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.”

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.
(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.
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.
(H)Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples,
    (I)a leader and commander for the peoples.
(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.

(M)“Seek the Lord while he may be found;
    call upon him while he is near;
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.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
(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 Free Offer of Mercy

55 [a]You there! Everyone who (A)thirsts, come to the waters;
And you who have (B)no [b]money come, buy and eat.
Come, buy (C)wine and milk
(D)Without money and without cost.
Why do you [c]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 yourself in abundance.
(H)Incline your ear and come to Me.
Listen, that [d]you may (I)live;
And I will make (J)an everlasting covenant with you,
According to the (K)faithful mercies [e]shown to David.
Behold, I have made (L)him a witness to the peoples,
A (M)leader and commander for the peoples.
Behold, you will call a (N)nation you do not know,
And a nation which does not know you will (O)run to you,
Because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel;
For He has (P)glorified you.”

(Q)Seek the Lord while He may be found;
(R)Call upon Him while He is near.
(S)Let the wicked abandon his way,
And the unrighteous person his (T)thoughts;
And let him (U)return to the Lord,
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 the Lord.
“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 produce and sprout,
And providing (AB)seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
11 So will My (AC)word be which goes out of My mouth;
It will (AD)not return to Me empty,
Without (AE)accomplishing what I desire,
And without succeeding in the purpose for which I sent it.
12 For you will go out with (AF)joy
And be led in (AG)peace;
The (AH)mountains and the hills will break 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)juniper will come up,
And instead of the (AL)stinging nettle, the myrtle will come up;
And [f]it will be a [g](AM)memorial to the Lord,
An everlasting (AN)sign which (AO)will not be eliminated.”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 55:1 Lit Hoy
  2. Isaiah 55:1 Lit silver
  3. Isaiah 55:2 Lit weigh out silver
  4. Isaiah 55:3 Lit your soul
  5. Isaiah 55:3 Lit of David
  6. Isaiah 55:13 I.e., the transformation of the desert
  7. Isaiah 55:13 Lit name

 神白白的恩惠

55 唉!口渴的人哪!你們都就近水來吧。

沒有銀錢的,你們也要來,買了就吃。

你們要來,買酒和奶,

不用銀子,也不用付代價。

你們為甚麼用銀子去買那不是食物的呢?

為甚麼用你們勞碌得來的去買那不能使人飽足的呢?

你們要留心聽我的話,就可以吃美物,

使你們的心靈享受肥甘。

你們要側耳而聽,要到我這裡來;

你們要聽,就可以存活;

我必與你們立永遠的約,

就是應許賜給大衛的那確實的慈愛。

看哪!我已經立了他作萬族的見證人,

為萬族的首領和司令。

看哪!你要召聚你不認識的國;

那些素來不認識你的國也必奔向你,

都因耶和華你的 神、以色列的聖者的緣故,

因為他已經榮耀了你。

 神言出必行

你們要趁著耶和華可以尋找的時候,尋找他,

趁著他靠近的時候,呼求他。

惡人要離棄自己的道路,

不義的人當除去自己的意念,

回轉過來歸向耶和華,

耶和華就必憐憫他。

你們當回轉過來歸向我們的 神,

因為他大大赦免人的罪。

耶和華說:“我的意念不是你們的意念,

你們的道路也不是我的道路。

天怎樣高過地,

我的道路也怎樣高過你們的道路,

我的意念也怎樣高過你們的意念。

10 雨雪怎樣從天上降下來,

不再返回天上,卻灌溉大地,

使地上的植物發芽結實,

使撒種的有種子,吃的人有糧食;

11 從我的口所出的話也必這樣,

必不徒然返回我這裡,

卻要作成我所喜悅的,

使它在我差遣它去作的事上必然亨通。

12 你們必歡歡喜喜出來,

平平安安蒙引導;

大山小山都必在你們面前發聲歡呼,

田野所有的樹木也都拍掌。

13 松樹要長起來代替荊棘,

番石榴要長起來代替蒺藜。

這要為耶和華留名,

作永遠不能廢掉的記號。”