Isaiah 35

1 The desolate and impassable land will rejoice, and the place of solitude will exult, and it will flourish like the lily.

They rejoice from the wilderness and dry place, And the desert rejoices, And flourishes as the rose,

2 It will spring up and blossom, and it will exult with rejoicing and praising. The glory of Lebanon has been given to it, with the beauty of Carmel and Sharon. These will see the glory of the Lord and the beauty of our God.

Flourishing it flourishes, and rejoices, Indeed, [with] joy and singing, The glory of Lebanon has been given to it, The beauty of Carmel and Sharon, They see the glory of YHWH, The majesty of our God.

3 Strengthen the lax hands, and confirm the weak knees!

Strengthen the feeble hands, Indeed, strengthen the stumbling knees.

4 Say to the fainthearted: “Take courage and fear not! Behold, your God will bring the vindication of retribution. God himself will arrive to save you.”

Say to the hurried of heart, “Be strong, Do not fear, behold, your God; vengeance comes, The repayment of God, He Himself comes and saves you.”

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

Then eyes of the blind are opened, And ears of the deaf are unstopped,

6 Then the disabled will leap like a buck, and the tongue of the mute will be untied. For the waters have burst forth in the desert, and torrents in solitary places.

Then the lame leap as a deer, And the tongue of the mute sings, For waters have been broken up in a wilderness, And streams in a desert.

7 And the land that was dry will have a pond, and the thirsty land will have fountains of water. In the hollows where the serpents lived before, there will rise up the greenery of reed and bulrush.

And the mirage has become a pond, And the thirsty land—fountains of waters, In the habitation of dragons, Its place of lying down, A court for reed and rush.

8 And there shall be a path and a road in that place. And it will be called the Holy Way. The defiled will not pass through it. For this will be an upright path for you, so much so that the foolish will not wander along it.

And a highway has been there, and a way, And it is called the “Way of Holiness.” The unclean do not pass over it, And He Himself [is] by them, Whoever is going in the way—even fools do not err.

9 There will be no lions in that place, and harmful wild animals will neither climb up to it, nor be found there. Only those who have been freed will walk in that place.

No lion is there, Indeed, a destructive beast does not ascend it, It is not found there, And the redeemed have walked,

10 And the redeemed of the Lord will be converted, and they will return to Zion with praising. And everlasting joy will be upon their heads. They will obtain gladness and rejoicing. For pain and sorrow will flee away.

And the ransomed of YHWH return, And have entered Zion with singing, And [with] continuous joy on their head, They attain joy and gladness, And sorrow and sighing have fled away!