Isaiah 55
55
An Invitation to Grace
1All you who are thirsty,#The prophet invites all to return, under the figure of a banquet; cf. the covenant banquet in Ex 24:9–11 and wisdom’s banquet in Prv 9:1–6. The Lord’s covenant with David (2 Sm 7) is now to be extended beyond his dynasty.
come to the water!
You who have no money,
come, buy grain and eat;
Come, buy grain without money,
wine and milk without cost!#Jn 4:10–15; 6:35; 7:37–39; Rev 21:6; 22:17.
2Why spend your money for what is not bread;
your wages for what does not satisfy?
Only listen to me, and you shall eat well,
you shall delight in rich fare.
3Pay attention and come to me;
listen, that you may have life.
I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
the steadfast loyalty promised to David.#2 Sm 7:12–16.
4As I made him a witness to peoples,
a leader and commander of peoples,
5So shall you summon a nation you knew not,
and a nation#The “nation” is Persia under Cyrus, but the perspective is worldwide. that knew you not shall run to you,
Because of the Lord, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, who has glorified you.#Acts 13:34.
6#The invitation to seek the Lord is motivated by the mercy of a God whose “ways” are completely mysterious. Seek the Lord while he may be found,
call upon him while he is near.
7Let the wicked forsake their way,
and sinners their thoughts;
Let them turn to the Lord to find mercy;
to our God, who is generous in forgiving.
8For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways—oracle of the Lord.
9For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways,
my thoughts higher than your thoughts.
10#The efficacy of the word of God recalls 40:5, 8. Yet just as from the heavens
the rain and snow come down
And do not return there
till they have watered the earth,
making it fertile and fruitful,
Giving seed to the one who sows
and bread to the one who eats,
11So shall my word be
that goes forth from my mouth;
It shall not return to me empty,
but shall do what pleases me,
achieving the end for which I sent it.
12Yes, in joy you shall go forth,
in peace you shall be brought home;
Mountains and hills shall break out in song before you,
all trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13In place of the thornbush, the cypress shall grow,
instead of nettles,#Thornbush…nettles: suggestive of the desert and therefore symbolic of suffering and hardship; cypress…myrtle: suggestive of fertile land and therefore symbolic of joy and strength. To the Lord’s renown: lit., “to the name of the Lord.” the myrtle.
This shall be to the Lord’s renown,
as an everlasting sign that shall not fail.
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Isaiah 55: NABRE
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
Yeshayah (Isaiah) 55
55
1“Oh everyone who thirsts, come to the waters. And you who have no silver, come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without silver and without price.
2“Why do you weigh out silver for what is not bread, and your labour for what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to Me, and eat what is good, and let your being delight itself in fatness.
3“Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, so that your being lives. And let Me make an everlasting covenant with you, the trustworthy loving-commitments of Dawiḏ.
4“See, I have given Him as a witness to the people, a Leader and a Commander for the people.
5“See, a nation you do not know you shall call, and a nation who does not know you run to you, because of יהוה your Elohim, and the Set-apart One of Yisra’ĕl, for He has adorned you.”
6Seek יהוה while He is to be found, call on Him while He is near.
7Let the wrong forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return to יהוה, who has compassion on him, and to our Elohim, for He pardons much.
8“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares יהוה.
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 heavens, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, and give seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11so is My Word that goes forth from My mouth – it does not return to Me empty, but shall do what I please, and shall certainly accomplish what I sent it for.
12“For with joy you go out, and with peace you are brought in – the mountains and the hills break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field clap the hands.
13“Instead of the thorn the cypress comes up, and instead of the nettle the myrtle comes up. And it shall be to יהוה for a name, for an everlasting sign which is not cut off.”
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