Isaiah 55
GOD’S WORD Translation
The Lord’s Word Will Accomplish Its Task
55 “Listen! Whoever is thirsty, come to the water!
Whoever has no money can come, buy, and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk. You don’t have to pay; it’s free!
2 Why do you spend money on what cannot nourish you
and your wages on what does not satisfy you?
Listen carefully to me:
Eat what is good, and enjoy the best foods.
3 Open your ears, and come to me!
Listen so that you may live!
I will make an everlasting promise [a] to you—
the blessings I promised to David.
4 I made him a witness to people,
a leader and a commander for people.
5 You will summon a nation that you don’t know,
and a nation that doesn’t know you will run to you
because of the Lord your God,
because of the Holy One of Israel.
He has honored you.”
6 Seek the Lord while he may be found.
Call on him while he is near.
7 Let wicked people abandon their ways.
Let evil people abandon their thoughts.
Let them return to the Lord,
and he will show compassion to them.
Let them return to our God,
because he will freely forgive them.
8 “My thoughts are not your thoughts,
and my ways are not your ways,” declares the Lord.
9 “Just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so my ways are higher than your ways,
and my thoughts are higher than your thoughts.”
10 “Rain and snow come down from the sky.
They do not go back again until they water the earth.
They make it sprout and grow
so that it produces seed for farmers
and food for people to eat.
11 My word, which comes from my mouth, is like the rain and snow.
It will not come back to me without results.
It will accomplish whatever I want
and achieve whatever I send it to do.”
12 You will go out with joy and be led out in peace.
The mountains and the hills
will break into songs of joy in your presence,
and all the trees will clap their hands.
13 Cypress trees will grow where thornbushes grew.
Myrtle trees will grow where briars grew.
This will be a reminder of the Lord’s name
and an everlasting sign that will never be destroyed.
Footnotes
- 55:3 Or “covenant.”
Luke 1:1-25
GOD’S WORD Translation
Luke Writes to Theophilus
1 Many have attempted to write about what had taken place among us. 2 They received their information from those who had been eyewitnesses and servants of God’s word from the beginning, and they passed it on to us. 3 I, too, have followed everything closely from the beginning. So I thought it would be a good idea to write an orderly account for Your Excellency, Theophilus. 4 In this way you will know that what you’ve been told is true.
The Angel Gabriel Appears to Zechariah
5 When Herod was king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the division of priests named after Abijah. Zechariah’s wife Elizabeth was a descendant of Aaron. 6 Zechariah and Elizabeth had God’s approval. They followed all the Lord’s commands and regulations perfectly. 7 Yet, they never had any children because Elizabeth couldn’t become pregnant. Both of them were too old to have children.
8 Zechariah was on duty with his division of priests. As he served in God’s presence, 9 he was chosen by priestly custom to go into the Lord’s temple to burn incense. 10 All the people were praying outside while he was burning incense.
11 Then, to the right of the incense altar, an angel of the Lord appeared to him. 12 Zechariah was troubled and overcome with fear.
13 The angel said to him, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife Elizabeth will have a son, and you will name him John. 14 He will be your pride and joy, and many people will be glad that he was born. 15 As far as the Lord is concerned, he will be a great man. He will never drink wine or any other liquor. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. 16 He will bring many people in Israel back to the Lord their God. 17 He will go ahead of the Lord with the spirit and power that Elijah had. He will change parents’ attitudes toward their children. He will change disobedient people so that they will accept the wisdom of those who have God’s approval. In this way he will prepare the people for their Lord.”
18 Zechariah said to the angel, “What proof is there for this? I’m an old man, and my wife is beyond her childbearing years.”
19 The angel answered him, “I’m Gabriel! I stand in God’s presence. God sent me to tell you this good news. 20 But because you didn’t believe what I said, you will be unable to talk until the day this happens. Everything will come true at the right time.”
21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah. They were amazed that he was staying in the temple so long. 22 When he did come out, he was unable to speak to them. So they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. He motioned to them but remained unable to talk.
23 When the days of his service were over, he went home. 24 Later, his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and didn’t go out in public for five months. She said, 25 “The Lord has done this for me now. He has removed my public disgrace.”
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