Isaiah 35
1 The wilderness and dry land will celebrate; the desert will blossom like the crocus.
They rejoice from the wilderness and dry place, And the desert rejoices, And flourishes as the rose,
2 Bloom profusely, celebrate and sing! The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the splendor 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 Make the weak hands strong, and make the trembling knees firm!
Strengthen the feeble hands, Indeed, strengthen the stumbling knees.
4 Tell those who are frightened, “Be strong! Don't be afraid! Look, your God is coming to punish his enemies, with divine retribution he will come 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 When that happens, the blind will see, and the deaf will hear.
Then eyes of the blind are opened, And ears of the deaf are unstopped,
6 The lame will jump like a deer, and the dumb will sing for joy. Springs will gush in the wilderness; streams will flow in the desert.
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 The dried-up ground will become like a pool, the arid land like water springs. In the place where jackals used to live, there will be grass and reeds and rushes.
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 There will be a highway there, a road called “The Way of Holiness.” Nobody bad will travel on it, only those who follow the Way. Fools will not go there.
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 No lions or other dangerous animals will be found there on the road—only the redeemed will walk along it.
No lion is there, Indeed, a destructive beast does not ascend it, It is not found there, And the redeemed have walked,
10 Those the Lord has set free will return, singing as they enter Jerusalem, wearing crowns of everlasting joy. They are overcome with thankfulness and happiness; sorrow and sadness simply disappear.
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!
