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Seek Yahweh While He May Be Found

55 “Ho! Every one who (A)thirsts, come to the waters;
And you who have (B)no [a]money come, buy and eat.
Come, buy (C)wine and milk
(D)Without money and without cost.
Why do you [b]spend money for what is (E)not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and (F)eat what is good,
And (G)delight your soul in richness.
(H)Incline your ear and come to Me.
Listen, that your soul may (I)live;
And I will cut (J)an everlasting covenant with you,
According to the (K)faithful lovingkindnesses of David.
Behold, I have given (L)him as a witness to the peoples,
A (M)ruler and commander for the peoples.
Behold, you will call a (N)nation you do not know,
And a nation which knows you not will (O)run to you,
Because of Yahweh your God, even the Holy One of Israel;
For He has (P)adorned you with beautiful glory.”

(Q)Seek Yahweh while He may be found;
(R)Call upon Him while He is near.
(S)Let the wicked forsake his way
And the unrighteous man his (T)thoughts;
And let him (U)return to Yahweh,
And He will have (V)compassion on him,
And to our God,
For He will (W)abundantly pardon.
“For My thoughts are not (X)your thoughts,
Nor are (Y)your ways My ways,” declares Yahweh.
“For (Z)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 (AA)rain and the snow come down from heaven,
And do not return there without watering the earth
And making it bear and sprout,
And giving (AB)seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 So will My (AC)word be which goes forth from My mouth;
It will (AD)not return to Me empty,
Without (AE)accomplishing what pleases Me,
And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.
12 For you will go out with (AF)gladness
And be led forth with (AG)peace;
The (AH)mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you,
And all the (AI)trees of the field will clap their hands.
13 Instead of the (AJ)thorn bush the (AK)cypress will come up,
And instead of the (AL)nettle the myrtle will come up,
And [c]it will be to Yahweh for His [d](AM)renown,
For an everlasting (AN)sign which (AO)will not be cut off.”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 55:1 Lit silver
  2. Isaiah 55:2 Lit weigh out silver
  3. Isaiah 55:13 The transformation of the desert
  4. Isaiah 55:13 Lit name

Invitation to the Thirsty

55 “Come, all you who are thirsty,(A)
    come to the waters;(B)
and you who have no money,
    come, buy(C) and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk(D)
    without money and without cost.(E)
Why spend money on what is not bread,
    and your labor on what does not satisfy?(F)
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,(G)
    and you will delight in the richest(H) of fare.
Give ear and come to me;
    listen,(I) that you may live.(J)
I will make an everlasting covenant(K) with you,
    my faithful love(L) promised to David.(M)
See, I have made him a witness(N) to the peoples,
    a ruler and commander(O) of the peoples.
Surely you will summon nations(P) you know not,
    and nations you do not know will come running to you,(Q)
because of the Lord your God,
    the Holy One(R) of Israel,
    for he has endowed you with splendor.”(S)

Seek(T) the Lord while he may be found;(U)
    call(V) on him while he is near.
Let the wicked forsake(W) their ways
    and the unrighteous their thoughts.(X)
Let them turn(Y) to the Lord, and he will have mercy(Z) on them,
    and to our God, for he will freely pardon.(AA)

“For my thoughts(AB) are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”(AC)
declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,(AD)
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.(AE)
10 As the rain(AF) and the snow
    come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
    without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,(AG)
    so that it yields seed(AH) for the sower and bread for the eater,(AI)
11 so is my word(AJ) that goes out from my mouth:
    It will not return to me empty,(AK)
but will accomplish what I desire
    and achieve the purpose(AL) for which I sent it.
12 You will go out in joy(AM)
    and be led forth in peace;(AN)
the mountains and hills
    will burst into song(AO) before you,
and all the trees(AP) of the field
    will clap their hands.(AQ)
13 Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,
    and instead of briers(AR) the myrtle(AS) will grow.
This will be for the Lord’s renown,(AT)
    for an everlasting sign,
    that will endure forever.”