
Isaiah 55:1-11
Holy Saturday ABC
1 Ho,A everyone who thirsts,B
come to the waters;
and you that have no money,C
come, buy and eat!D
Come, buy wineE and milkF
without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,G
and your laborH for that which does not satisfy?I
Listen carefullyJ to me, and eat what is good,K
and delightL yourselvesM in rich food.N
3 Incline your ear, and come to me;
listen, so that you may live.
I will makeO with you an everlastingP covenant,Q
my steadfast, sureR loveS for David.T
4 See,U I made him a witnessV to the peoples,W
a leaderX and commander for the peoples.
5 See,Y you shall callZ nationsAA that you do not know,BB
and nations that do not know you shall run to you,
because of the LordCC your God,DD the Holy OneEE of Israel,FF
for he has glorifiedGG you.
6 SeekHH the Lord while he may be found,II
call upon him while he is near;
7 let the wickedJJ forsakeKK their way,LL
and the unrighteousMM their thoughts;NN
let them returnOO to the Lord, that he may have mercyPP on them,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways, saysQQ the Lord.
9 For as the heavensRR are higherSS than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
and do not return there until they have wateredTT the earth,
making it bring forthUU and sprout,
giving seedVV to the sowerWW and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my wordXX be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,YY
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,ZZ
and succeedAAA in the thing for which I sent it.
Image Credit: “Woman with Bird” by Ursula Malbin, 1978.