Isaiah Chapter 55

Invitation to the LORD’s Salvation

1 “Everyone that’s thirsty, come to the water;

                  you that don’t have any money, come, buy, and eat;

                  get wine and milk for free.

            2 Why spend money on what’s not food,

                  wages on what doesn’t satisfy?

            3 Come and listen so you can live;

                  I’ll make an everlasting covenant with you

                        like the faithful mercies I showed David.

            4 I’ve appointed him as a witness to the nations,

                  a leader and commander for them.

            5 You too will call nations you don’t know;

                  nations that don’t know you will hurry to you

                        because of the LORD your God,

                                       the Holy One of Israel,

                        because he has honored you.”                                  

Is 55:1-5

            6 Look for the LORD while you can find him;

                  call on him while he’s near.

            7 Sinners need to change the way they act;

                        the unjust have to abandon selfish intentions.

                  They must return to the LORD

                              so he’ll have mercy on them,

                        come back to their God

                              because he’ll generously pardon.

            8 “I don’t think like you do;

                  I don’t do like you do,” the LORD says.

            9 “As high as the sky is above the earth,

                  my ways are above your ways

                        and my thoughts above your thoughts.                      

Is 55:6-9

            10 As rain and snow fall from the sky

                  and don’t go back there without watering the ground,

                        making it sprout and produce,

                        and providing seed to the sower and bread to the eater—

                  11 so my message won’t come back to me

                              without accomplishing what I sent it to do.

                  12 You’ll go out with joy

                              and be led forth in peace;

                        the mountains and hills

                              will break out in singing;

                        the trees in the field will clap their hands.

                  13 Cypress trees will come up in place of thorns;

                        myrtles will grow instead of nettles;

                        they’ll be a memorial to the LORD,

                              an everlasting sign that won’t be destroyed.”     

Is 55:10-13

From the CNT translation by Virgil Warren, PhD