Caput 55 Chapter 55 ^54:17b Hæc est hæreditas servorum Domini et justitia eorum apud me, dicit Dominus. ^54:17b This is the inheritance of the servants of the Lord, and their justice with me, says the Lord. ^55:1 Omnes sitientes venite ad aquas, et qui non habetis argentum properate, emite et comedite; venite, emite absque argento et absque ulla commutatione vinum et lac. ^55:1 All you that thirst, come to the waters: and you that have no money make haste, buy, and eat: come, buy wine and milk without money, and without any price. ^55:2 Quare appenditis argentum non in panibus et laborem vestrum non in saturitate? Audite audientes me et comedite bonum, et delectabitur in crassitudine anima vestra. ^55:2 Why do you spend money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which doth not satisfy you? Hearken diligently to me, and eat that which is good, and your soul shall be delighted in fatness. ^55:3 Inclinate aurem vestram et venite ad me, audite et vivet anima vestra. Et feriam vobiscum pactum sempiternum, misericordias David fideles. ^55:3 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. ^55:4 Ecce testem populis dedi eum, ducem ac præceptorem gentibus. ^55:4 Behold I have given him for a witness to the people, for a leader and a master to the Gentiles. ^55:5 Ecce gentes quam nesciebas vocabis, et gentes quæ te non cognoverunt ad te current, propter Dominum Deum tuum et Sanctum Israel, quia glorificavit te. ^55:5 Behold you shall call nations, which you knew not: and the nations that knew not you shall run to you, because of the Lord your God, and for the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you. ^55:6 Quærite Dominum dum inveniri potest, invocate eum dum prope est. ^55:6 Seek the Lord, while he may be found: call upon him, while he is near. ^55:7 Derelinquat impius viam suam, et vir iniquus cogitationes suas; et revertatur ad Dominum et miserebitur ejus et ad Deum nostrum quoniam multus est ad ignoscendum. ^55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unjust man his thoughts, and let him return to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God: for he is bountiful to forgive. ^55:8 Non enim cogitationes meæ cogitationes vestræ neque viæ vestræ viæ meæ, dicit Dominus. ^55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts: nor your ways my ways, says the Lord. ^55:9 Quia sicut exaltantur cæli a terra, sic exaltatæ sunt viæ meæ a viis vestris et cogitationes meæ a cogitationibus vestris. ^55:9 For as the heavens are exalted above the earth, so are my ways exalted above your ways, and my thoughts above your thoughts. ^55:10 Et quomodo descendit imber et nix de cælo et illuc ultra non revertitur, sed inebriat terram et infundit eam et germinare eam facit et dat semen serenti et panem comedenti, ^55:10 And as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and return no more thither, but soak the earth, and water it, and make it to spring, and give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: ^55:11 sic erit verbum meum quod egredietur de ore meo: non revertetur ad me vacuum sed faciet quæcumque volui et prosperabitur in his ad quæ misi illud. ^55:11 so shall my word be, which shall go forth from my mouth: it shall not return to me void, but it shall do whatsoever I please, and shall prosper in the things for which I sent it. ^55:12 Quia in lætitia egrediemini et in pace deducemini. Montes et colles cantabunt coram vobis laudem, et omnia ligna regionis plaudent manu. ^55:12 For you shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall sing praise before you, and all the trees of the country shall clap their hands. ^55:13 Pro saliunca ascendet abies, et pro urtica crescet myrtus. Et erit Dominus nominatus in signum æternum quod non auferetur. ^55:13 Instead of the shrub, shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the nettle, shall come up the myrtle tree: and the Lord shall be named for an everlasting sign, that shall not be taken away. 988. Haec est hereditas. Hic adhibet tertium remedium, promittens rerum abundantiam contra pristinam penuriam. Et dividitur in duas partes: 988. This is the inheritance. Here he adds the third remedy, promising abundance of goods against their former scarcity. And it is divided into two parts: in prima ponit promissionem, in the first, he sets out the promise; in secunda ostendit promissionis firmitatem: et quomodo descendit. in the second, he shows the firmness of the promise: and as the rain and the snow come down (Isa 55:10). Circa primum tria facit. Concerning the first, he does three things. Primo ostendit eorum quibus promittitur conditionem: haec est hereditas, id est haec quae sequuntur debentur servis Domini, qui ei filii sunt quasi hereditario jure; et justitia, quasi justa merces, Ps. hereditas mea. First, he shows the condition of those to whom it is promised: this is the inheritance, that is, these things which follow are owed to the servants of the Lord, who are sons to him, as by right of inheritance; and their justice, as a just reward: my inheritance (Ps 15[16]:6). 989. Secundo proponit promissionem, promittens futuram copiam in necessariis: omnes sitientes, id est vos ex Judaeis qui prius prae inopia sitientes eratis, emite, sine pretio, comedite panem et alia necessaria, Jo. VII 37–38 si quis sitit, veniat ad me et bibat, et de ventre ejus fluent aquae vivae; et in deliciis: venite, emite, quasi: ac si emeretis accipite, vel absque argento, id est minus quam justo pretio, Cant. V 1 bibi vinum meum cum lacte meo. Et commemorans pristinam inopiam: quare appenditis?, quasi dicat: quare hactenus argentum dabatis et panem inde emere non poteratis?, Aggaei I 6 seminastis multum et intulistis parum. Haec autem mystice exponuntur de aqua divinae sapientiae quae gratis sitientibus datur, secundum Glossam. 989. Second, he sets out the promise, promising future abundance in necessities: all you that thirst, that is, you among the Jews, who were thirsty because of your poverty, buy, without price, eat, bread and other necessities: if any man thirst, let him come to me and drink . . . and out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water (John 7:37–38); and in delights: come, buy, as if to say, take as if you were buying, or without money, that is, less than a just price, wine and milk: I have drunk my wine with my milk (Song 5:1). And he recalls their former poverty, why do you spend money for that which is not bread? As if to say: why thus far have you been spending money and from it have not been able to eat bread? You have sowed much, and brought in little (Hag 1:6). These things, however, are explained mystically of the water of divine wisdom, which is given freely to the thirsty, according to the Gloss. 990. Tertio indicit praeparationem ad consequendum dictum promissionem: audite audientes; 990. Third, he enjoins preparation to obtain this promise: hearken diligently to me; et primo excitat attentionem, and first, he rouses their attention; secundo ponit exhortationem: quaerite Dominum. second, he sets out the exhortation: seek the Lord (Isa 55:6). Excitat autem attentionem triplici promissione. He rouses their attention by a threefold promise. Primo promittens attendentibus bonorum copiosam fruitionem: comedite, id est reficiam vos diversis bonis si me audiatis; in crassitudine, quantum ad copiam, supra I 19 si volueritis et audieritis me, bona terrae comedetis, Ier. XXXI 14 animam sacerdotum. First, he promises to those who listen abundant enjoyment of goods: eat, that is, I will restore you with various goods, if you will hear me; in fatness, as to abundance, above: if you be willing, and will hearken to me, you shall eat the good things of the land (Isa 1:19); and I will fill the soul of the priests with fatness (Jer 31:14). Secundo promittens mortis evasionem: inclinate, Ps. vivet anima mea, iterum Ps. in aeternum non obliviscar justificationes tuas, quia in ipsis vivificasti me. Second, he promises escape from death: incline your ear: my soul shall live (Ps 118[119]:175); and also: your justifications I will never forget: for by them you have given me life (Ps 118[119]:93). Tertio promittens potestatem; Third, he promises power. et primo ponit similitudinem: et feriam, id est sicut David veras promissiones feci ut in sempiternum semen suum permaneret, sic et vobiscum faciam. And first, he sets out a similitude: and I will make an everlasting covenant, the faithful mercies of David, that is, as I made true promises to David that his seed would remain forever, so I will also do with you. Secundo explicat ipsam, ostendens quid David fecerit: ecce testem, Ps. populus quem non cognovi servivit mihi, in auditu auris obedivit mihi; et quid eis facturus sit: ecce gentes vocabis ad praeceptum tuum implendum, non tuis viribus sed propter Dominum, supra XLIX 7 adorabunt propter Dominum Deum tuum qui elegit te. Second, he explains this similitude, showing what he did for David: behold I have given him for a witness to the people: a people which I knew not, has served me: at the hearing of the ear they have obeyed me (Ps 17:45[18:44]). And what may be done for them: behold you shall call nations, to fulfill your command, not by your own power, but because of the Lord, above: and they shall adore for the sake of the Lord your God, who has chosen you (Isa 49:7). 991. Quaerite Dominum. Hic indicit eis praeparationem ad consequendam dictam promissionem. 991. Seek the Lord. Here he enjoins upon them preparation to obtain the promise. Et primo dat quaerendi divinum consilium: quaerite Dominum dum inveniri potest, antequam adversitas vel mors veniat, Ps. quaerite Dominum etc., Prov. I 28 mane consurgent etc. And first, he gives the divine counsel of seeking: seek the Lord, while he may be found, before adversity or death comes: seek the lord (Ps 104[105]:4); they shall rise in the morning, and shall not find me (Prov 1:28). Secundo docet quaerendi modum: derelinquat impius, peccans in Deum; iniquus, peccans in proximum, supra I 16 auferte malum cogitationum vestrarum ab oculis meis. Second, he teaches the manner of seeking: let the wicked, sinning against God, forsake his way, and the unjust man, sinning against his neighbor, above: take away the evil of your devices from my eyes (Isa 1:16). Tertio ponit reversionis fructum, scilicet misericordiam: et revertatur; quoniam multus, id est multiplicis misericordiae, ad ignoscendum, Joelis II 13 convertimini ad Dominum Deum vestrum. Third, he sets out the fruit of returning, namely, mercy: and let him return to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him; for he is bountiful, that is, of manifold mercy, to forgive: turn to the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful (Joel 2:13–14). Quarto excludit misericordiae impedimentum: non enim cogitationes, quasi: vos impii, ego pius, vos ultionem cogitatis, ego misericordiam, Ez. XVIII 25 numquid viae meae non sunt aequae, domus Israel, et non magis viae vestrae pravae sunt? Fourth, he excludes the obstacle to mercy: for my thoughts are not your thoughts, as if to say: you are wicked, I am loving; you think of vengeance, I think of mercy: is it my ways that are not right, and are not rather your ways perverse? (Ezek 18:25).