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Isaiah 55-57
English Standard Version
Isaiah 55-57
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.”
Salvation for Foreigners
56 Thus says the Lord:
“Keep justice, and do righteousness,
(U)for soon my salvation will come,
and my righteousness be revealed.
2 Blessed is the man who does this,
and the son of man who holds it fast,
(V)who keeps the Sabbath, not profaning it,
and keeps his hand from doing any evil.”
3 Let not (W)the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say,
“The Lord will surely separate me from his people”;
and let not the eunuch say,
“Behold, I am (X)a dry tree.”
4 For thus says the Lord:
“To the eunuchs (Y)who keep my Sabbaths,
who choose the things that please me
and hold fast my covenant,
5 (Z)I will give in my house and within my walls
a (AA)monument and a name
better than sons and daughters;
(AB)I will give them an everlasting name
that shall not be cut off.
6 “And (AC)the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord,
to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord,
and to be his servants,
everyone (AD)who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it,
and holds fast my covenant—
7 (AE)these I will bring to (AF)my holy mountain,
and make them joyful in my house of prayer;
(AG)their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
will be accepted on my altar;
for (AH)my house shall be called a house of prayer
for all peoples.”
8 The Lord God,
(AI)who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares,
(AJ)“I will gather yet others to him
besides those already gathered.”
Israel's Irresponsible Leaders
9 (AK)All you beasts of the field, come to devour—
all you beasts in the forest.
10 (AL)His watchmen are blind;
they are all without knowledge;
they are all silent (AM)dogs;
they cannot bark,
dreaming, lying down,
loving to slumber.
11 (AN)The dogs have a mighty appetite;
they never have enough.
But (AO)they are shepherds who have no understanding;
they have all turned to their own way,
(AP)each to his own gain, one and all.
12 (AQ)“Come,” they say, “let me get wine;
let us fill ourselves with strong drink;
(AR)and tomorrow will be like this day,
great beyond measure.”
Israel's Futile Idolatry
57 The righteous man perishes,
and no one lays it to heart;
(AS)devout men are taken away,
while no one understands.
For the righteous man is taken away from calamity;
2 (AT)he enters into peace;
they rest (AU)in their beds
who walk in their uprightness.
3 But you, draw near,
sons of the sorceress,
(AV)offspring of the adulterer and the loose woman.
4 Whom are you mocking?
Against whom (AW)do you open your mouth wide
and stick out your tongue?
Are you not children of (AX)transgression,
(AY)the offspring of deceit,
5 you who burn with lust among (AZ)the oaks,[a]
under every green tree,
(BA)who slaughter your children in the valleys,
under the clefts of the rocks?
6 Among the smooth stones of (BB)the valley is your portion;
they, they, are your lot;
to them you have poured out a drink offering,
you have brought a grain offering.
Shall I relent for these things?
7 (BC)On a high and lofty mountain
you have set your bed,
and there you went up to offer sacrifice.
8 Behind the door and the doorpost
you have set up your memorial;
for, deserting me, (BD)you have uncovered your bed,
you have gone up to it,
(BE)you have made it wide;
and you have made a covenant for yourself with them,
you have loved their bed,
you have looked on nakedness.[b]
9 You journeyed to the king with oil
and multiplied your perfumes;
(BF)you sent your envoys far off,
and sent down even to Sheol.
10 You were wearied with the length of your way,
(BG)but you did not say, “It is hopeless”;
you found new life for your strength,
and so you were not faint.[c]
11 (BH)Whom did you dread and fear,
(BI)so that you lied,
and did not remember me,
did not lay it to heart?
(BJ)Have I not held my peace, even for a long time,
and you do not fear me?
12 I will declare your righteousness and your deeds,
but they will not profit you.
13 (BK)When you cry out, let your collection of idols deliver you!
The wind will carry them all off,
a breath will take them away.
(BL)But he who takes refuge in me shall possess the land
and shall inherit (BM)my holy mountain.
Comfort for the Contrite
14 And it shall be said,
(BN)“Build up, build up, prepare the way,
remove every obstruction from my people's way.”
15 For thus says (BO)the One who is high and lifted up,
who inhabits eternity, whose name is (BP)Holy:
(BQ)“I dwell in the high and holy place,
and also (BR)with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit,
(BS)to revive the spirit of the lowly,
and to revive the heart of the contrite.
16 (BT)For I will not contend forever,
nor will I always be angry;
for the spirit would grow faint before me,
and the breath of life that I made.
17 Because of the iniquity of his (BU)unjust gain I was angry,
I struck him; I hid my face and was angry,
but he went on backsliding in the way of his own heart.
18 I have seen his ways, (BV)but I will heal him;
I will lead him (BW)and restore comfort to him and his mourners,
19 (BX)creating (BY)the fruit of the lips.
(BZ)Peace, peace, (CA)to the far and to the near,” says the Lord,
(CB)“and I will heal him.
20 (CC)But the wicked are like the tossing sea;
for it cannot be quiet,
and its waters toss up mire and dirt.
21 (CD)There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 57:5 Or among the terebinths
- Isaiah 57:8 Or on a monument (see 56:5); Hebrew on a hand
- Isaiah 57:10 Hebrew and so you were not sick
Isaiah 55-57
New International Version
Isaiah 55-57
New International Version
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)
2 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.
3 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)
4 See, I have made him a witness(N) to the peoples,
a ruler and commander(O) of the peoples.
5 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)
6 Seek(T) the Lord while he may be found;(U)
call(V) on him while he is near.
7 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)
8 “For my thoughts(AB) are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”(AC)
declares the Lord.
9 “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.”
Salvation for Others
56 This is what the Lord says:
“Maintain justice(AU)
and do what is right,(AV)
for my salvation(AW) is close at hand
and my righteousness(AX) will soon be revealed.
2 Blessed(AY) is the one who does this—
the person who holds it fast,
who keeps the Sabbath(AZ) without desecrating it,
and keeps their hands from doing any evil.”
3 Let no foreigner(BA) who is bound to the Lord say,
“The Lord will surely exclude me from his people.”(BB)
And let no eunuch(BC) complain,
“I am only a dry tree.”
4 For this is what the Lord says:
“To the eunuchs(BD) who keep my Sabbaths,
who choose what pleases me
and hold fast to my covenant(BE)—
5 to them I will give within my temple and its walls(BF)
a memorial(BG) and a name
better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name(BH)
that will endure forever.(BI)
6 And foreigners(BJ) who bind themselves to the Lord
to minister(BK) to him,
to love the name(BL) of the Lord,
and to be his servants,
all who keep the Sabbath(BM) without desecrating it
and who hold fast to my covenant—
7 these I will bring to my holy mountain(BN)
and give them joy in my house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices(BO)
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house will be called
a house of prayer for all nations.(BP)”(BQ)
8 The Sovereign Lord declares—
he who gathers the exiles of Israel:
“I will gather(BR) still others to them
besides those already gathered.”
God’s Accusation Against the Wicked
9 Come, all you beasts of the field,(BS)
come and devour, all you beasts of the forest!
10 Israel’s watchmen(BT) are blind,
they all lack knowledge;(BU)
they are all mute dogs,
they cannot bark;
they lie around and dream,
they love to sleep.(BV)
11 They are dogs with mighty appetites;
they never have enough.
They are shepherds(BW) who lack understanding;(BX)
they all turn to their own way,(BY)
they seek their own gain.(BZ)
12 “Come,” each one cries, “let me get wine!(CA)
Let us drink our fill of beer!
And tomorrow will be like today,
or even far better.”(CB)
57 The righteous perish,(CC)
and no one takes it to heart;(CD)
the devout are taken away,
and no one understands
that the righteous are taken away
to be spared from evil.(CE)
2 Those who walk uprightly(CF)
enter into peace;
they find rest(CG) as they lie in death.
3 “But you—come here, you children of a sorceress,(CH)
you offspring of adulterers(CI) and prostitutes!(CJ)
4 Who are you mocking?
At whom do you sneer
and stick out your tongue?
Are you not a brood of rebels,(CK)
the offspring of liars?
5 You burn with lust among the oaks(CL)
and under every spreading tree;(CM)
you sacrifice your children(CN) in the ravines
and under the overhanging crags.
6 The idols(CO) among the smooth stones of the ravines are your portion;
indeed, they are your lot.
Yes, to them you have poured out drink offerings(CP)
and offered grain offerings.
In view of all this, should I relent?(CQ)
7 You have made your bed on a high and lofty hill;(CR)
there you went up to offer your sacrifices.(CS)
8 Behind your doors and your doorposts
you have put your pagan symbols.
Forsaking me, you uncovered your bed,
you climbed into it and opened it wide;
you made a pact with those whose beds you love,(CT)
and you looked with lust on their naked bodies.(CU)
9 You went to Molek[a](CV) with olive oil
and increased your perfumes.(CW)
You sent your ambassadors[b](CX) far away;
you descended to the very realm of the dead!(CY)
10 You wearied(CZ) yourself by such going about,
but you would not say, ‘It is hopeless.’(DA)
You found renewal of your strength,(DB)
and so you did not faint.
11 “Whom have you so dreaded and feared(DC)
that you have not been true to me,
and have neither remembered(DD) me
nor taken this to heart?(DE)
Is it not because I have long been silent(DF)
that you do not fear me?
12 I will expose your righteousness and your works,(DG)
and they will not benefit you.
13 When you cry out(DH) for help,
let your collection of idols save(DI) you!
The wind will carry all of them off,
a mere breath will blow(DJ) them away.
But whoever takes refuge(DK) in me
will inherit the land(DL)
and possess my holy mountain.”(DM)
Comfort for the Contrite
14 And it will be said:
“Build up, build up, prepare the road!(DN)
Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.”(DO)
15 For this is what the high and exalted(DP) One says—
he who lives forever,(DQ) whose name is holy:
“I live in a high(DR) and holy place,
but also with the one who is contrite(DS) and lowly in spirit,(DT)
to revive the spirit of the lowly
and to revive the heart of the contrite.(DU)
16 I will not accuse(DV) them forever,
nor will I always be angry,(DW)
for then they would faint away because of me—
the very people(DX) I have created.
17 I was enraged by their sinful greed;(DY)
I punished them, and hid(DZ) my face in anger,
yet they kept on in their willful ways.(EA)
18 I have seen their ways, but I will heal(EB) them;
I will guide(EC) them and restore comfort(ED) to Israel’s mourners,
19 creating praise on their lips.(EE)
Peace, peace,(EF) to those far and near,”(EG)
says the Lord. “And I will heal them.”
20 But the wicked(EH) are like the tossing sea,(EI)
which cannot rest,
whose waves cast up mire(EJ) and mud.
21 “There is no peace,”(EK) says my God, “for the wicked.”(EL)
Footnotes
- Isaiah 57:9 Or to the king
- Isaiah 57:9 Or idols
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.