An Invitation to Abundant Life

55 “Ho! aEveryone who thirsts,

Come to the waters;

And you who have no money,

bCome, buy and eat.

Yes, come, buy wine and milk

Without money and without price.

2 Why do you 1spend money for what is not bread,

And your wages for what does not satisfy?

Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,

And let your soul delight itself in abundance.

3 Incline your ear, and ccome to Me.

Hear, and your soul shall live;

dAnd I will make an everlasting covenant with you—

The esure mercies of David.

4 Indeed I have given him as fa witness to the people,

gA leader and commander for the people.

5 hSurely you shall call a nation you do not know,

iAnd nations who do not know you shall run to you,

Because of the Lord your God,

And the Holy One of Israel;

jFor He has glorified you.”

6 kSeek the Lord while He may be lfound,

Call upon Him while He is near.

7 mLet the 2wicked forsake his way,

And the unrighteous man nhis thoughts;

Let him return to the Lord,

oAnd He will have mercy on him;

And to our God,

For He will abundantly pardon.

8 “For pMy thoughts are not your thoughts,

Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.

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

So are My ways higher than your ways,

And My thoughts than your thoughts.

10 “For ras the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,

And do not return there,

But water the earth,

And make it bring forth and bud,

That it may give seed to the sower

And bread to the eater,

11 sSo shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;

It shall not return to Me 3void,

But it shall accomplish what I please,

And it shall tprosper in the thing for which I sent it.

12 “For uyou shall go out with joy,

And be led out with peace;

The mountains and the hills

Shall vbreak forth into singing before you,

And wall the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

13 xInstead of ythe thorn shall come up the cypress tree,

And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree;

And it shall be to the Lord zfor a name,

For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”