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Isaiah 55-57
Contemporary English Version
Isaiah 55-57
Contemporary English Version
The Lord's Invitation
55 (A) If you are thirsty,
come and drink water!
If you don't have any money,
come, eat what you want!
Drink wine and milk
without paying a cent.
2 (B) Why waste your money
on what really isn't food?
Why work hard for something
that doesn't satisfy?
Listen carefully to me,
and you will enjoy
the very best foods.
3 (C) Pay close attention!
Come to me and live.
I will promise you
the eternal love and loyalty
that I promised David.
4 I made him the leader and ruler
of the nations;
he was my witness to them.
5 You will call out to nations
you have never known.
And they have never known you,
but they will come running
because I am the Lord,
the holy God of Israel,
and I have honored you.
God's Words Are Powerful
6 Turn to the Lord!
He can still be found.
Call out to God! He is near.
7 Give up your evil ways
and your evil thoughts.
Return to the Lord our God.
He will be merciful
and forgive your sins.
8 The Lord says:
“My thoughts and my ways
are not like yours.
9 Just as the heavens
are higher than the earth,
my thoughts and my ways
are higher than yours.
10 (D) “Rain and snow fall from the sky.
But they don't return
without watering the earth
that produces seeds to plant
and grain to eat.
11 That's how it is with my words.
They don't return to me
without doing everything
I send them to do.”
God's People Will Celebrate
12 When you are set free,
you will celebrate
and travel home in peace.
Mountains and hills will sing
as you pass by,
and trees will clap.
13 Cypress and myrtle trees
will grow in fields
once covered by thorns.
And then those trees will stand
as a lasting witness
to the glory of the Lord.
All Nations Will Be Part of God's People
56 The Lord said:
Be honest and fair!
Soon I will come to save you;
my saving power will be seen
everywhere on earth.
2 I will bless everyone
who respects the Sabbath
and refuses to do wrong.
3 Foreigners who worship me
must not say,
“The Lord won't let us
be part of his people.”
Men who are unable
to become fathers
must no longer say,
“We are dried-up trees.”
4 (E) To them, I, the Lord, say:
Respect the Sabbath,
obey me completely,
and keep our agreement.
5 Then you will be like monuments
in my temple with your names
written on them.
This will be much better
than having children,
because these monuments
will stand there forever.
6 Foreigners will follow me.
They will love me and worship
in my name;
they will respect the Sabbath
and keep our agreement.
7 (F) I will bring them
to my holy mountain,
where they will celebrate
in my house of worship.
Their sacrifices and offerings
will always be welcome
on my altar.
Then my house will be known
as a house of worship
for all nations.
8 I, the Lord, promise
to bring together my people
who were taken away,
and let them join the others.
God Promises To Punish Israel's Leaders
9 Come from the forest,
you wild animals!
Attack and gobble up
your victims.
10 You leaders of Israel
should be watchdogs,
protecting my people.
But you can't see a thing,
and you never warn them.
Dozing and daydreaming
are all you ever do.
11 You stupid leaders are a pack
of hungry and greedy dogs
that never get enough.
You are shepherds
who mistreat your own sheep
for selfish gain.
12 You say to each other,
“Let's drink till we're drunk!
Tomorrow we'll do it again.
We'll really enjoy ourselves.”
God's Faithful People Suffer
57 God's faithful people
are dragged off and killed,
and no one even cares.
Evil sweeps them away,
2 but in death they find peace
for obeying God.[a]
The Lord Condemns Idolatry
3 You people are unfaithful!
You go to fortunetellers,
and you worship idols.
Now pay close attention!
4 Who are you making fun of?
Who are you sneering at?
Look how your sins
have made fools of you.
5 All you think about is sex
under those green trees
where idols are worshiped.
You sacrifice your children
on altars built in valleys
under rocky slopes.
6 You have chosen to worship
idols made of stone;[b]
you have given them offerings
of wine and grain.
Should I be pleased?
7 You have spread out your beds
on the tops of high mountains,
where you sacrifice to idols.
8 Even in your homes
you have placed pagan symbols
all around your huge beds.
Yes, you have rejected me,
sold yourselves to your lovers,
and gone to bed with them.[c]
9 You smear on olive oil
and all kinds of perfume
to worship the god Molech.[d]
You even seek advice
from spirits of the dead.
10 Though you tired yourself out
by running after idols,
you refused to stop.
Your desires were so strong
that they kept you going.
11 Did you forget about me
and become unfaithful
because you were more afraid
of someone else?
Have I been silent so long[e]
that you no longer fear me?
12 You think you're so good,
but I'll point out the truth.
13 Ask your idols to save you
when you are in trouble.
Be careful though—
it takes only a faint breath
to blow them over.
But if you come to me
for protection,
this land and my holy mountain
will always belong to you.
The Lord Helps the Helpless
14 The Lord says,
“Clear the road!
Get it ready for my people.”
15 (G) Our holy God lives forever
in the highest heavens,
and this is what he says:
Though I live high above
in the holy place,
I am here to help those
who are humble
and depend only on me.
16 My people, I won't stay angry
and keep on accusing you.
After all, I am your Creator.
I don't want you to give up
in complete despair.
17 Your greed made me furious.
That's why I punished you
and refused to be found,
while you kept returning
to your old sinful ways.
18 I know what you are like!
But I will heal you, lead you,
and give you comfort,
until those who are mourning
19 (H) start singing my praises.[f]
No matter where you are,
I, the Lord, will heal you[g]
and give you peace.
20 The wicked are a restless sea
tossing up mud.
21 (I) But I, the Lord, have promised
that none who are evil
will live in peace.
Footnotes
- 57.1,2 Evil … God: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 57.6 You have … stone: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 57.8 them: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 8.
- 57.9 the god Molech: Or “the king.” In Hebrew “Molech” and “king” sound alike.
- 57.11 so long: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 57.18,19 until … praises: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 57.19 heal you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Isaiah 55-57
New International Version
Isaiah 55-57
New International Version
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)
2 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.
3 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)
4 See, I have made him a witness(N) to the peoples,
a ruler and commander(O) of the peoples.
5 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)
6 Seek(T) the Lord while he may be found;(U)
call(V) on him while he is near.
7 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)
8 “For my thoughts(AB) are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”(AC)
declares the Lord.
9 “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.”
Salvation for Others
56 This is what the Lord says:
“Maintain justice(AU)
and do what is right,(AV)
for my salvation(AW) is close at hand
and my righteousness(AX) will soon be revealed.
2 Blessed(AY) is the one who does this—
the person who holds it fast,
who keeps the Sabbath(AZ) without desecrating it,
and keeps their hands from doing any evil.”
3 Let no foreigner(BA) who is bound to the Lord say,
“The Lord will surely exclude me from his people.”(BB)
And let no eunuch(BC) complain,
“I am only a dry tree.”
4 For this is what the Lord says:
“To the eunuchs(BD) who keep my Sabbaths,
who choose what pleases me
and hold fast to my covenant(BE)—
5 to them I will give within my temple and its walls(BF)
a memorial(BG) and a name
better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name(BH)
that will endure forever.(BI)
6 And foreigners(BJ) who bind themselves to the Lord
to minister(BK) to him,
to love the name(BL) of the Lord,
and to be his servants,
all who keep the Sabbath(BM) without desecrating it
and who hold fast to my covenant—
7 these I will bring to my holy mountain(BN)
and give them joy in my house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices(BO)
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house will be called
a house of prayer for all nations.(BP)”(BQ)
8 The Sovereign Lord declares—
he who gathers the exiles of Israel:
“I will gather(BR) still others to them
besides those already gathered.”
God’s Accusation Against the Wicked
9 Come, all you beasts of the field,(BS)
come and devour, all you beasts of the forest!
10 Israel’s watchmen(BT) are blind,
they all lack knowledge;(BU)
they are all mute dogs,
they cannot bark;
they lie around and dream,
they love to sleep.(BV)
11 They are dogs with mighty appetites;
they never have enough.
They are shepherds(BW) who lack understanding;(BX)
they all turn to their own way,(BY)
they seek their own gain.(BZ)
12 “Come,” each one cries, “let me get wine!(CA)
Let us drink our fill of beer!
And tomorrow will be like today,
or even far better.”(CB)
57 The righteous perish,(CC)
and no one takes it to heart;(CD)
the devout are taken away,
and no one understands
that the righteous are taken away
to be spared from evil.(CE)
2 Those who walk uprightly(CF)
enter into peace;
they find rest(CG) as they lie in death.
3 “But you—come here, you children of a sorceress,(CH)
you offspring of adulterers(CI) and prostitutes!(CJ)
4 Who are you mocking?
At whom do you sneer
and stick out your tongue?
Are you not a brood of rebels,(CK)
the offspring of liars?
5 You burn with lust among the oaks(CL)
and under every spreading tree;(CM)
you sacrifice your children(CN) in the ravines
and under the overhanging crags.
6 The idols(CO) among the smooth stones of the ravines are your portion;
indeed, they are your lot.
Yes, to them you have poured out drink offerings(CP)
and offered grain offerings.
In view of all this, should I relent?(CQ)
7 You have made your bed on a high and lofty hill;(CR)
there you went up to offer your sacrifices.(CS)
8 Behind your doors and your doorposts
you have put your pagan symbols.
Forsaking me, you uncovered your bed,
you climbed into it and opened it wide;
you made a pact with those whose beds you love,(CT)
and you looked with lust on their naked bodies.(CU)
9 You went to Molek[a](CV) with olive oil
and increased your perfumes.(CW)
You sent your ambassadors[b](CX) far away;
you descended to the very realm of the dead!(CY)
10 You wearied(CZ) yourself by such going about,
but you would not say, ‘It is hopeless.’(DA)
You found renewal of your strength,(DB)
and so you did not faint.
11 “Whom have you so dreaded and feared(DC)
that you have not been true to me,
and have neither remembered(DD) me
nor taken this to heart?(DE)
Is it not because I have long been silent(DF)
that you do not fear me?
12 I will expose your righteousness and your works,(DG)
and they will not benefit you.
13 When you cry out(DH) for help,
let your collection of idols save(DI) you!
The wind will carry all of them off,
a mere breath will blow(DJ) them away.
But whoever takes refuge(DK) in me
will inherit the land(DL)
and possess my holy mountain.”(DM)
Comfort for the Contrite
14 And it will be said:
“Build up, build up, prepare the road!(DN)
Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.”(DO)
15 For this is what the high and exalted(DP) One says—
he who lives forever,(DQ) whose name is holy:
“I live in a high(DR) and holy place,
but also with the one who is contrite(DS) and lowly in spirit,(DT)
to revive the spirit of the lowly
and to revive the heart of the contrite.(DU)
16 I will not accuse(DV) them forever,
nor will I always be angry,(DW)
for then they would faint away because of me—
the very people(DX) I have created.
17 I was enraged by their sinful greed;(DY)
I punished them, and hid(DZ) my face in anger,
yet they kept on in their willful ways.(EA)
18 I have seen their ways, but I will heal(EB) them;
I will guide(EC) them and restore comfort(ED) to Israel’s mourners,
19 creating praise on their lips.(EE)
Peace, peace,(EF) to those far and near,”(EG)
says the Lord. “And I will heal them.”
20 But the wicked(EH) are like the tossing sea,(EI)
which cannot rest,
whose waves cast up mire(EJ) and mud.
21 “There is no peace,”(EK) says my God, “for the wicked.”(EL)
Footnotes
- Isaiah 57:9 Or to the king
- Isaiah 57:9 Or idols
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.