Painting of Isaiah and angel by Benjamin West

Isaiah 55

Chapter notes

Isaiah 55

When God can still be found

When life is good

1

Come, everyone who is thirsty. [1]
Come to the water.
Rich or poor, it doesn’t matter.
Drink this water for free. [2]
Wine and milk as well.
2Why spend money on drinks?
Spend it on food, instead,
Satisfy your hunger.
Take my advice. Eat good food.
Enjoy the flavors of a meal.
3Listen to me.
Pay attention, if you want to live.
I’m going to make a contract with you.
A never-ending agreement [3] of love and loyalty,
Like the one I had with David.
4I made him an international hero,
A walking example of my power.
5It’s your turn now to give orders
To nations you’d never heard of before,
To nations who’d never heard of you, either.
Israel’s Holy God is bringing glory to you.
High honor from the LORD your God. [4]

Look for God while you can

6

Search for God while you can find him.
Talk to God while he’s near.
7Wicked people need to behave,
Learn to manage their thoughts.
They should go back to the LORD
So he can show them his mercy,
For God is eager to pardon.

God’s thoughts, our thoughts

8

My thoughts aren’t your thoughts.
My conclusions aren’t yours.
9As the sky is high
And the ground is low
My thoughts and conclusions
Rise higher than yours.
10When rain and snow fall from the sky
They don’t come back till their job is done.
They water the earth,
Give life to the seeds,
Growth to the plants,
And bread to the hungry souls.
11When words fall from my mouth
They don’t get ignored.
They make things happen.
And they always succeed.
12When I set you free
You’ll hit the road happy
And then you’ll head home in peace.
Mountains and hills will sing you along
As the trees and the fields clap their hands.
13Where thorns would grow,
You’ll find cypress.
And for briars, myrtle instead.
When you see those trees think of me
And remember our agreement is forever.

Help Keep the Casual English Bible®
Free for Everyone

Your support helps us keep our Casual Bible free and accessible, especially for people new to the Bible, curious non-Christians, and Christians who’ve always found it hard to understand.

This mission is 100% reader-supported. If you believe everyone deserves a Bible they can easily read and relate to, we’d love your help.