Isaiah 35

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

The wilderness and the Arabah will be glad; and the desert will rejoice and blossom. Like 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.

it will blossom abundantly 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 Yahweh, the splendor of our God.

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

Strengthen the weak hands, and steady the knees that shake.

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 those with a fearful heart, “Be strong, do not fear! Look, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.”

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

Then the eyes of the blind will see, and the ears of the deaf will hear.

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 man will leap like a deer, and the mute tongue will sing, for water breaks out in the Arabah, and streams in the wilderness.

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.

The burning sand will become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; in the habitation of jackals, where they once lay, will be grass with reeds and rushes.

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.

A highway will be there called The Holy Way. The unclean will not travel it. But it will be for him who walks in it. No fool will go on it.

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 will be there, no ferocious beast will be on it; they will not be found there, but the redeemed will walk there.

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.

The ransomed of Yahweh will return and come with singing to Zion, and everlasting joy will be on their heads; gladness and joy will overtake them; sorrow and sighing will flee away.