Isaiah 55
Evangelical Heritage Version
Come to the Water
55
Hey,[a] all of you who are thirsty, come to the water,
even if you have no money!
Come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.
2 Why do you spend money on something that is not bread?
Why do you waste your labor on something that does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good.
Satisfy your appetite with rich food.
3 Turn your ear toward me, and come to me.
Listen, so that you may continue to live.
The Creator’s Everlasting Covenant
Yes, I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
the faithful mercies promised to David.
4 Look, I appointed him as a witness for peoples,
a leader and commander of peoples.
5 Look, you will call out to a nation you do not know,
and a nation that does not know you will run to you,
on account of the Lord your God,
because of the Holy One of Israel,
for he has glorified you.
6 Seek the Lord while he may be found!
Call on him while he is near!
7 Let the wicked man abandon his way.
Let an evil man abandon his thoughts.
Let him turn to the Lord,
and he will show him mercy.
Let him turn to our God,
because he will abundantly pardon.
8 Certainly my plans are not your plans,
and your ways are not my ways, declares the Lord.
9 Just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so my ways are higher than your ways,
and my plans are higher than your plans.
10 Just as the rain and the snow come down from the sky
and do not return there
unless they first water the earth, make it give birth, and cause it to sprout,
so that it gives seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 in the same way my word that goes out from my mouth
will not return to me empty.
Rather, it will accomplish whatever I please,
and it will succeed in the purpose for which I sent it.
12 Yes, you will go out with joy,
and in peace you will be carried along.
The mountains and the hills will break out in shouts of joy before you,
and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
13 Instead of thorns, a fir tree will grow up.
Instead of briers, a myrtle tree will grow up.
This will make a name for the Lord.
It will serve as an everlasting sign that will not be cut off.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 55:1 English hey expresses the same urgency as the Hebrew hoi. It is the cry of the street vendor who is eager to sell.
Isaiah 55
New King James Version
An Invitation to Abundant Life
55 “Ho! (A)Everyone who thirsts,
Come to the waters;
And you who have no money,
(B)Come, buy and eat.
Yes, come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without price.
2 Why do you [a]spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,
And let your soul delight itself in abundance.
3 Incline your ear, and (C)come to Me.
Hear, and your soul shall live;
(D)And I will make an everlasting covenant with you—
The (E)sure mercies of David.
4 Indeed I have given him as (F)a witness to the people,
(G)A leader and commander for the people.
5 (H)Surely you shall call a nation you do not know,
(I)And nations who do not know you shall run to you,
Because of the Lord your God,
And the Holy One of Israel;
(J)For He has glorified you.”
6 (K)Seek the Lord while He may be (L)found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
7 (M)Let the [b]wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man (N)his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
(O)And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.
8 “For(P) My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
9 “For(Q) as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
10 “For (R)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 (S)So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me [c]void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall (T)prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
12 “For(U) you shall go out with joy,
And be led out with peace;
The mountains and the hills
Shall (V)break forth into singing before you,
And (W)all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13 (X)Instead of (Y)the thorn shall come up the cypress tree,
And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree;
And it shall be to the Lord (Z)for a name,
For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 55:2 Lit. weigh out silver
- Isaiah 55:7 Lit. man of iniquity
- Isaiah 55:11 empty, without fruit
Isaiah 55
English Standard Version
The Compassion of the Lord
55 (A)“Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
(B)come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
2 (C)Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
3 Incline your ear, and come to me;
(D)hear, that your soul may live;
(E)and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
(F)my steadfast, sure love for (G)David.
4 (H)Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples,
(I)a leader and commander for the peoples.
5 (J)Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know,
and (K)a nation that did not know you shall run to you,
because of the Lord your God, and of the Holy One of Israel,
(L)for he has glorified you.
6 (M)“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 compassion 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, declares the Lord.
9 (N)For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 (O)“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
(P)giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but (Q)it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
12 (R)“For you shall go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
(S)the mountains and the hills before you
shall break forth into singing,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13 (T)Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;
and it shall make a name for the Lord,
an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
