Isaiah 55:7 (LSB)

Passage

Let the wicked forsake his way And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to Yahweh, And He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.

Nearby Context

Isaiah 55:5 Behold, you will call a nation you do not know, And a nation which knows you not will run to you, Because of Yahweh your God, even the Holy One of Israel; For He has adorned you with beautiful glory.”

Isaiah 55:6 Seek Yahweh while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near.

Isaiah 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to Yahweh, And He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.

Isaiah 55:8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares Yahweh.

Isaiah 55:9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "wicked", "forsake", "unrighteous", "thoughts", "return", "yahweh", "compassion", and "abundantly". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "wicked" and "forsake", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 6's "Seek Yahweh while He may be found..." into verse 8's "For My thoughts are not your thoughts...", so "wicked" and "forsake" belong inside that flow. In Isaiah context, the local focus is the Holy One of Israel, judgment and restoration, the servant of the LORD, and Zion's hope.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "wicked" and "forsake" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.