Isaiah 55:4-13

55:4 Look, I made him a witness to nations, ¹ 

a ruler and commander of nations.”

55:5 Look, you will summon nations ²  you did not previously know;

nations ³  that did not previously know you will run to you,

because of the Lord your God,

the Holy One of Israel, ⁴ 

for he bestows honor on you.

55:6 Seek the Lord while he makes himself available; ⁵ 

call to him while he is nearby!

55:7 The wicked need to abandon their lifestyle ⁶ 

and sinful people their plans. ⁷ 

They should return ⁸  to the Lord, and he will show mercy to them, ⁹ 

and to their God, for he will freely forgive them. ¹⁰ 

55:8 “Indeed, ¹¹  my plans ¹²  are not like ¹³  your plans,

and my deeds ¹⁴  are not like ¹⁵  your deeds,

55:9 for just as the sky ¹⁶  is higher than the earth,

so my deeds ¹⁷  are superior to ¹⁸  your deeds

and my plans ¹⁹  superior to your plans.

55:10 ²⁰ The rain and snow fall from the sky

and do not return,

but instead water the earth

and make it produce and yield crops,

and provide seed for the planter and food for those who must eat.

55:11 In the same way, the promise that I make

does not return to me, having accomplished nothing. ²¹ 

No, it is realized as I desire

and is fulfilled as I intend.” ²² 

55:12 Indeed you will go out with joy;

you will be led along in peace;

the mountains and hills will give a joyful shout before you,

and all the trees in the field will clap their hands.

55:13 Evergreens will grow in place of thorn bushes,

firs will grow in place of nettles;

they will be a monument to the Lord, ²³ 

a permanent reminder that will remain. ²⁴ 

[55:4]  ¹ sn Ideally the Davidic king was to testify to the nations of God’s greatness (cf. Pss 18:50 HT [18:49 ET]; 22:28 HT [22:27 ET]). See J. H. Eaton, Kingship in the Psalms (SBT), 182-84.

[55:5]  ² tn Heb “a nation,” but the singular is collective here, as the plural verbs in the next line indicate (note that both “know” and “run” are third plural forms).

[55:5]  ³ tn Heb “a nation,” but the singular is collective here, as the plural verbs that follow indicate.

[55:5]  ⁴ sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.

[55:6]  ⁵ tn Heb “while he allows himself to be found.” The Niphal form has a tolerative force here.

[55:7]  ⁶ tn Heb “Let the wicked one abandon his way.” The singular is collective.

[55:7]  ⁷ tn Heb “and the man of evil his thoughts.” The singular is collective.

[55:7]  ⁸ tn Heb “let him return.” The singular is collective, meaning “let them.”

[55:7]  ⁹ tn The imperfect with vav (ו) conjunctive after the jussive indicates purpose/result.

[55:7]  ¹⁰ sn The appeal and promise of vv. 6-7 echoes the language of Deut 4:25-31; 30:1-10; and 1 Kgs 8:46-53, all of which anticipate the exile and speak of the prerequisites for restoration.

[55:8]  ¹¹ tn Or “For” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV).

[55:8]  ¹² tn Or “thoughts” (so many English versions).

[55:8]  ¹³ tn Heb “are not.” “Like” is interpretive, but v. 9 indicates that a comparison is in view.

[55:8]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “ways” (so many English versions).

[55:8]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “are not.” “Like” is interpretive, but v. 9 indicates that a comparison is in view.

[55:9]  ¹⁶ tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.

[55:9]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “ways” (so many English versions).

[55:9]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “are higher than.”

[55:9]  ¹⁹ tn Or “thoughts” (so many English versions).

[55:10]  ²⁰ tn This verse begins in the Hebrew text with כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר (ki ka’asher, “for, just as”), which is completed by כֵּן (ken, “so, in the same way”) at the beginning of v. 11. For stylistic reasons, this lengthy sentence is divided up into separate sentences in the translation.

[55:11]  ²¹ tn Heb “so is the word which goes out from my mouth, it does not return to empty.” “Word” refers here to divine promises, like the ones made just prior to and after this (see vv. 7b, 12-13).

[55:11]  ²² tn Heb “but it accomplishes what I desire, and succeeds [on the mission] which I send it.”

[55:13]  ²³ tn Heb “to the Lord for a name.” For שֵׁם (shem) used in the sense of “monument,” see also 56:5, where it stands parallel to יָד (yad).

[55:13]  ²⁴ tn Or, more literally, “a permanent sign that will not be cut off.”