seek(A) the Lord while he may be found;(B)
call(C) on him while he is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake(D) their ways
and the unrighteous their thoughts.(E)
Let them turn(F) to the Lord, and he will have mercy(G) on them,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.(H)
8 “For my thoughts(I) are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”(J)
declares the Lord.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,(K)
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.(L)
10 As the rain(M) and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,(N)
so that it yields seed(O) for the sower and bread for the eater,(P)
11 so is my word(Q) that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,(R)
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose(S) for which I sent it.
12 You will go out in joy(T)
and be led forth in peace;(U)
the mountains and hills
will burst into song(V) before you,
and all the trees(W) of the field
will clap their hands.(X)
Isaiah 55:6-12
New American Standard Bible
6 (A)Seek the Lord while He may be found;
(B)Call upon Him while He is near.
7 (C)Let the wicked abandon his way,
And the unrighteous person his (D)thoughts;
And let him (E)return to the Lord,
And He will have (F)compassion on him,
And to our God,
For He will (G)abundantly pardon.
8 “For My thoughts are not (H)your thoughts,
Nor are (I)your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.
9 “For (J)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 (K)rain and the snow come down from heaven,
And do not return there without watering the earth
And making it produce and sprout,
And providing (L)seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
11 So will My (M)word be which goes out of My mouth;
It will (N)not return to Me empty,
Without (O)accomplishing what I desire,
And without succeeding in the purpose for which I sent it.
12 For you will go out with (P)joy
And be led in (Q)peace;
The (R)mountains and the hills will break into shouts of joy before you,
And all the (S)trees of the field will clap their hands.
Isaiah 55:6-13
The Message
6-7 Seek God while he’s here to be found,
pray to him while he’s close at hand.
Let the wicked abandon their way of life
and the evil their way of thinking.
Let them come back to God, who is merciful,
come back to our God, who is lavish with forgiveness.
8-11 “I don’t think the way you think.
The way you work isn’t the way I work.”
God’s Decree.
“For as the sky soars high above earth,
so the way I work surpasses the way you work,
and the way I think is beyond the way you think.
Just as rain and snow descend from the skies
and don’t go back until they’ve watered the earth,
Doing their work of making things grow and blossom,
producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry,
So will the words that come out of my mouth
not come back empty-handed.
They’ll do the work I sent them to do,
they’ll complete the assignment I gave them.
12-13 “So you’ll go out in joy,
you’ll be led into a whole and complete life.
The mountains and hills will lead the parade,
bursting with song.
All the trees of the forest will join the procession,
exuberant with applause.
No more thistles, but giant sequoias,
no more thornbushes, but stately pines—
Monuments to me, to God,
living and lasting evidence of God.”
Isaiah 55:6-12
King James Version
6 Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways 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.
10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
12 For ye 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 field shall clap their hands.
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Isaiah 55:6-12
New King James Version
6 (A)Seek the Lord while He may be (B)found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
7 (C)Let the [a]wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man (D)his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
(E)And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.
8 “For(F) My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
9 “For(G) as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
10 “For (H)as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
11 (I)So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me [b]void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall (J)prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
12 “For(K) you shall go out with joy,
And be led out with peace;
The mountains and the hills
Shall (L)break forth into singing before you,
And (M)all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 55:7 Lit. man of iniquity
- Isaiah 55:11 empty, without fruit
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.