Isaiah 35

1 The wilderness and the land will be glad; the desert will rejoice and blossom like a rose.

The wilderness and the parched land shall be glad, And the desert rejoice and blossom as the rose;

2 It will bloom profusely and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon. They will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God.

It shall blossom abundantly, and exult with joy and singing; The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it; The beauty of Carmel and Sharon; They shall behold the glory of Jehovah, The majesty of our God;

3 Strengthen the limp hands and steady the feeble knees!

Strengthen ye the weak hands, And confirm the tottering knees!

4 Say to those with anxious hearts: “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance. With divine retribution He will come to save you.”

Say ye to the faint-hearted, “Be ye strong; fear ye not; Behold your God! Vengeance cometh, the retribution of God; He will come and save you!”

5 Then the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped.

Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, And the ears of the deaf be unstopped.

6 Then the lame will leap like a deer and the mute tongue will shout for joy. For waters will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert.

Then shall the lame leap like the hart, And the tongue of the dumb shall sing; For in the wilderness shall waters break forth, And streams in the desert.

7 The parched ground will become a pool, the thirsty land springs of water. In the haunt where jackals once lay, there will be grass and reeds and papyrus.

The glowing sands shall become a pool, And the thirsty ground springs of water; In the habitation of jackals, where they lie, Shall be a place for reeds and rushes.

8 And there will be a highway called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not travel it— only those who walk in the Way— and fools will not stray onto it.

And a path shall be there, and a highway, And it shall be called the holy way; No unclean person shall pass over it; it shall be for them alone; He that therein goeth in this way, though a fool, shall not err therein.

9 No lion will be there, and no vicious beast will go up on it. Such will not be found there, but the redeemed will walk upon it.

No lion shall be there, Nor shall any ravenous beast go up thereon; It shall not be found there; But the redeemed shall walk there.

10 So the redeemed of the LORD will return and enter Zion with singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee.

Yea, the ransomed of Jehovah shall return; They shall come to Zion with songs: Everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; They shall obtain joy and gladness, And sorrow and sighing shall flee away.