Bible Gateway passage: Isaiah 55:8-9, Isaiah 55 - New International Version (2024)

⁸“For my thoughts^(A) are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”^(B)
declares the Lord.
⁹“As the heavens are higher than the earth,^(C)
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.^(D)

Cross references

1. Isaiah 55:8 : Php 2:5; 4:8
2. Isaiah 55:8 : Isa 53:6; Mic 4:12
3. Isaiah 55:9 : S Job 11:8; Ps 103:11
4. Isaiah 55:9 : S Nu 23:19; S Isa 40:13-14

Invitation to the Thirsty

55“Come, all you who are thirsty,^(A)
come to the waters;^(B)
and you who have no money,
come, buy^(C) and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk^(D)
without money and without cost.^(E)
2Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?^(F)
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,^(G)
and you will delight in the richest^(H) of fare.
³Give ear and come to me;
listen,^(I) that you may live.^(J)
I will make an everlasting covenant^(K) with you,
my faithful love^(L) promised to David.^(M)
4See, I have made him a witness^(N) to the peoples,
a ruler and commander^(O) of the peoples.
⁵Surely you will summon nations^(P) you know not,
and nations you do not know will come running to you,^(Q)
because of the Lord your God,
the Holy One^(R) of Israel,
for he has endowed you with splendor.”^(S)

⁶Seek^(T) the Lord while he may be found;^(U)
call^(V) on him while he is near.
⁷Let the wicked forsake^(W) their ways
and the unrighteous their thoughts.^(X)
Let them turn^(Y) to the Lord, and he will have mercy^(Z) on them,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.^(AA)

⁸“For my thoughts^(AB) are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”^(AC)
declares the Lord.
⁹“As the heavens are higher than the earth,^(AD)
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.^(AE)
10As the rain^(AF) and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,^(AG)
so that it yields seed^(AH) for the sower and bread for the eater,^(AI)
11so is my word^(AJ) that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,^(AK)
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose^(AL) for which I sent it.
¹²You will go out in joy^(AM)
and be led forth in peace;^(AN)
the mountains and hills
will burst into song^(AO) before you,
and all the trees^(AP) of the field
will clap their hands.^(AQ)
13Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,
and instead of briers^(AR) the myrtle^(AS) will grow.
This will be for the Lord’s renown,^(AT)
for an everlasting sign,
that will endure forever.”

Cross references

1. Isaiah 55:1 : S Pr 9:5; S Isa 35:7; Mt 5:6; Lk 6:21; Jn 4:14; 7:37
2. Isaiah 55:1 : Jer 2:13; Eze 47:1, 12; Zec 14:8
3. Isaiah 55:1 : La 5:4; Mt 13:44; Rev 3:18
4. Isaiah 55:1 : S SS 5:1; 1Pe 2:2
5. Isaiah 55:1 : Hos 14:4; Mt 10:8; Rev 21:6; 22:17
6. Isaiah 55:2 : Ps 22:26; Ecc 6:2; Isa 49:4; Jer 12:13; Hos 4:10; 8:7; Mic 6:14; Hag 1:6
7. Isaiah 55:2 : S Isa 1:19
8. Isaiah 55:2 : S Isa 30:23
9. Isaiah 55:3 : S Ps 78:1
10. Isaiah 55:3 : S Lev 18:5; S Jn 6:27; Ro 10:5
11. Isaiah 55:3 : S Ge 9:16; S Isa 54:10; S Heb 13:20
12. Isaiah 55:3 : S Isa 54:8
13. Isaiah 55:3 : Ac 13:34*
14. Isaiah 55:4 : Rev 1:5
15. Isaiah 55:4 : S 1Sa 13:14; S 2Ch 7:18; S Isa 32:1
16. Isaiah 55:5 : S Isa 49:6
17. Isaiah 55:5 : S Isa 2:3
18. Isaiah 55:5 : S Isa 12:6; S 54:5
19. Isaiah 55:5 : S Isa 44:23
20. Isaiah 55:6 : S Dt 4:29; S 2Ch 15:2; S Isa 9:13
21. Isaiah 55:6 : Ps 32:6; Isa 49:8; Ac 17:27; 2Co 6:1-2
22. Isaiah 55:6 : S Ps 50:15; Isa 65:24; Jer 29:12; 33:3
23. Isaiah 55:7 : S 2Ch 7:14; S 30:9; Eze 18:27-28
24. Isaiah 55:7 : Isa 32:7; 59:7
25. Isaiah 55:7 : S Isa 44:22; S Jer 26:3; S Eze 18:32
26. Isaiah 55:7 : S Isa 54:10
27. Isaiah 55:7 : S 2Ch 6:21; Isa 1:18; 40:2
28. Isaiah 55:8 : Php 2:5; 4:8
29. Isaiah 55:8 : Isa 53:6; Mic 4:12
30. Isaiah 55:9 : S Job 11:8; Ps 103:11
31. Isaiah 55:9 : S Nu 23:19; S Isa 40:13-14
32. Isaiah 55:10 : Isa 30:23
33. Isaiah 55:10 : S Lev 25:19; S Job 14:9; S Ps 67:6
34. Isaiah 55:10 : S Ge 47:23
35. Isaiah 55:10 : 2Co 9:10
36. Isaiah 55:11 : S Dt 32:2; Jn 1:1
37. Isaiah 55:11 : Isa 40:8; 45:23; S Mt 5:18; Heb 4:12
38. Isaiah 55:11 : S Pr 19:21; S Isa 44:26; Eze 12:25
39. Isaiah 55:12 : S Ps 98:4; S Isa 35:2
40. Isaiah 55:12 : Isa 54:10, 13
41. Isaiah 55:12 : S Ps 65:12-13; S 96:12-13
42. Isaiah 55:12 : S 1Ch 16:33
43. Isaiah 55:12 : Ps 98:8
44. Isaiah 55:13 : S Nu 33:55; S Isa 5:6
45. Isaiah 55:13 : Isa 41:19
46. Isaiah 55:13 : S Ps 102:12; Isa 63:12; Jer 32:20; 33:9