Isaiah 55

The Compassion of the Lord

1 aCome, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
bcome, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
2 cWhy 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.
3Incline your ear, and come to me;
dhear, that your soul may live;
eand I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
fmy steadfast, sure love for gDavid.
4 hBehold, I made him a witness to the peoples,
ia leader and commander for the peoples.
5 jBehold, you shall call a nation that you do not know,
and ka nation that did not know you shall run to you,
because of the Lord your God, and of the Holy One of Israel,
lfor he has glorified you.
6 mSeek the Lord while he may be found;
call upon him while he is near;
7let 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.
8For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
9 nFor as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 oFor 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,
pgiving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but qit 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;
sthe mountains and the hills before you
shall break forth into singing,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13 tInstead 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.”
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