הוֹי כָּל צָמֵא לְכוּ לַמַּיִם וַאֲשֶׁר אֵין לוֹ כָּסֶף לְכוּ שִׁבְרוּ וֶאֱכֹלוּ וּלְכוּ שִׁבְרוּ בְּלוֹא כֶסֶף וּבְלוֹא מְחִיר יַיִן וְחָלָב

Woe, everyone who is thirsty, go to water, which is God, who is compared to water as He is the source of life. And one who has no silver, go purchase food and eat; go purchase wine and milk, which means wisdom, without silver and without cost.Not only is the fundamental necessity of water provided for free; you can even obtain luxuries like wine and milk free of charge as well.

לָמָּה תִשְׁקְלוּ כֶסֶף בְּלוֹא לֶחֶם! ויגִיעֲכֶם בְּלוֹא לְשָׂבְעָה שִׁמְעוּ שָׁמוֹעַ אֵלַי וְאִכְלוּ טוֹב וְתִתְעַנַּג בַּדֶּשֶׁן נַפְשְׁכֶם

Why do you weigh out silver for no bread, but for worthless items that do not satiate; and why do you expend your exertion for no satisfaction? Instead of exerting such great effort in pursuit of unsatisfying or useless items, heed Me and eat well, and your soul will delight in fatness. Approach God, who is the source of good, abundance, and satisfaction.

הַטּוּ אָזְנְכֶם וּלְכוּ אֵלַי שִׁמְעוּ וּתְחִי נַפְשְׁכֶם וְאֶכְרְתָה לָכֶם בְּרִית עוֹלָם חַסְדֵי דָוִד הַנֶּאֱמָנִים

Incline your ear and go to Me, take heed and your soul will live; and I will establish with you an eternal covenant, like the enduring grace of David, the eternal covenant that I established with him.

הֵן עֵד לְאוּמִּים נְתַתִּיו נָגִיד וּמְצַוֵּה לְאֻמִּים

Behold, I have set him, David and his royal house, a witness for the peoples. The prophet does not refer to David solely as a private individual; as king of Israel and the patriarch of the royal dynasty, King David represents the entire nation of Israel. The entire nation is charged with the responsibility of testifying before the nations about the existence of God and His holiness. David, and the nation of Israel, is also a ruler and commander to the peoples.

הֵן גּוֹי לֹא תֵדַע תִּקְרָא וְגוֹי לֹא יְדָעוּךָ אֵלֶיךָ יָרוּצוּ לְמַעַן ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ וְלִקְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי פֵאֲרָךְ

Behold, in the future you will call a nation that you do not know and they will follow your instructions and guidance, and a nation that has not known you will run to you; the nations will gather around you to receive Torah and wisdom from you. All this shall be for the sake of the Lord your God and for the Holy One of Israel, as He glorified you.

דִּרְשׁוּ ה' בְּהִמָּצְאוֹ קְרָאֻהוּ בִּהְיוֹתוֹ קָרוֹב

The nation is again exhorted to turn to God, the source of life and strength: Seek the Lord when He is found, call Him when He is near. As the redemption approaches, God is more present in the world. The prophet urges the people: Do not suffice with passive endurance of the current situation; rather, take advantage of God’s accessibility, search for Him and actively pursue a closeness to Him. Under these circumstances, the prophet seeks to rouse his listeners, including the sinners among them.

יַעֲזֹב רָשָׁע דַּרְכּוֹ וְאִישׁ אָוֶן מַחְשְׁבֹתָיו וְיָשֹׁב אֶל ה' וירַחֲמֵהוּ וְאֶל אֱלֹהֵינוּ כִּי יַרְבֶּה לִסְלוֹחַ

Let the wicked forsake his way, his sinful activity, and the man of iniquity his evil thoughts; let him return to the Lord and He will have mercy on him and he will return to our God, as He will abundantly forgive.

כִּי לֹא מַחְשְׁבוֹתַי מַחְשְׁבוֹתֵיכֶם וְלֹא דַרְכֵיכֶם דְּרָכָי נְאֻם ה'

When the redemption arrives, people will think that it has no relevance for them, as they spent their entire lives acting in ways that were not deserving of God’s blessing. The prophet rejects such an attitude, urging his audience that God is compassionate and that anyone may return to Him: For My thoughts are not your thoughts, as I do not hold a grudge against others, and your ways are not My ways, your actions are not like Mine – the utterance of the Lord.

כִּי גָבְהוּ שָׁמַיִם מֵאָרֶץ כֵּן גָּבְהוּ דְרָכַי מִדַּרְכֵיכֶם וּמַחְשְׁבֹתַי מִמַּחְשְׁבֹתֵיכֶם

As the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts are higher than your thoughts. You cannot compare My ways or My thoughts to yours.

כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר יֵרֵד הַגֶּשֶׁם וְהַשֶּׁלֶג מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם וְשָׁמָּה לֹא יָשׁוּב כִּי אִם הִרְוָה אֶת הָאָרֶץ וְהוֹלִידָהּ וְהִצְמִיחָהּ וְנָתַן זֶרַע לַזֹּרֵעַ וְלֶחֶם לָאֹכֵל –

Moreover, aside from the wide chasm between My thoughts and those of man, My speech is also not like yours; it is a present and active force in the world: For just as the rain or the snow descends from the heavens, and does not return there until it falls to the earth and has watered the earth, thus fulfilling its purpose, and has caused it to produce and sprout, providing seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

כֵּן יִהְיֶה דְבָרִי אֲשֶׁר יֵצֵא מִפִּי לֹא יָשׁוּב אֵלַי רֵיקָם כִּי אִם עָשָׂה אֶת אֲשֶׁר חָפַצְתִּי וְהִצְלִיחַ אֲשֶׁר שְׁלַחְתִּיו

so will be My word that issues from My mouth; it will not return to Me unfulfilled, until it has accomplished that which I have desired, and achieved that for which I have sent it. The word of God effects a definitive result; it will certainly achieve its desired outcome, like the nourishing impact of falling rain.

כִּי בְשִׂמְחָה תֵצֵאוּ וּבְשָׁלוֹם תּוּבָלוּן הֶהָרִים וְהַגְּבָעוֹת יִפְצְחוּ לִפְנֵיכֶם רִנָּה וְכָל עֲצֵי הַשָּׂדֶה יִמְחֲאוּ כָף

For you will emerge from any exile, hardship, or difficulty with joy and in peace will you be led. Not only will you be led, but you will also receive tangible aid. The mountains and the hills will break out before you in song and all the swaying trees of the field will clap hands. The entire world will be a better place.

תַּחַת הַנַּעֲצוּץ יַעֲלֶה בְרוֹשׁ וְתַחַת הַסִּרְפַּד יַעֲלֶה הֲדַס וְהָיָה לַה' לְשֵׁם לְאוֹת עוֹלָם לֹא יִכָּרֵת

Instead of the thorn will rise a juniper, which is of the cypress family; it provides shade and it may be used as building material or as fuel. And instead of the brier will rise a myrtle; it will be for the Lord’s renown, or for His remembrance, as an eternal sign that will not be eliminated.