Isa 55 | LEB | STEP | “Ho! Everyone thirsty, come to the waters! And whoever has no money, come, buy and eat, and come, buy without money, wine and milk without price!

Isaiah 55

Invitation to True Rewards

1 “Ho! Everyone thirsty, come to the waters!
And whoever has no money, come, buy and eat,
and come, buy without money,
wine and milk without price!
2 Why do you weigh out money for what is not food,
and your labor for ⌞what cannot satisfy⌟? ^{▼▼Literally “what is not for satiation”}
Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good,
and let your soul take pleasure in ⌞rich⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “fatty”} food.
3 Extend your ear, and come to me!
Listen so that ^{▼▼Or “and”} your soul may live,
and I will ⌞make⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “cut”} an everlasting covenant with ^{▼▼or “for”} you,
the enduring proofs of ⌞the mercies shown to⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “mercy of”} David.
4 Look! I made ^{▼▼Or “gave”} him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and a commander for the peoples.
5 Look! You shall call a nation that you do not know,
and a nation that does not know you shall run to you,
because of Yahweh your God,
and the holy one of Israel, for he has glorified you.”
6 Seek Yahweh ⌞while he lets himself be found⌟; ^{▼▼Literally “in his letting himself be found”}
call him ⌞while he is⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “in his being”} near.
7 Let the wicked forsake his way,
and the man of sin his thoughts.
And let him return to Yahweh, that ^{▼▼Or “and”} he may take pity on him,
and to our God, for he will ⌞forgive manifold⌟. ^{▼▼Literally “make numerous to”}
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
and your ways are not my ways,”

⌞declares⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “declaration of”} Yahweh.

9 “For as the heavens are ⌞higher⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “high”} than the earth,
so my ways are ⌞higher⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “high”} than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 For just as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
and they do not return there
except they have watered the earth thoroughly
and cause it to bring forth and sprout,
and give seed to the sower
and bread to the eater,
11 so shall be my word that goes out from my mouth.
It shall not return to me without success,
but shall accomplish ^{▼▼Or “do”} what I desire
and be successful in the thing for which I sent it.
12 For you shall go out in joy,
and you shall be led in peace.
The mountains and the hills shall break forth before you, rejoicing
and all the trees of the field shall clap hands. ^{▼▼Hebrew “hand”}
13 Instead of the thorn bush, the juniper shall go up;
instead of the brier, the myrtle shall go up,
and it shall serve as a memorial to Yahweh,
for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”