An Invitation to Life

1“Come, everyone who is thirsty,

come to the waters!

Also, you that have no money, come,

buy, and eat!

Come! Buya wine and milk

without money and without price.

2Why spend your money on what is not bread,

and your labor on what does not satisfy?b

Listen carefully to me,

and eat what is good,

and let your soul delight itself in rich food.

3Pay attentionc to me,

come to me;

andd listen, so that you may live;

then I’ll makee an everlasting covenant with you,

as promised byf my faithful, sure love for David.

4“Look! I have made him a witness to the peoples,

a leader and commander of the peoples.

5“Look! You will call a nation that you do not know,

and a nation that doesg not know you will runh to you,

because of the LORD your God, eveni the Holy One of Israel,

for he has glorified you.”

Steps to Reconciliation

6“Seek the LORD while hej may be found,

call upon him while he is near.

7Let the wicked forsake his way,

and the unrighteous person his thoughts.

Let him return to the LORD,

So he’ll have mercy upon him,

and to our God,

for he’ll pardon abundantly.

8For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

nor are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.

9“For just ask the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways,

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

10“For just as the rain and snow come down from heaven,

and do not return there without watering the earth,

making it bring forth and sprout,

yielding seed for the sower and bread for eating,l

11so will my message be that goes out of my mouth—

it won’t return to me empty.

Instead, it will accomplish what I desire,

and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

12“For you will go out in joy,

and come backm with peace;

the mountains and the hills

will burst into song before you,

and all the trees inn the fieldso will clap their hands.

13Instead of thornbushes, pine trees will grow,

andp instead of briers, myrtles will grow;

and theyq will be a sign for the LORD,

and an everlasting namer that will not be cut off.”