Isaiah 35

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

The waste land and the dry places will be glad; the lowland will have joy and be full of flowers.

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.

It will be flowering like the rose; it will be full of delight and songs; the glory of Lebanon will be given to it; the pride of Carmel and Sharon: they will see the glory of the Lord, the power of our God.

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

Make strong the feeble hands, give support to the shaking 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.”

Say to those who are full of fear, Be strong and take heart: see, your God will give punishment; the reward of God will come; he himself will come to be your saviour.

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

Then the eyes of the blind will see, and the ears which are stopped will be open.

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 will the feeble-footed be jumping like a roe, and the voice which was stopped will be loud in song: for in the waste land streams will be bursting out, and waters in the dry places.

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 burning sand will become a pool, and the dry earth springs of waters: the fields where the sheep take their food will become wet land, and water-plants will take the place of grass.

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.

And a highway will be there; its name will be, The Holy Way; the unclean and the sinner may not go over it, and those who go on it will not be turned out of the way by the foolish.

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.

No lion will be there, or any cruel beast; they will not be seen there; but those for whom the Lord has given a price,

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.

Even those whom he has made free, will come back again; they will come with songs to Zion; on their heads will be eternal joy; delight and joy will be theirs, and sorrow and sounds of grief will be gone for ever.