Invitation to True Rewards

• And whoever has no money, come, buy and eat,
• and come, buy without money,
  • wine and milk without price!
  • 2 Why do you weigh out money for what is not food, and your labor for what cannot satisfy ?[fn]
• Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good,
  • and let your soul take pleasure in rich[fn] food.
  • 3 Extend your ear, and come to me! Listen so that[fn] your soul may live,
• and I will make[fn] an everlasting covenant with[fn] you,
  • the enduring proofs of the mercies shown to[fn] David.
  • 4 Look! I made[fn] him a witness to the peoples, a leader and a commander for the peoples.
  • 5 Look! You shall call a nation that you do not know, and a nation that does not know you shall run to you,
• because of Yahweh your God,
  • and the holy one of Israel, for he has glorified you.”
  • 6 Seek Yahweh while he lets himself be found ;[fn] call him while he is[fn] near.
  • 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the man of sin his thoughts.
• And let him return to Yahweh, that[fn] he may take pity on him,
  • and to our God, for he will forgive manifold .[fn]
  • 8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways,”
    

⌊declares⌋[fn] Yahweh.

• 9 “For as the heavens are higher[fn] than the earth, so my ways are higher[fn] than your ways,
• and my thoughts than your thoughts.
• 10 For just as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and they do not return there
• except they have watered the earth thoroughly
  • and cause it to bring forth and sprout,
• and give seed to the sower
  • and bread to the eater,
  • 11 so shall be my word that goes out from my mouth. It shall not return to me without success,
• but shall accomplish[fn] what I desire
  • and be successful in the thing for which I sent it.
  • 12 For you shall go out in joy, and you shall be led in peace.
• The mountains and the hills shall break forth before you, rejoicing
  • and all the trees of the field shall clap hands.[fn]
  • 13 Instead of the thorn bush, the juniper shall go up; instead of the brier, the myrtle shall go up,
• and it shall serve as a memorial to Yahweh,
  • for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”