Isaiah

Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

1Listen! Everyone who is thirsty, come to the water. You who have no money, come, buy food, and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without paying anything.

2Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

2Why do you spend money on what is not food? Why work hard for what never fills you up? Listen closely to me. Eat what is good, and enjoy the richest food.

Note"Let your soul delight itself in fatness" sounds odd today. In this time, rich, fatty food was the best food there was, so this means enjoying the finest meal.

3Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

3Turn your ear toward me and come to me. Listen, and you will live. I will make a lasting agreement with you: the faithful love I promised to David.

4Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.

4Look, I made him someone who tells the nations about me, a leader and a commander for the peoples.

5Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.

5Look, you will call a nation you do not know, and nations that do not know you will come running to you. This is because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, who has honored you.

6Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

6Look for the LORD while he can be found. Call out to him while he is near.

7Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

7Let the evil person leave his own way behind, and the person who does wrong leave his own thoughts behind. Let him turn back to the LORD, who will be kind to him, and to our God, who will freely forgive.

8For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

8"My thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways," says the LORD.

9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

9"The sky is far above the earth. In the same way, my ways are far above your ways, and my thoughts are far above your thoughts."

10For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

10Rain and snow come down from the sky and do not go back until they have watered the ground. They make plants grow, giving seed to the farmer and food to the eater.

11So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

11"My word works the same way when I speak it. It will not come back to me empty. It will do what I want and succeed at the task I sent it to do."

12For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

12You will go out with joy and be led along in peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song in front of you, and every tree will clap its hands.

13Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

13Where thorns grew, pine trees will grow. Where sharp weeds grew, myrtle trees will grow. This will bring honor to the LORD, a lasting sign that will never be destroyed.

NoteA myrtle is a small evergreen tree with sweet-smelling white flowers. The KJV "fir tree" is an evergreen; other translations say cypress.