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.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.…

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

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."

Psalm 22:26
The poor will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the LORD will praise Him. May your hearts live forever!

Ecclesiastes 6:2
God gives a man riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacks nothing his heart desires; but God does not allow him to enjoy them. Instead, a stranger will enjoy them. This is futile and a grievous affliction.

Isaiah 1:19
If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best of the land.

Isaiah 10:27
On that day the burden will be lifted from your shoulders, and the yoke from your neck. The yoke will be broken because your neck will be too large.

Isaiah 25:6
On this mountain the LORD of Hosts will prepare a banquet for all the peoples, a feast of aged wine, of choice meat, of finely aged wine.


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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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
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














(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.

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)
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