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The Lord Invites Thirsty People to Come to Him

55 “Come, all you who are thirsty.
    Come and drink the water I offer to you.
You who do not have any money, come.
    Buy and eat the grain I give you.
Come and buy wine and milk.
    You will not have to pay anything for it.
Why spend money on what is not food?
    Why work for what does not satisfy you?
Listen carefully to me.
    Then you will eat what is good.
    You will enjoy the richest food there is.
Listen and come to me.
    Pay attention to me.
    Then you will live.
I will make a covenant with you that will last forever.
    I will give you my faithful love.
    I promised it to David.
I made him a witness to the nations.
    He became a ruler and commander over them.
You too will send for nations you do not know.
    Even though you do not know them,
    they will come running to you.
That is what I will do. I am the Lord your God.
    I am the Holy One of Israel.
    I have honored you.”

Turn to the Lord before it’s too late.
    Call out to him while he’s still ready to help you.
Let those who are evil stop doing evil things.
    And let them quit thinking evil thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord.
    The Lord will show them his tender love.
Let them turn to our God.
    He is always ready to forgive.

“My thoughts are not like your thoughts.
    And your ways are not like my ways,”
    announces the Lord.
“The heavens are higher than the earth.
    And my ways are higher than your ways.
    My thoughts are higher than your thoughts.
10 The rain and the snow
    come down from the sky.
They do not return to it
    without watering the earth.
They make plants come up and grow.
    The plants produce seeds for farmers.
    They also produce food for people to eat.
11 The words I speak are like that.
    They will not return to me without producing results.
They will accomplish what I want them to.
    They will do exactly what I sent them to do.

12 “My people, you will go out of Babylon with joy.
    You will be led out of it in peace.
The mountains and hills
    will burst into song as you go.
And all the trees in the fields
    will clap their hands.
13 Juniper trees will grow where there used to be bushes that had thorns on them.
    And myrtle trees will grow where there used to be thorns.
That will bring me great fame.
    It will be a lasting reminder of what I can do.
    It will stand forever.”

Invitation to the Thirsty

55 “Come, all you who are thirsty,(A)
    come to the waters;(B)
and you who have no money,
    come, buy(C) and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk(D)
    without money and without cost.(E)
Why spend money on what is not bread,
    and your labor on what does not satisfy?(F)
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,(G)
    and you will delight in the richest(H) of fare.
Give ear and come to me;
    listen,(I) that you may live.(J)
I will make an everlasting covenant(K) with you,
    my faithful love(L) promised to David.(M)
See, I have made him a witness(N) to the peoples,
    a ruler and commander(O) of the peoples.
Surely you will summon nations(P) you know not,
    and nations you do not know will come running to you,(Q)
because of the Lord your God,
    the Holy One(R) of Israel,
    for he has endowed you with splendor.”(S)

Seek(T) the Lord while he may be found;(U)
    call(V) on him while he is near.
Let the wicked forsake(W) their ways
    and the unrighteous their thoughts.(X)
Let them turn(Y) to the Lord, and he will have mercy(Z) on them,
    and to our God, for he will freely pardon.(AA)

“For my thoughts(AB) are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”(AC)
declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,(AD)
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.(AE)
10 As the rain(AF) and the snow
    come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
    without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,(AG)
    so that it yields seed(AH) for the sower and bread for the eater,(AI)
11 so is my word(AJ) that goes out from my mouth:
    It will not return to me empty,(AK)
but will accomplish what I desire
    and achieve the purpose(AL) for which I sent it.
12 You will go out in joy(AM)
    and be led forth in peace;(AN)
the mountains and hills
    will burst into song(AO) before you,
and all the trees(AP) of the field
    will clap their hands.(AQ)
13 Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,
    and instead of briers(AR) the myrtle(AS) will grow.
This will be for the Lord’s renown,(AT)
    for an everlasting sign,
    that will endure forever.”