Isaiah 55
Legacy Standard Bible
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.
2 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.
3 (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.
4 Behold, I have given (L)him as a witness to the peoples,
A (M)ruler and commander for the peoples.
5 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.”
6 (Q)Seek Yahweh while He may be found;
(R)Call upon Him while He is near.
7 (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.
8 “For My thoughts are not (X)your thoughts,
Nor are (Y)your ways My ways,” declares Yahweh.
9 “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
- Isaiah 55:1 Lit silver
- Isaiah 55:2 Lit weigh out silver
- Isaiah 55:13 The transformation of the desert
- Isaiah 55:13 Lit name
Isaiah 55
Revised Standard Version
An Invitation to Abundant Life
55 “Ho, every one 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.
2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Hearken diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in fatness.
3 Incline 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.
4 Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander for the peoples.
5 Behold, you shall call nations that you know not,
and nations that knew you not shall run to you,
because of the Lord your God, and of the Holy One of Israel,
for he has glorified you.
6 “Seek the Lord while he may be found,
call upon him while he is near;
7 let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on him,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, says 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 and the snow come down from heaven,
and return not thither but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
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.
13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;
and it shall be to the Lord for a memorial,
for an everlasting sign which shall not be cut off.”
Legacy Standard Bible Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org For Permission to Quote Information visit https://www.LSBible.org.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.