Isaiah 55:3
New International Version
Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.

New Living Translation
“Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life. I will make an everlasting covenant with you. I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David.

English Standard Version
Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.

Berean Standard Bible
Incline your ear and come to Me; listen, so that your soul may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant—My loving devotion promised to David.

King James Bible
Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

New King James Version
Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you— The sure mercies of David.

New American Standard Bible
“Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, According to the faithful mercies shown to David.

NASB 1995
“Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, According to the faithful mercies shown to David.

NASB 1977
“Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, According to the faithful mercies shown to David.

Legacy Standard Bible
Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that your soul may live; And I will cut an everlasting covenant with you, According to the faithful lovingkindnesses of David.

Amplified Bible
“Incline your ear [to listen] and come to Me; Hear, so that your soul may live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, According to the faithful mercies [promised and] shown to David.

Christian Standard Bible
Pay attention and come to me; listen, so that you will live. I will make a permanent covenant with you on the basis of the faithful kindnesses of David.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Pay attention and come to Me; listen, so that you will live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, the promises assured to David.

American Standard Version
Incline your ear, and come unto me; hear, and your soul shall live: and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

Contemporary English Version
Pay close attention! Come to me and live. I will promise you the eternal love and loyalty that I promised David.

English Revised Version
Incline your ear, and come unto me; hear, and your soul shall live: and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Open your ears, and come to me! Listen so that you may live! I will make an everlasting promise to you- the blessings I promised to David.

Good News Translation
"Listen now, my people, and come to me; come to me, and you will have life! I will make a lasting covenant with you and give you the blessings I promised to David.

International Standard Version
Pay attention to me, come to me; and listen, so that you may live; then I'll make an everlasting covenant with you, as promised by my faithful, sure love for David.

Majority Standard Bible
Incline your ear and come to Me; listen, so that your soul may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant?My loving devotion promised to David.

NET Bible
Pay attention and come to me! Listen, so you can live! Then I will make an unconditional covenantal promise to you, just like the reliable covenantal promises I made to David.

New Heart English Bible
Turn your ear, and come to me; hear, and your soul shall live: and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, the faithful kindnesses of David.

Webster's Bible Translation
Incline your ear, and come to me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

World English Bible
Turn your ear, and come to me. Hear, and your soul will live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Incline your ear, and come to Me, "" Hear, and your soul lives, "" And I make a perpetual covenant for you, "" The kind blessings of David that are steadfast.

Young's Literal Translation
Incline your ear, and come unto me, Hear, and your soul doth live, And I make for you a covenant age-during, The kind acts of David -- that are stedfast.

Smith's Literal Translation
Incline your ear, and come to me, and hear, and your soul shall live; and I will cut out with you an eternal covenant, the sure mercies of David.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Incline your ear and come to me: hear and your soul shall live, and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, the faithful mercies of David.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Incline your ear and draw near to me. Listen, and your soul will live. And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, by the faithful mercies of David.

New American Bible
Pay attention and come to me; listen, that you may have life. I will make with you an everlasting covenant, the steadfast loyalty promised to David.

New Revised Standard Version
Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Incline your ear, and come to me; listen to me, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Bend your ears and come to me. Hear me and your soul shall live, and I shall covenant with you a covenant of eternity, the faithful grace of David
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Incline your ear, and come unto Me; Hear, and your soul shall live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, Even the sure mercies of David.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Give heed with your ears, and follow my ways: hearken to me, and your soul shall live in prosperity; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, the sure mercies of David.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Invitation to the Needy
2Why spend money on that which is not bread, and your labor on that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of foods. 3Incline your ear and come to Me; listen, so that your soul may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant— My loving devotion promised to David. 4Behold, I have made him a witness to the nations, a leader and commander of the peoples.…

Cross References
Acts 13:34
In fact, God raised Him from the dead, never to see decay. As He has said: ‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David.’

2 Samuel 7:12-16
And when your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. / He will build a house for My Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. / I will be his Father, and he will be My son. When he does wrong, I will discipline him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. ...

Psalm 89:28-37
I will forever preserve My loving devotion for him, and My covenant with him will stand fast. / I will establish his line forever, his throne as long as the heavens endure. / If his sons forsake My law and do not walk in My judgments, ...

Jeremiah 31:31-34
Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. / It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant they broke, though I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. / “But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people. ...

Ezekiel 37:24-26
My servant David will be king over them, and there will be one shepherd for all of them. They will follow My ordinances and keep and observe My statutes. / They will live in the land that I gave to My servant Jacob, where your fathers lived. They will live there forever with their children and grandchildren, and My servant David will be their prince forever. / And I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary among them forever.

Hebrews 13:20
Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,

2 Corinthians 1:20
For all the promises of God are “Yes” in Christ. And so through Him, our “Amen” is spoken to the glory of God.

Romans 15:8
For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs,

Luke 1:72-73
to show mercy to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant, / the oath He swore to our father Abraham, to grant us

Acts 2:29-30
Brothers, I can tell you with confidence that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. / But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that He would place one of his descendants on his throne.

1 Chronicles 17:11-14
And when your days are fulfilled and you go to be with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. / He will build a house for Me, and I will establish his throne forever. / I will be his Father, and he will be My son. And I will never remove My loving devotion from him as I removed it from your predecessor. ...

Psalm 132:11-12
The LORD swore an oath to David, a promise He will not revoke: “One of your descendants I will place on your throne. / If your sons keep My covenant and the testimony I will teach them, then their sons will also sit on your throne forever and ever.”

Jeremiah 32:40
I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never turn away from doing good to them, and I will put My fear in their hearts, so that they will never turn away from Me.

Hosea 2:19-20
So I will betroth you to Me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in loving devotion and compassion. / And I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will know the LORD.”

Hebrews 8:6-13
Now, however, Jesus has received a much more excellent ministry, just as the covenant He mediates is better and is founded on better promises. / For if that first covenant had been without fault, no place would have been sought for a second. / But God found fault with the people and said: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. ...


Treasury of Scripture

Incline your ear, and come to me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

incline

Psalm 78:1
Maschil of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

Psalm 119:112
I have inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes alway, even unto the end.

Proverbs 4:20
My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.

come

Matthew 11:28
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

John 6:37,44,45
All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out…

John 7:37
In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

hear

Matthew 13:16
But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

Matthew 17:5
While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

John 5:24,25
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life…

and I will

Isaiah 54:8
In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.

Isaiah 61:8
For I the LORD love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.

Genesis 17:7
And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.

the sure

2 Samuel 7:8
Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel:

Psalm 89:28,35-37
My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him…

Jeremiah 33:20,21,26
Thus saith the LORD; If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season; …

Jump to Previous
Acts Age-During Agreement Care Covenant David Ear Eternal Everlasting Faithful Hear Incline Kind Live Mercies Note Promised Shown Soul Souls Steadfast Stedfast Sure Turn
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Acts Age-During Agreement Care Covenant David Ear Eternal Everlasting Faithful Hear Incline Kind Live Mercies Note Promised Shown Soul Souls Steadfast Stedfast Sure Turn
Isaiah 55
1. The prophet, with the promises of Christ, calls to faith
6. And to repentance
8. The happy success of those who believe














Incline your ear
This phrase calls for an active and intentional listening. The Hebrew word for "incline" is "natah," which means to stretch out or extend. It suggests a deliberate action to focus one's attention. In the context of Isaiah, this is a call to the Israelites to pay close attention to God's message. Historically, prophets were the mouthpieces of God, and their words were crucial for guidance and correction. This phrase emphasizes the importance of being receptive to divine instruction, a principle that remains relevant for believers today.

and come to Me
The invitation to "come" signifies a movement towards God, both physically and spiritually. The Hebrew word "bo" implies entering into a relationship or presence. This is not just a physical act but a spiritual journey towards intimacy with God. In the historical context of Isaiah, this was a call for the Israelites to return to God amidst their waywardness. For contemporary believers, it is a reminder of the open invitation to draw near to God, who desires a personal relationship with each individual.

Listen, so that your soul may live
The word "listen" here is "shama" in Hebrew, which means to hear intelligently with the implication of attention and obedience. This is more than just hearing; it is about understanding and acting upon what is heard. The promise that follows—"so that your soul may live"—indicates that true life, both now and eternally, is found in heeding God's word. Historically, this was a promise of restoration and life to a nation in exile. Spiritually, it underscores the belief that obedience to God leads to spiritual vitality and eternal life.

I will make with you an everlasting covenant
The term "everlasting covenant" refers to a perpetual and unbreakable agreement. The Hebrew word "berith" for covenant signifies a binding promise. In the context of Isaiah, this covenant is reminiscent of God's promises to David, ensuring a future hope and continuity of God's blessings. For Christians, this is seen as a foreshadowing of the New Covenant through Jesus Christ, which offers eternal life and a restored relationship with God.

My loving devotion
The phrase "loving devotion" is translated from the Hebrew word "chesed," which encompasses love, kindness, mercy, and faithfulness. It is a central theme in the Old Testament, reflecting God's steadfast love and loyalty to His people. This loving devotion is the foundation of the covenant relationship, highlighting God's unwavering commitment to His promises. For believers, it is a source of comfort and assurance of God's unchanging love.

promised to David
This refers to the Davidic Covenant, where God promised David that his throne would be established forever (2 Samuel 7:16). Historically, this was a significant promise for Israel, ensuring a messianic hope through David's lineage. In Christian theology, this is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who is seen as the eternal King from the line of David. This promise underscores the faithfulness of God in keeping His word across generations, offering hope and assurance to believers.

(3) Your soul shall live . . .--Better, revive. The idea is that of waking to a new life.

I will make an everlasting covenant . . .--The words find their explanation in the "new covenant" of Jeremiah 31:31, Luke 22:20, but those which follow show that it is thought of as the expansion and completion of that which had been made with David (2Samuel 7:12-17; Psalm 89:34-35), as the representative of the true King, whom Isaiah now contemplates as identical with the "servant of the Lord." For "sure mercies" read the unfailing loving-kindnesses, which were "of David," as given to him and to his seed by Jehovah.

Verse 3. - Come unto me (comp. ver. 1, "Come ye to the waters"). God dispenses the waters (see Isaiah 44:3). I will make an everlasting covenant with you. That the "everlasting covenant" once made between God and man had been broken by man, and by Israel especially, is a part of the teaching contained in the earlier portion of Isaiah (Isaiah 24:5). We find the same asserted in the prophecies of his contemporary, Hosea (Hosea 6:7). It would naturally follow from this that, unless God gave up man altogether, he would enter into a new covenant with him. Accordingly, this new covenant is announced, both in Hosea (Hosea 2:18-20) and in the later chapters of Isaiah, repeatedly (Isaiah 42:6; Isaiah 49:8; Isaiah 54:10; Isaiah 4:3; Isaiah 56:4, 6; Isaiah 59:21; Isaiah 61:8). Having been thus set before the nation, it is further enlarged upon by Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31:31-33; Jeremiah 32:40; Jeremiah 11:5) and Ezekiel (Ezekiel 16:60-62; Ezekiel 34:25; Ezekiel 37:26-28). Almost all commentators allow that the Christian covenant is intended - that "new covenant" (Hebrews 9:15) under which man obtains pardon and salvation through the Mediatorship of Christ. Even the sure mercies of David. The "sure mercies of David" are the loving and merciful promises which God made to him. These included the promise that the Messiah should come of his seed, and sit on his throne, and establish an everlasting kingdom (Psalm 89:2-5, 19-37), and triumph over death and hell (Psalm 16:9, 10), and give peace and happiness to Israel (Psalm 132:15-18). The promises made to David, rightly understood, involve all the essential points of the Christian covenant.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Incline
הַטּ֤וּ (haṭ·ṭū)
Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 5186: To stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend

your ear
אָזְנְכֶם֙ (’ā·zə·nə·ḵem)
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 241: Broadness, the ear

and come
וּלְכ֣וּ (ū·lə·ḵū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

to Me;
אֵלַ֔י (’ê·lay)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

listen,
שִׁמְע֖וּ (šim·‘ū)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

so that your soul
נַפְשְׁכֶ֑ם (nap̄·šə·ḵem)
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion

may live.
וּתְחִ֣י (ū·ṯə·ḥî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Jussive - third person feminine singular
Strong's 2421: To live, to revive

I will make
וְאֶכְרְתָ֤ה (wə·’eḵ·rə·ṯāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular
Strong's 3772: To cut, to destroy, consume, to covenant

an everlasting
עוֹלָ֔ם (‘ō·w·lām)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5769: Concealed, eternity, frequentatively, always

covenant with you,
בְּרִ֣ית (bə·rîṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 1285: A covenant

my loving devotion
חַֽסְדֵ֥י (ḥas·ḏê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 2617: Kindness, piety, reproof, beauty

assured
הַנֶּאֱמָנִֽים׃ (han·ne·’ĕ·mā·nîm)
Article | Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 539: To confirm, support

to David.
דָוִ֖ד (ḏā·wiḏ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1732: David -- perhaps 'beloved one', a son of Jesse


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 55:3 Turn your ear and come to me (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 55:2
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