Isaiah 55:2 Why spend money on that which is not bread, and your labor on that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of foods.

◄ Isaiah 55:2 ►

New International Version
Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare.

New Living Translation
Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen to me, and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the finest food.

English Standard Version
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.

Berean Standard Bible
Why spend money on that which is not bread, and your labor on that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of foods.

King James Bible
Wherefore 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.

New King James Version
Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And let your soul delight itself in abundance.

New American Standard Bible
“Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And delight yourself in abundance.

NASB 1995
“Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And delight yourself in abundance.

NASB 1977
“Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And delight yourself in abundance.

Legacy Standard Bible
Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And delight your soul in richness.

Amplified Bible
“Why do you spend money for that which is not bread, And your earnings for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And let your soul delight in abundance.

Christian Standard Bible
Why do you spend silver on what is not food, and your wages on what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and you will enjoy the choicest of foods.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Why do you spend money on what is not food, and your wages on what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and you will enjoy the choicest of foods.

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

Contemporary English Version
Why waste your money on what really isn't food? Why work hard for something that doesn't satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and you will enjoy the very best foods.

English Revised Version
Wherefore 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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Why do you spend money on what cannot nourish you and your wages on what does not satisfy you? Listen carefully to me: Eat what is good, and enjoy the best foods.

Good News Translation
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.

International Standard Version
Why spend your money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in rich food.

Majority Standard Bible
Why spend money on that which is not bread, and your labor on that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of foods.

NET Bible
Why pay money for something that will not nourish you? Why spend your hard-earned money on something that will not satisfy? Listen carefully to me and eat what is nourishing! Enjoy fine food!

New Heart English Bible
Why do you spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which doesn't satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat you that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

Webster's Bible Translation
Why do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently to me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

World English Bible
Why do you spend money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which doesn’t satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in richness.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
Why do you weigh money for that which is not bread? And your labor for that which is not for satiety? Listen diligently to Me, and eat good, "" And your soul delights itself in fatness.

Young's Literal Translation
Why do ye weigh money for that which is not bread? And your labour for that which is not for satiety? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat good, And your soul doth delight itself in fatness.

Smith's Literal Translation
Wherefore will ye weigh silver without bread? and your labour not for fulness? hearing, hear ye to me, and eat good, and your soul shall delight in fatness.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
Why do you spend money for that which is not breed, and your labour for that which doth not satisfy you? Hearken diligently to me, and eat that which is good, and your soul shall be delighted in fatness.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and expend your labor for what does not satisfy? Listen very closely to me, and eat what is good, and then your soul will be delighted by a full measure.

New American Bible
Why spend your money for what is not bread; your wages for what does not satisfy? Only listen to me, and you shall eat well, you shall delight in rich fare.

New Revised Standard Version
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
Wherefore do you spend money for that which is not bread? And your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and you shall eat that which is good, and your soul shall be delighted in delicacies.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Why do you weigh money that is not for bread, and your labor that is not for being satisfied? Hear me to hear, and you shall eat good things, and your soul shall delight itself in fatness

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? And your gain for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto Me, and eat ye that which is good, And let your soul delight itself in fatness.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Wherefore do ye value at the price of money, and give your labour for that which will not satisfy? hearken to me, and ye shall eat that which is good, and your soul shall feast itself on good things.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Invitation to the Needy
1“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you without money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost! 2Why spend money on that which is not bread, and your labor on that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of foods. 3Incline your ear and come to Me; listen, so that your soul may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant—My loving devotion promised to David.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

John 6:27
Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval.”

Matthew 6:19-21
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. / But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. / For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Proverbs 9:5-6
“Come, eat my bread and drink the wine I have mixed. / Leave your folly behind, and you will live; walk in the way of understanding.”

John 4:13-14
Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. / But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life.”

Psalm 63:1-5
A Psalm of David, when he was in the Wilderness of Judah. O God, You are my God. Earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You. My body yearns for You in a dry and weary land without water. / So I have seen You in the sanctuary and beheld Your power and glory. / Because Your loving devotion is better than life, my lips will glorify You. ...

Jeremiah 2:13
“For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living water, and they have dug their own cisterns—broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

John 7:37-38
On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. / Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said: ‘Streams of living water will flow from within him.’”

Matthew 5:6
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Psalm 34:8-10
Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! / Fear the LORD, you His saints, for those who fear Him lack nothing. / Young lions go lacking and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

Revelation 21:6
And He told me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give freely from the spring of the water of life.

Jeremiah 31:12-14
They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion; they will be radiant over the bounty of the LORD—the grain, new wine, and oil, and the young of the flocks and herds. Their life will be like a well-watered garden, and never again will they languish. / Then the maidens will rejoice with dancing, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into joy, and give them comfort and joy for their sorrow. / I will fill the souls of the priests abundantly, and will fill My people with My goodness,” declares the LORD.

John 6:35
Jesus answered, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never hunger, and whoever believes in Me will never thirst.

Psalm 107:9
For He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.

1 Corinthians 10:3-4
They all ate the same spiritual food / and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.

Amos 8:11-12
Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord GOD, when I will send a famine on the land—not a famine of bread or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD. / People will stagger from sea to sea and roam from north to east, seeking the word of the LORD, but they will not find it.

Treasury of Scripture

Why do you spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfies not? listen diligently to me, and eat you that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

do ye

Isaiah 44:20
He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?

Jeremiah 2:13
For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

Hosea 8:7
For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk: the bud shall yield no meal: if so be it yield, the strangers shall swallow it up.

spend.

Isaiah 46:6
They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship.

hearken

Isaiah 51:1,4,7
Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged…

Exodus 15:26
And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.

Deuteronomy 11:13
And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,

eat

Isaiah 25:6
And in this mountain shall the LORD of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.

Psalm 22:26
The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.

Psalm 36:8
They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.

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Best Bread Carefully Delight Diligently Ear Eat Fatness Food Fruit Full Gain Good Hearken Itself Labor Measure Money Pleasure Satiety Satisfieth Satisfy Soul Spend Wages Weigh Wherefore Work

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Isaiah 55

1. The prophet, with the promises of Christ, calls to faith
6. And to repentance
8. The happy success of those who believe

Berean Study Bible

Why spend money on what is not bread
This phrase challenges the reader to consider the futility of investing in things that do not truly satisfy. The Hebrew word for "bread" (לֶחֶם, lechem) often symbolizes sustenance and life. In a spiritual sense, it represents the Word of God and the sustenance that comes from a relationship with Him. Historically, bread was a staple in the ancient Near Eastern diet, essential for survival. This rhetorical question invites reflection on the priorities of life, urging believers to seek spiritual nourishment over material or temporary pleasures.

and your labor on what does not satisfy?
The word "labor" (עָמָל, amal) in Hebrew conveys the idea of toil and effort. This phrase emphasizes the futility of expending energy on pursuits that ultimately leave one empty. In the context of Isaiah, the Israelites were often tempted to follow idols or engage in practices that led them away from God. The call here is to recognize that true satisfaction comes from God alone. Historically, this reflects the human tendency to seek fulfillment in worldly achievements or possessions, which can never truly satisfy the soul.

Listen carefully to Me
The imperative "listen" (שָׁמַע, shama) is a call to heed God's voice. In the Hebrew tradition, listening implies obedience and response. This phrase underscores the importance of being attentive to God's guidance and wisdom. Throughout Scripture, listening to God is associated with blessing and life. The historical context of Isaiah includes a period of rebellion and idolatry among the Israelites, making this call to listen even more urgent. It is a reminder that God's words are life-giving and essential for spiritual well-being.

and eat what is good
The invitation to "eat what is good" suggests partaking in what is wholesome and beneficial. The Hebrew word for "good" (טוֹב, tov) encompasses moral goodness, beauty, and joy. This phrase encourages believers to seek what is spiritually nourishing and aligned with God's will. In the biblical context, eating is often a metaphor for internalizing God's teachings and experiencing His blessings. Historically, this reflects the covenant relationship between God and His people, where obedience leads to experiencing His goodness.

and your soul will delight in the richest of foods
The promise that the "soul will delight" (תַּעֲנֹג, ta'anog) speaks to the deep satisfaction and joy that comes from a relationship with God. The "richest of foods" (דֶּשֶׁן, deshen) symbolizes abundance and prosperity. In the Hebrew culture, a feast was a sign of blessing and celebration. This phrase assures believers that spiritual fulfillment and joy are found in God alone. Historically, it contrasts the emptiness of idol worship with the richness of life in God. It is an invitation to experience the fullness of life that comes from walking in His ways.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(2) Wherefore do ye spend money . . .--Here again the "bread" is that which sustains the true life of the soul. "Labour"-stands for the "earnings of labour." Israel had given her money for that which was "not-bread," she is called to accept the true bread for that which is "not-money," scil., as the next verse shows, for the simple "hearing of faith." "Fatness," as in Isaiah 25:6, and the "fatted calf" of Luke 15:23, represents the exuberance of spiritual joy.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 2. - Wherefore do ye spend money? literally, wherefore do ye weigh silver?-silver being the ordinary currency, and money transactions, in default of a coinage, being by weight (cf. Genesis 23:16; Zechariah 11:12). For that which is not bread; i.e. "for that which has no real value - which cannot sustain you, which will do you no good." The affections of the great mass of the Israelites were set on worldly things, on enriching themselves - adding field to field, and house to house (Isaiah 5:8). They did not care for spiritual blessings, much less "hunger and thirst" after them. That which satisfieth not. Worldly things can never satisfy the heart, not even the heart of the worldly. "What fruit had ye then in those things," says St. Paul, "whereof ye are now ashamed?" (Romans 6:21). Hearken diligently unto me; rather, hearken, oh, hearken unto me. The phrase is one of earnest exhortation. It implies the strong disinclination of Israel to listen, and seeks to overcome it (compare the opening words of the next verse). Let your soul delight itself in fatness (comp. Psalm 36:8; Psalm 63:5; and Isaiah 25:6). The spiritual blessings of the Messianic kingdom are richer dainties than any that this world has to offer. The soul that obtains them "delights" in them, and is satisfied with them (Psalm 17:15).

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

Why
לָ֤מָּה (lām·māh)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

spend
תִשְׁקְלוּ־ (ṯiš·qə·lū-)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 8254: To suspend, poise

money
כֶ֙סֶף֙ (ḵe·sep̄)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3701: Silver, money

on that which is not
בְּֽלוֹא־ (bə·lō·w-)
Preposition-b | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

bread,
לֶ֔חֶם (le·ḥem)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3899: Food, bread, grain

and your labor
וִיגִיעֲכֶ֖ם (wî·ḡî·‘ă·ḵem)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 3018: Toil, a work, produce, property

on that which does not
בְּל֣וֹא (bə·lō·w)
Preposition-b | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

satisfy?
לְשָׂבְעָ֑ה (lə·śā·ḇə·‘āh)
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 7654: Satiety

Listen
שִׁמְע֨וּ (šim·‘ū)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

carefully
שָׁמ֤וֹעַ (šā·mō·w·a‘)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

to Me,
אֵלַי֙ (’ê·lay)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

and eat
וְאִכְלוּ־ (wə·’iḵ·lū-)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 398: To eat

what is good,
ט֔וֹב (ṭō·wḇ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2896: Pleasant, agreeable, good

and your soul
נַפְשְׁכֶֽם׃ (nap̄·šə·ḵem)
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion

will delight
וְתִתְעַנַּ֥ג (wə·ṯiṯ·‘an·naḡ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Conjunctive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 6026: To be soft, pliable, effeminate, luxurious

in the richest of foods.
בַּדֶּ֖שֶׁן (bad·de·šen)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1880: The fat, fatness, abundance, the, ashes of sacrifices

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OT Prophets: Isaiah 55:2 Why do you spend money for that (Isa Isi Is)