The Lord Gives an Invitation

¹“Hey, all who are thirsty, come to the water![#tn The Hebrew term הוֹי (hoy, “woe, ah”) was used in funeral laments and is often prefixed to judgment oracles for rhetorical effect. But here it appears to be a simple interjection, designed to grab the audience’s attention. Perhaps there is a note of sorrow or pity. See BDB 223 s.v.]

You who have no money, come!

Buy and eat!

Come! Buy wine and milk

without money and without cost!

²Why pay money for something that will not nourish you?[#tn Heb “for what is not food.”]

Why spend your hard-earned money on something that will not satisfy?

Listen carefully to me and eat what is nourishing!

Enjoy fine food!

³Pay attention and come to me!

Listen, so you can live!

Then I will make an unconditional covenantal promise to you,

just like the reliable covenantal promises I made to David.

⁴Look, I made him a witness to nations,[#sn Ideally the Davidic king was to testify to the nations of God’s greatness (cf. Pss 18:50 HT [18:49 ET]; 22:28 HT [22:27 ET]). See J. H. Eaton, Kingship in the Psalms (SBT), 182-84.]

a ruler and commander of nations.”

⁵Look, you will summon nations you did not previously know;[#tn Heb “a nation,” but the singular is collective here, as the plural verbs in the next line indicate (note that both “know” and “run” are third plural forms).]

nations that did not previously know you will run to you,

because of the Lord your God,

the Holy One of Israel,

for he bestows honor on you.

⁶Seek the Lord while he makes himself available;[#tn Heb “while he allows himself to be found.” The Niphal form has a tolerative force here.]

call to him while he is nearby!

⁷The wicked need to abandon their lifestyle[#tn Heb “Let the wicked one abandon his way.” The singular is collective.]

and sinful people their plans.

They should return to the Lord , and he will show mercy to them,

and to their God, for he will freely forgive them.

⁸“Indeed, my plans are not like your plans,[#tn Or “For” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV).; #tn Or “thoughts” (so many English versions).; #tn Heb “are not.” “Like” is interpretive, but v. 9 indicates that a comparison is in view.]

and my deeds are not like your deeds,

⁹for just as the sky is higher than the earth,[#tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.]

so my deeds are superior to your deeds

and my plans superior to your plans.

¹⁰The rain and snow fall from the sky[#tn This verse begins in the Hebrew text with כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר (ki ka’asher, “for, just as”), which is completed by כֵּן (ken, “so, in the same way”) at the beginning of v. 11. For stylistic reasons, this lengthy sentence is divided up into separate sentences in the translation.]

and do not return,

but instead water the earth

and make it produce and yield crops,

and provide seed for the planter and food for those who must eat.

¹¹In the same way, the promise that I make

does not return to me, having accomplished nothing.

No, it is realized as I desire

and is fulfilled as I intend.”

¹²Indeed you will go out with joy;

you will be led along in peace;

the mountains and hills will give a joyful shout before you,

and all the trees in the field will clap their hands.

¹³Evergreens will grow in place of thorn bushes,

firs will grow in place of nettles;

they will be a monument to the Lord ,

a permanent reminder that will remain.