Isaiah 55

New International Version

Invitation to the Thirsty

55 “Come, all you who are thirsty,^(A)
    come to the waters;^(B)
and you who have no money,
    come, buy^(C) and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk^(D)
    without money and without cost.^(E)
²Why spend money on what is not bread,
    and your labor on what does not satisfy?^(F)
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,^(G)
    and you will delight in the richest^(H) of fare.
³Give ear and come to me;
    listen,^(I) that you may live.^(J)
I will make an everlasting covenant^(K) with you,
    my faithful love^(L) promised to David.^(M)
⁴See, I have made him a witness^(N) to the peoples,
    a ruler and commander^(O) of the peoples.
⁵Surely you will summon nations^(P) you know not,
    and nations you do not know will come running to you,^(Q)
because of the Lord your God,
    the Holy One^(R) of Israel,
    for he has endowed you with splendor.”^(S)

⁶Seek^(T) the Lord while he may be found;^(U)
    call^(V) on him while he is near.
⁷Let the wicked forsake^(W) their ways
    and the unrighteous their thoughts.^(X)
Let them turn^(Y) to the Lord, and he will have mercy^(Z) on them,
    and to our God, for he will freely pardon.^(AA)

⁸“For my thoughts^(AB) are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”^(AC)
declares the Lord.
⁹“As the heavens are higher than the earth,^(AD)
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.^(AE)
¹⁰As the rain^(AF) and the snow
    come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
    without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,^(AG)
    so that it yields seed^(AH) for the sower and bread for the eater,^(AI)
¹¹so is my word^(AJ) that goes out from my mouth:
    It will not return to me empty,^(AK)
but will accomplish what I desire
    and achieve the purpose^(AL) for which I sent it.
¹²You will go out in joy^(AM)
    and be led forth in peace;^(AN)
the mountains and hills
    will burst into song^(AO) before you,
and all the trees^(AP) of the field
    will clap their hands.^(AQ)
¹³Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,
    and instead of briers^(AR) the myrtle^(AS) will grow.
This will be for the Lord’s renown,^(AT)
    for an everlasting sign,
    that will endure forever.”

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Matthew 13:1-9

New International Version

The Parable of the Sower^(A)^(B)^(C)

13 That same day Jesus went out of the house^(D) and sat by the lake. ²Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat^(E) and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. ³Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. ⁴As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. ⁶But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. ⁷Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. ⁸Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred,^(F) sixty or thirty times what was sown. ⁹Whoever has ears, let them hear.”^(G)

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Matthew 13:18-23

New International Version

¹⁸“Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: ¹⁹When anyone hears the message about the kingdom^(A) and does not understand it, the evil one^(B) comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. ²⁰The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. ²¹But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.^(C) ²²The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth^(D) choke the word, making it unfruitful. ²³But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”^(E)