Chapter 55

The Free Offer of Mercy

1 “Ho! Every one who athirsts, come to the waters;

And you who have bno 1money come, buy and eat.

Come, buy cwine and milk

dWithout money and without cost.

2 “Why do you 1spend money for what is anot bread,

And your wages for what does not satisfy?

Listen carefully to Me, and beat what is good,

And cdelight yourself in abundance.

3 “aIncline your ear and come to Me.

Listen, that 1you may blive;

And I will make can everlasting covenant with you,

According to the dfaithful mercies 2shown to David.

4 “Behold, I have made ahim a witness to the peoples,

A bleader and commander for the peoples.

5 “Behold, you will call a anation you do not know,

And a nation which knows you not will brun to you,

Because of the Lord your God, even the Holy One of Israel;

For He has cglorified you.”

6 aSeek the Lord while He may be found;

bCall upon Him while He is near.

7 aLet the wicked forsake his way

And the unrighteous man his bthoughts;

And let him creturn to the Lord,

And He will have dcompassion on him,

And to our God,

For He will eabundantly pardon.

8 “For My thoughts are not ayour thoughts,

Nor are byour ways My ways,” declares the Lord.

9 “For aas the heavens are higher than the earth,

So are My ways higher than your ways

And My thoughts than your thoughts.

10 “For as the arain and the snow come down from heaven,

And do not return there without watering the earth

And making it bear and sprout,

And furnishing bseed to the sower and bread to the eater;

11 So will My aword be which goes forth from My mouth;

It will bnot return to Me empty,

Without caccomplishing what I desire,

And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

12 “For you will go out with ajoy

And be led forth with bpeace;

The cmountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you,

And all the dtrees of the field will clap their hands.

13 “Instead of the athorn bush the bcypress will come up,

And instead of the cnettle the myrtle will come up,

And 1it will be a 2dmemorial to the Lord,

For an everlasting esign which fwill not be cut off.”