55 “Hey, 1 all who are thirsty, come to the water!
You who have no money, come!
Buy and eat!
Come! Buy wine and milk
without money and without cost! 2
2 Why pay money for something that will not nourish you? 3
Why spend 4 your hard-earned money 5 on something that will not satisfy?
Listen carefully 6 to me and eat what is nourishing! 7
Enjoy fine food! 8
3 Pay attention and come to me!
Listen, so you can live! 9
Then I will make an unconditional covenantal promise to 10 you,
just like the reliable covenantal promises I made to David. 11
4 Look, I made him a witness to nations, 12
a ruler and commander of nations.”
5 Look, you will summon nations 13 you did not previously know;
nations 14 that did not previously know you will run to you,
because of the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, 15
for he bestows honor on you.
6 Seek the Lord while he makes himself available; 16
call to him while he is nearby!
7 The wicked need to abandon their lifestyle 17
and sinful people their plans. 18
They should return 19 to the Lord, and he will show mercy to them, 20
and to their God, for he will freely forgive them. 21
8 “Indeed, 22 my plans 23 are not like 24 your plans,
and my deeds 25 are not like 26 your deeds,
9 for just as the sky 27 is higher than the earth,
so my deeds 28 are superior to 29 your deeds
and my plans 30 superior to your plans.
10 31 The rain and snow fall from the sky
and do not return,
but instead water the earth
and make it produce and yield crops,
and provide seed for the planter and food for those who must eat.
11 In the same way, the promise that I make
does not return to me, having accomplished nothing. 32
No, it is realized as I desire
and is fulfilled as I intend.” 33
12 Indeed you will go out with joy;
you will be led along in peace;
the mountains and hills will give a joyful shout before you,
and all the trees in the field will clap their hands.
13 Evergreens will grow in place of thorn bushes,
firs will grow in place of nettles;
they will be a monument to the Lord, 34
a permanent reminder that will remain. 35
56 This is what the Lord says,
“Promote 1 justice! Do what is right!
For I am ready to deliver you;
I am ready to vindicate you openly. 2
2 The people who do this will be blessed, 3
the people who commit themselves to obedience, 4
who observe the Sabbath and do not defile it,
who refrain from doing anything that is wrong. 5
3 No foreigner who becomes a follower of 6 the Lord should say,
‘The Lord will certainly 7 exclude me from his people.’
The eunuch should not say,
‘Look, I am like a dried-up tree.’”
4 For this is what the Lord says:
“For the eunuchs who observe my Sabbaths
and choose what pleases me
and are faithful to 8 my covenant,
5 I will set up within my temple and my walls a monument 9
that will be better than sons and daughters.
I will set up a permanent monument 10 for them that will remain.
6 As for foreigners who become followers of 11 the Lord and serve him,
who love the name of the Lord and want to be his servants –
all who observe the Sabbath and do not defile it,
and who are faithful to 12 my covenant –
7 I will bring them to my holy mountain;
I will make them happy in the temple where people pray to me. 13
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar,
for my temple will be known as a temple where all nations may pray.” 14
8 The sovereign Lord says this,
the one who gathers the dispersed of Israel:
“I will still gather them up.” 15
9 All you wild animals in the fields, come and devour,
all you wild animals in the forest!
10 All their watchmen 16 are blind,
they are unaware. 17
All of them are like mute dogs,
unable to bark.
They pant, 18 lie down,
and love to snooze.
11 The dogs have big appetites;
they are never full. 19
They are shepherds who have no understanding;
they all go their own way,
each one looking for monetary gain. 20
12 Each one says, 21
‘Come on, I’ll get some wine!
Let’s guzzle some beer!
Tomorrow will be just like today!
We’ll have everything we want!’ 22
