Isaiah 55-57

Young's Literal Translation

55 Ho, every thirsty one, come ye to the waters, And he who hath no money, Come ye, buy and eat, yea, come, buy Without money and without price, wine and milk.

² Why do ye weigh money for that which is not bread? And your labour for that which is not for satiety? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat good, And your soul doth delight itself in fatness.

³ Incline your ear, and come unto me, Hear, and your soul doth live, And I make for you a covenant age-during, The kind acts of David -- that are stedfast.

⁴ Lo, a witness to peoples I have given him, A leader and commander to peoples.

⁵ Lo, a nation thou knowest not, thou callest, And a nation who know thee not unto thee do run, For the sake of Jehovah thy God, And for the Holy One of Israel, Because He hath beautified thee.

⁶ Seek ye Jehovah, while He is found, Call ye Him, while He is near,

⁷ Forsake doth the wicked his way, And the man of iniquity his thoughts, And he returneth to Jehovah, and He pitieth him, And unto our God for He multiplieth to pardon.

⁸ For not My thoughts [are] your thoughts, Nor your ways My ways, -- an affirmation of Jehovah,

⁹ For high have the heavens been above the earth, So high have been My ways above your ways, And My thoughts above your thoughts.

¹⁰ For, as come down doth the shower, And the snow from the heavens, And thither returneth not, But hath watered the earth, And hath caused it to yield, and to spring up, And hath given seed to the sower, and bread to the eater,

¹¹ So is My word that goeth out of My mouth, It turneth not back unto Me empty, But hath done that which I desired, And prosperously effected that [for] which I sent it.

¹² For with joy ye go forth, And with peace ye are brought in, The mountains and the hills Break forth before you [with] singing, And all trees of the field clap the hand.

¹³ Instead of the thorn come up doth fir, Instead of the brier come up doth myrtle, And it hath been to Jehovah for a name, For a sign age-during -- it is not cut off!

56 Thus said Jehovah: `Keep ye judgment, and do righteousness, For near [is] My salvation to come, And My righteousness to be revealed.'

² O the happiness of a man who doth this, And of a son of man who keepeth hold on it, Keeping the sabbath from polluting it, And keeping his hand from doing any evil.

³ Nor speak let a son of the stranger, Who is joined unto Jehovah, saying: `Jehovah doth certainly separate me from His people.' Nor say let the eunuch, `Lo, I am a tree dried up,'

⁴ For thus said Jehovah of the eunuchs, Who do keep My sabbaths, And have fixed on that which I desired, And are keeping hold on My covenant:

⁵ I have given to them in My house, And within My walls a station and a name, Better than sons and than daughters, A name age-during I give to him That is not cut off.

⁶ And sons of the stranger, who are joined to Jehovah, To serve Him, and to love the name of Jehovah, To be to Him for servants, Every keeper of the sabbath from polluting it, And those keeping hold on My covenant.

⁷ I have brought them unto My holy mountain, And caused them to rejoice in My house of prayer, Their burnt-offerings and their sacrifices [Are] for a pleasing thing on Mine altar, For My house, `A house of prayer,' Is called for all the peoples.

⁸ An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, Who is gathering the outcasts of Israel: `Again I gather to him -- to his gathered ones.'

⁹ Every beast of the field, Come to devour, every beast in the forest.

¹⁰ Blind [are] his watchmen -- all of them, They have not known, All of them [are] dumb dogs, they are not able to bark, Dozing, lying down, loving to slumber.

¹¹ And the dogs [are] strong of desire, They have not known sufficiency, And they [are] shepherds! They have not known understanding, All of them to their own way they did turn, Each to his dishonest gain from his quarter:

¹² `Come ye, I take wine, And we drink, quaff strong drink, And as this day hath been to-morrow, Great -- exceeding abundant!'

57 The righteous hath perished, And there is none laying [it] to heart, And men of kindness are gathered, Without any considering that from the face of evil Gathered is the righteous one.

² He entereth into peace, they rest on their beds, [Each] is going straightforward.

³ And ye, come near hither, O sons of a sorceress, seed of an adulterer, Even thou dost commit whoredom.

⁴ Against whom do ye sport yourselves? Against whom enlarge ye the mouth? Prolong ye the tongue? Are not ye children of transgression? a false seed?

⁵ Who are inflamed among oaks, under every green tree, Slaughtering the children in valleys, Under clefts of the rocks.

⁶ Among the smooth things of a brook [is] thy portion, They -- they [are] thy lot, Also to them thou hast poured out an oblation, Thou hast caused a present to ascend, For these things am I comforted?

⁷ On a mountain, high and exalted, Thou hast set thy couch, Also thither thou hast gone up to make a sacrifice.

⁸ And behind the door, and the post, Thou hast set up thy memorial, For from Me thou hast removed, and goest up, Thou hast enlarged thy couch, And dost covenant for thyself among them, Thou hast loved their couch, the station thou sawest,

⁹ And goest joyfully to the king in ointment, And dost multiply thy perfumes, And sendest thine ambassadors afar off, And humblest thyself unto Sheol.

¹⁰ In the greatness of thy way thou hast laboured, Thou hast not said, `It is desperate.' The life of thy hand thou hast found, Therefore thou hast not been sick.

¹¹ And of whom hast thou been afraid, and fearest, That thou liest, and Me hast not remembered? Thou hast not laid [it] to thy heart, Am not I silent, even from of old? And Me thou fearest not?

¹² I declare thy righteousness, and thy works, And they do not profit thee.

¹³ When thou criest, let thy gatherings deliver thee, And all of them carry away doth wind, Take away doth vanity, And whoso is trusting in Me inheriteth the land, And doth possess My holy mountain.

¹⁴ And he hath said, `Raise up, raise up, prepare a way, Lift a stumbling-block out of the way of My people.'

¹⁵ For thus said the high and exalted One, Inhabiting eternity, and holy [is] His name: `In the high and holy place I dwell, And with the bruised and humble of spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of bruised ones,'

¹⁶ For, not to the age do I strive, nor for ever am I wroth, For the spirit from before Me is feeble, And the souls I have made.

¹⁷ For the iniquity of his dishonest gain, I have been wroth, and I smite him, Hiding -- and am wroth, And he goeth on turning back in the way of his heart.

¹⁸ His ways I have seen, and I heal him, yea, I lead him, And recompense comforts to him and to his mourning ones.

¹⁹ Producing the fruit of the lips, `Peace, peace,' to the far off, and to the near, And I have healed him, said Jehovah.

²⁰ And the wicked [are] as the driven out sea, For to rest it is not able, And its waters cast out filth and mire.

²¹ There is no peace, said my God, to the wicked!