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God's Offer of Mercy

55 (A)The Lord says,

“Come, everyone who is thirsty—
    here is water!
Come, you that have no money—
    buy grain and eat!
Come! Buy wine and milk—
    it will cost you nothing!
(B)Why spend money on what does not satisfy?
    Why spend your wages and still be hungry?
Listen to me and do what I say,
    and you will enjoy the best food of all.

(C)“Listen now, my people, and come to me;
    come to me, and you will have life!
I will make a lasting covenant with you
    and give you the blessings I promised to David.
I made him a leader and commander of nations,
    and through him I showed them my power.
Now you will summon foreign nations;
    at one time they did not know you,
    but now they will come running to join you!
I, the Lord your God, the holy God of Israel,
    will make all this happen;
    I will give you honor and glory.”

Turn to the Lord and pray to him,
    now that he is near.
Let the wicked leave their way of life
    and change their way of thinking.
Let them turn to the Lord, our God;
    he is merciful and quick to forgive.
“My thoughts,” says the Lord, “are not like yours,
    and my ways are different from yours.
As high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so high are my ways and thoughts above yours.

10 (D)“My word is like the snow and the rain
    that come down from the sky to water the earth.
They make the crops grow
    and provide seed for planting and food to eat.
11 So also will be the word that I speak—
    it will not fail to do what I plan for it;
    it will do everything I send it to do.

12 “You will leave Babylon with joy;
    you will be led out of the city in peace.
The mountains and hills will burst into singing,
    and the trees will shout for joy.
13 Cypress trees will grow where now there are briers;
    myrtle trees will come up in place of thorns.
This will be a sign that will last forever,
    a reminder of what I, the Lord, have done.”

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.”