CHAPTER 55

1 Ho! all that are thirsty, Come ye to the waters; And ye who have not money, Come ye, buy, And eat. Come ye, buy without money, And wine And milk without any price.

2 Wherefore do ye spend ¹ money, not for bread? And your labor, not so as to be satisfied, Hear ye by hearing me; And eat ye that which is good; And let your soul delight itself in fatness.

3 Incline your ear, And come to me; Hear, And your soul shall live; And I will strike a covenant of eternity with you, The faithful mercies of David.

4 Behold I have given him a witness to the peoples, A leader And instructor to the peoples.

5 Behold! thou shalt call a nation which thou knowest not; And a nation that knew not thee shall run to thee; For the sake of Jehovah thy God, And of the Holy One of Israel; For he hath glorified thee.

6 Seek ye Jehovah, while he is found; Call upon him, while he is near.

7 Let the wicked man forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to Jehovah, And he will have compassion on him; To our God; for he aboundeth in pardoning.

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, And my ways are not your ways, saith Jehovah.

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So far do my ways exceed your ways, And my thoughts your thoughts.

10 Surely, as the rain cometh down, And the snow from heaven, And returneth not thither. But watereth the earth, And causeth it to bring forth And bud. That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater;

11 So shall be my word which shall go out of nay mouth It shall not return to me empty; Till it do what I wish, And accomplish that to which I sent it.

12 Therefore with peace shall ye go out, And with peace shall ye be led forth; The mountains And hills shall break out before you into joy, And all the trees of the fields shall clap their hands.

13 Instead of the bramble shall grow up the fir-tree; And instead of the nettle ² shall grow up the myrtle; ³ And it shall be to Jehovah for a name; For an everlasting covenant, that shall not be cut off.