55TH CHAPTER

The Lord’s Word Will Accomplish Its Task

1  “Listen! Whoever is thirsty, come to the water! 

Whoever has no money can come, buy, and eat! 

Come, buy wine and milk. You don’t have to pay; it’s free! 

2  Why do you spend money on what cannot nourish you 

and your wages on what does not satisfy you? 

Listen carefully to me: 

Eat what is good, and enjoy the best foods. 

3  Open your ears, and come to me! 

Listen so that you may live! 

I will make an everlasting promisea to you— 

the blessings I promised to David. 

4  I made him a witness to people, 

a leader and a commander for people. 

5  You will summon a nation that you don’t know, 

and a nation that doesn’t know you will run to you 

because of the Lord your God, 

because of the Holy One of Israel. 

He has honored you.” 

6  Seek the Lord while he may be found. 

Call on him while he is near. 

7  Let wicked people abandon their ways. 

Let evil people abandon their thoughts. 

Let them return to the Lord, 

and he will show compassion to them. 

Let them return to our God, 

because he will freely forgive them. 

8  “My thoughts are not your thoughts, 

and my ways are not your ways,” declares the Lord. 

9  “Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, 

so my ways are higher than your ways, 

and my thoughts are higher than your thoughts.” 

10  “Rain and snow come down from the sky. 

They do not go back again until they water the earth. 

They make it sprout and grow 

so that it produces seed for farmers 

and food for people to eat. 

11  My word, which comes from my mouth, is like the rain and snow. 

It will not come back to me without results. 

It will accomplish whatever I want 

and achieve whatever I send it to do.” 

12  You will go out with joy and be led out in peace. 

The mountains and the hills 

will break into songs of joy in your presence, 

and all the trees will clap their hands. 

13  Cypress trees will grow where thornbushes grew. 

Myrtle trees will grow where briars grew. 

This will be a reminder of the Lord’s name 

and an everlasting sign that will never be destroyed.