Isaiah 55:1-11

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)
²Why 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.
³Give 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)
⁴See, I have made him a witness^(N) to the peoples,
    a ruler and commander^(O) of the peoples.
⁵Surely 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)

⁶Seek^(T) the Lord while he may be found;^(U)
    call^(V) on him while he is near.
⁷Let 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)
¹⁰As 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)
¹¹so 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.