WEB

Isaiah 55

The closing chapter of this section opens like a street vendor's shout — "Come, everyone who thirsts" — yet sells wine and milk for no money, asking why anyone spends wages on what is not bread. The free banquet leads into an everlasting covenant tied to "the sure mercies of David" (v3), now widened so that an unknown nation comes running. The second half turns on distance and return. God's thoughts and ways are as far above ours as the heavens above the earth (vv8-9), yet his word, like rain and snow that do not return empty, accomplishes what it was sent to do. Watch for the call to seek the LORD "while he may be found."

Chapter

Previous Next All books

Parallel reading:Off Español (LatAm)Português (Brasil)Português (Portugal)

Parallel reading

English + Español (LatAm)

Isaiah 55 (WEB)

1
“Hey! Come, everyone who thirsts, to the waters! Come, he who has no money, buy, and eat! Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
2
Why do you spend money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which doesn’t satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in richness.
3
Turn your ear, and come to me. Hear, and your soul will live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
4
Behold, I have given him for a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander to the peoples.
5
Behold, you shall call a nation that you don’t know; and a nation that didn’t know you shall run to you, because of the LORD your God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he has glorified you.”
6
Seek the LORD while he may be found. Call on him while he is near.
7
Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, to our God, for he will freely pardon.
8
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways,” says the LORD.
9
“For as 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 rain comes down and the snow from the sky, and doesn’t return there, but waters the earth, and makes it grow and bud, and gives seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
11
so is my word that goes out of my mouth: it will not return to me void, but it will accomplish that which I please, and it will prosper in the thing I sent it to do.
12
For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace. The mountains and the hills will break out before you into singing; and all the trees of the fields will clap their hands.
13
Instead of the thorn the cypress tree will come up; and instead of the brier the myrtle tree will come up. It will make a name for the LORD, for an everlasting sign that will not be cut off.”

Isaías 55 (RV1909)

1
A TODOS los sedientos: Venid á las aguas; y los que no tienen dinero, venid, comprad, y comed. Venid, comprad, sin dinero y sin precio, vino y leche.
2
¿Por qué gastáis el dinero no en pan, y vuestro trabajo no en hartura? Oidme atentamente, y comed del bien, y deleitaráse vuestra alma con grosura.
3
Inclinad vuestros oídos, y venid á mí; oid, y vivirá vuestra alma; y haré con vosotros pacto eterno, las misericordias firmes á David.
4
He aquí, que yo lo dí por testigo á los pueblos, por jefe y por maestro á las naciones.
5
He aquí, llamarás á gente que no conociste, y gentes que no te conocieron correrán á ti; por causa de Jehová tu Dios, y del Santo de Israel que te ha honrado.
6
Buscad á Jehová mientras puede ser hallado, llamadle en tanto que está cercano.
7
Deje el impío su camino, y el hombre inicuo sus pensamientos; y vuélvase á Jehová, el cual tendrá de él misericordia, y al Dios nuestro, el cual será amplio en perdonar.
8
Porque mis pensamientos no son vuestros pensamientos, ni vuestros caminos mis caminos, dijo Jehová.
9
Como son más altos los cielos que la tierra, así son mis caminos más altos que vuestros caminos, y mis pensamientos más que vuestros pensamientos.
10
Porque como desciende de los cielos la lluvia, y la nieve, y no vuelve allá, sino que harta la tierra, y la hace germinar y producir, y da simiente al que siembra, y pan al que come;
11
Así será mi palabra que sale de mi boca: no volverá á mí vacía, antes hará lo que yo quiero, y será prosperada en aquello para que la envié.
12
Porque con alegría saldréis, y con paz seréis vueltos; los montes y los collados levantarán canción delante de vosotros, y todos los árboles del campo darán palmadas de aplauso.
13
En lugar de la zarza crecerá haya, y en lugar de la ortiga crecerá arrayán: y será á Jehová por nombre, por señal eterna que nunca será raída.

Rain that does not return empty

Verses 10-11 build one extended comparison. Rain and snow fall and do not go back to the sky until they have watered the earth and given seed to the sower and bread to the eater — a full circuit from sky to harvest.

The point lands on God's word: it likewise "will not return to me void," but accomplishes its errand. The chapter ends with creation itself joining the procession — mountains and hills breaking into song, trees clapping, thorn replaced by cypress and brier by myrtle, as a lasting sign.