Your Go'el is Qedosh Yisrael .

He is called the Elohim of the whole earth.

6 "Yahweh has called you as if you were a wife who was abandoned and in grief, a wife who married young and was rejected," says your Elohim .

7 "I abandoned you for one brief moment, but I will bring you back with unlimited compassion.

8 I hid my face from you for a moment in a burst of anger, but I will have compassion on you with everlasting kindness,"

says Yahweh your Go'el .

9 "To me this is like Noah's floodwaters, when I swore an oath that Noah's floodwaters would never cover the earth again.

So now I swear an oath not to be angry with you or punish you.

10 The mountains may move, and the hills may shake, but my kindness will never depart from you.

My promisea of peace will never change,"

says Yahweh, who has compassion on you.

11 "You suffering, comfortless, storm-ravaged city!

I will rebuild your city with precious stones.

I will reset your foundations with sapphires.

12 I will rebuild your towers with rubies, your gates with sparkling stones, and all your walls with precious stones."

13 All your children will be taught by Yahweh, and your children will have unlimited peace.

14 You will be established in righteousness.

You will be far from oppression, so you will not be afraid.

You will be far from destruction, so it won't come near you.

15 "If anyone attacks you, it will not be my doing.

Whoever attacks you will be defeated by you.

16 I've created blacksmiths to fan the coals into flames and to produce useful weapons.

I've also created destroyers to bring destruction.

17 No weapon that has been made to be used against you will succeed.

You will have an answer for anyone who accuses you.

This is the inheritance of Yahweh's servants.

Their victory comes from me," declares Yahweh .

The LORD'S Word Will Accomplish Its Task 55 1 "Listen! Whoever is thirsty, come to the water!

Whoever has no money can come, buy, and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk. You don't have to pay; it's free!

2 Why do you spend money on what cannot nourish you and your wages on what does not satisfy you?

Listen carefully to me: Eat what is good, and enjoy the best foods.

3 Open your ears, and come to me!

Listen so that you may live!

I will make an everlasting promiseb to you- the blessings I promised to David.

4 I made him a witness to people, a leader and a commander for people.

5 You will summon a nation that you don't know, and a nation that doesn't know you will run to you because of Yahweh your Elohim, because of Qedosh Yisrael .

He has honored you."

6 Seek Yahweh while he may be found.

Call on him while he is near.

7 Let wicked people abandon their ways.

Let evil people abandon their thoughts.

Let them return to Yahweh, and he will show compassion to them.

Let them return to our Elohim , because he will freely forgive them.

8 "My thoughts are not your thoughts, and my ways are not your ways," declares Yahweh.

9 "Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts are higher than your thoughts."

10 "Rain and snow come down from the sky.

They do not go back again until they water the earth.

They make it sprout and grow so that it produces seed for farmers and food for people to eat.

11 My word, which comes from my mouth, is like the rain and snow.

It will not come back to me without results.

It will accomplish whatever I want and achieve whatever I send it to do."

12 You will go out with joy and be led out in peace.

The mountains and the hills will break into songs of joy in your presence, and all the trees will clap their hands.

13 Cypress trees will grow where thornbushes grew.

Myrtle trees will grow where briars grew.

This will be a reminder of Yahweh's name and an everlasting sign that will never be destroyed.

Salvation for All People 56 1 This is what Yahweh says: Preserve justice, and do what is right.

My salvation is about to come.

My righteousness is about to be revealed.

2 Blessed is the one who does these things and the person who holds on to them.

Blessed is the one who keeps the day of worship from becoming unholy and his hands from doing anything wrong.

3 Foreigners who have joined Yahweh should not say, "Yahweh will separate us from his people." Castrated men should not say, "We're only dead trees!" 4 This is what Yahweh says: I will remember the castrated men who keep my days of worship, choose what pleases me, and faithfully observe the conditions of my promise.a 5 Inside my house and within my walls, I will give them something better than sons and daughters. I will give them a monument and a name. I will give them a permanent name that will not be forgotten. 6 And I will remember the foreigners who have joined Yahweh to worship him, to love Yahweh's name, and to be his servants. All of them will keep the day of worship from becoming unholy and will faithfully observe the conditions of my promise. 7 Then I will bring them to my holy mountain and make them happy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on my altar, because my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.

8 Adonay Yahweh , who gathers the scattered people of Israel, declares, "I will gather still others besides those I have already gathered."

The Sins of Israel Bring the LORD'S Anger 9 All you animals in the field, all you animals in the forest, come and eat.

10 Israel's watchmen are blind.

None of them know anything.

All of them are like dogs that are unable to bark.

They lie around dreaming; they love to sleep.

11 These dogs have huge appetites.

They are never full.

They are the shepherds, but they don't understand.

All of them have turned to go their own ways.

Each one seeks his own gain.

12 Each one cries, "Let me get some wine, and we'll fill ourselves with liquor.

And tomorrow will be like today, only better."

57 1 Righteous people die, and no one cares.

Loyal people are taken away, and no one understands.

Righteous people are spared when evil comes.

2 When peace comes, everyone who has lived honestly will rest on his own bed.

Israel's Idolatry 3 But you-come here, you children of witches, you descendants of adulterers and prostitutes!

4 Whom are you making fun of?

Whom are you making a face at?

Whom are you sticking out your tongue at?

Aren't you rebellious children, descendants of liars?

5 You burn with lust under oak trees and under every large tree.

You slaughter children in the valleys and under the cracks in the rocks.

6 Your idols are among the smooth stones in the ravine.

They are your destiny.

You have given them wine offerings and sacrificed grain offerings to them.

Do you think I am pleased with all this?

7 You've made your bed on a high and lofty mountain.

You've gone to offer sacrifices there.

8 You've set up your idols beside doors and doorposts.

You've uncovered yourself to the idols.

You've distanced yourself from me.

You've made your bed with them.

You've made a deal with those you have pleasure with in bed.

You've seen them naked.

9 You've journeyed to the king with perfumed oils and put on plenty of perfume.