1 Ho, euery one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and ye that haue no siluer, come, bye and eate: come, I say, bye wine and milke without siluer and without money. 2 Wherefore doe ye lay out siluer and not for bread? and your labour without being satisfied? hearken diligently vnto me, and eate that which is good, and let your soule delite in fatnes. 3 Encline your eares, and come vnto me: heare, and your soule shall liue, and I will make an euerlasting couenant with you, euen the sure mercies of Dauid. 4 Beholde, I gaue him for a witnes to the people, for a prince and a master vnto the people. 5 Beholde, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and a nation that knew not thee, shall runne vnto thee, because of the Lord thy God, and the holy one of Israel: for hee hath glorified thee. 6 Seeke ye the Lord while he may be found: call ye vpon him while he is neere. 7 Let the wicked forsake his wayes, and the vnrighteous his owne imaginations, and returne vnto the Lord, and he wil haue mercy vpon him: and to our God, for hee is very ready to forgiue. 8 For my thoughtes are not your thoughts, neither are your wayes my wayes, sayth the Lord. 9 For as ye heauens are higher then the earth, so are my wayes higher then your wayes, and my thoughtes aboue your thoughts. 10 Surely as the raine commeth downe and the snow from heauen, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth and maketh it to bring forth and bud, that it may giue seede to the sower, and bread vnto him that eateth, 11 So shall my worde be, that goeth out of my mouth: it shall not returne vnto me voyde, but it shall accomplish that which I will, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. 12 Therefore ye shall go out with ioy, and be led forth with peace: the mountaines and the hilles shall breake foorth before you into ioye, and all the trees of the fielde shall clap their handes. 13 For thornes there shall grow firre trees: for nettles shall growe the myrrhe tree, and it shalbe to the Lord for a name, and for an euerlasting signe that shall not be taken away.
God's Offer of Mercy
1 The Lord says,
“Come, everyone who is thirsty—
here is water!
Come, you that have no money—
buy grain and eat!
Come! Buy wine and milk—
it will cost you nothing!
2 Why spend money on what does not satisfy?
Why spend your wages and still be hungry?
Listen to me and do what I say,
and you will enjoy the best food of all.
3 “Listen now, my people, and come to me;
come to me, and you will have life!
I will make a lasting covenant with you
and give you the blessings I promised to David.
4 I made him a leader and commander of nations,
and through him I showed them my power.
5 Now you will summon foreign nations;
at one time they did not know you,
but now they will come running to join you!
I, the Lord your God, the holy God of Israel,
will make all this happen;
I will give you honor and glory.”
6 Turn to the Lord and pray to him,
now that he is near.
7 Let the wicked leave their way of life
and change their way of thinking.
Let them turn to the Lord, our God;
he is merciful and quick to forgive.
8 “My thoughts,” says the Lord, “are not like yours,
and my ways are different from yours.
9 As high as the heavens are above the earth,
so high are my ways and thoughts above yours.
10 “My word is like the snow and the rain
that come down from the sky to water the earth.
They make the crops grow
and provide seed for planting and food to eat.
11 So also will be the word that I speak—
it will not fail to do what I plan for it;
it will do everything I send it to do.
12 “You will leave Babylon with joy;
you will be led out of the city in peace.
The mountains and hills will burst into singing,
and the trees will shout for joy.
13 Cypress trees will grow where now there are briers;
myrtle trees will come up in place of thorns.
This will be a sign that will last forever,
a reminder of what I, the Lord, have done.”