Isaiah 55:6-13

6 Seek the Lord while He may be found,

 call Him while He is near;

7 let the wicked forsake his way,

 and the troublemaker his thoughts;

 let him turn to the Lord so He may show him mercy,

 to our God, for he will freely pardon.

8 For my intentions are not your intentions,

 And my ways are not your ways, says the Lord.

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

 so are my ways higher than your ways

 and my intentions than your intentions.

10 For just as the rain and the snow

 come down from heaven,

 and do not return there

 until the earth is watered,

 making it sprout and bear fruit,

 giving seed to the sower

 and bread to the eater,

11 so it is with my Word

 that goes out from my mouth;

 it does not return to me empty,

 unless it has achieved what I require,

 and been successful in what I sent it to do.

12 For you will go out in joy,

 and be carried along in peace;

 and the mountains and the hills

 will break in song before you,

 and all the trees of the field

 will clap their hands.

13 The cypress will rise up instead of the thorn,

 the myrtle will grow instead of the briar:

 This will be an everlasting sign of the Lord’s name,

 which will never be cut down!

translation by Paul H Ashby © 2008 all rights reserved