Isaiah 35

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

Be glad, you thirsty desert: let the wilderness exult, and flower as the lily.

2 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.

And the desert places of Jordan shall blossom and rejoice; the glory of Libanus has been given to it, and the honor of Carmel; and my people shall see the glory of the Lord, and the majesty of God.

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

Be strong, you relaxed hands and palsied knees.

4 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.”

Comfort one another, you faint-hearted; be strong, fear not; behold, our God renders judgment, and he will render [it]; he will come and save us.

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

Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall hear.

6 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.

Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the stammerers shall speak plainly; for water has burst forth in the desert, and a channel [of water] in a thirsty land.

7 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.

And the dry land shall become pools, and a fountain of water shall [be poured] into the thirsty land; there shall there be a joy of birds, ready habitations and marshes.

8 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.

There shall be there a pure way, and it shall be called a holy way; and there shall not pass by there any unclean person, neither shall there be there an unclean way; but the dispersed shall walk on it, and they shall not go astray.

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

And there shall be no lion there, neither shall any evil beast go up upon it, nor at all be found there; but the redeemed and gathered on the Lord's behalf, shall walk in it,

10 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.

and shall return, and come to Sion with joy, and everlasting joy [shall be] over their head; for on their head [shall be] praise and exultation, and joy shall take possession of them: sorrow and pain, and groaning have fled away.