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God Will Comfort His People

35 The desert and dry land will become happy.
    The desert will be glad and will produce flowers.
Like a flower, it will have many blooms.
    It will show its happiness, as if it is shouting with joy.
It will be beautiful like the forest of Lebanon.
    It will be as beautiful as the hill of Carmel and the Plain of Sharon.
All people will see the glory of the Lord.
    They will see the splendor of our God.

Make the weak hands strong.
    Make the weak knees strong.
Say to people who are afraid and confused,
    “Be strong. Don’t be afraid.
Look, your God will come,
    and he will punish your enemies.
He will make them pay for the wrongs they did.
    He will come and save you.”

Then the blind people will see again.
    Then the deaf will hear.
Crippled people will jump like deer.
    And those who can’t talk now will shout with joy.
Springs of water will flow in the desert.
    Streams will flow in the dry land.
The burning desert will have pools of water.
    The dry ground will have springs.
Where wild dogs once lived,
    grass and water plants will grow.
A road will be there.
    This highway will be called “The Road to Being Holy.”
Evil people will not be allowed to walk on that road.
    Only good people will walk on that road.
    No fools will go on it.
No lions will be there.
    No dangerous animals will be on that road.
    They will not be found there.
That road will be for the people God saves.
10     The people the Lord has freed will return there.
They will enter Jerusalem with joy.
    Their happiness will last forever.
Their gladness and joy will fill them completely.
    Sorrow and sadness will go far away.

Joy of the Redeemed

35 The desert(A) and the parched land will be glad;
    the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.(B)
Like the crocus,(C) it will burst into bloom;
    it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.(D)
The glory of Lebanon(E) will be given to it,
    the splendor of Carmel(F) and Sharon;(G)
they will see the glory(H) of the Lord,
    the splendor of our God.(I)

Strengthen the feeble hands,
    steady the knees(J) that give way;
say(K) to those with fearful hearts,(L)
    “Be strong, do not fear;(M)
your God will come,(N)
    he will come with vengeance;(O)
with divine retribution
    he will come to save(P) you.”

Then will the eyes of the blind be opened(Q)
    and the ears of the deaf(R) unstopped.
Then will the lame(S) leap like a deer,(T)
    and the mute tongue(U) shout for joy.(V)
Water will gush forth in the wilderness
    and streams(W) in the desert.
The burning sand will become a pool,
    the thirsty ground(X) bubbling springs.(Y)
In the haunts where jackals(Z) once lay,
    grass and reeds(AA) and papyrus will grow.

And a highway(AB) will be there;
    it will be called the Way of Holiness;(AC)
    it will be for those who walk on that Way.
The unclean(AD) will not journey on it;
    wicked fools will not go about on it.
No lion(AE) will be there,
    nor any ravenous beast;(AF)
    they will not be found there.
But only the redeemed(AG) will walk there,
10     and those the Lord has rescued(AH) will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;(AI)
    everlasting joy(AJ) will crown their heads.
Gladness(AK) and joy will overtake them,
    and sorrow and sighing will flee away.(AL)