^3 (G)Strengthen the weak hands,
    and make firm the feeble knees.
⁴ Say to those who have an anxious heart,
    “Be strong; fear not!
^(H)Behold, your God
    will come with vengeance,
with the recompense of God.
    He will come and save you.”

^5 (I)Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
    and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
^6 (J)then shall the lame man leap like a deer,
    and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.
^(K)For waters break forth in the wilderness,
    and streams in the desert;
^7 (L)the burning sand shall become a pool,
    and the thirsty ground springs of water;
in the haunt of ^(M)jackals, where they lie down,
    the grass shall become reeds and rushes.

^8 (N)And a highway shall be there,
    and it shall be called the Way of Holiness;
^(O)the unclean shall not pass over it.
    It shall belong to those who walk on the way;
    even if they are fools, they shall not go astray.^[a]
9 No lion shall be there,
    nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it;
they shall not be found there,
    but the redeemed shall walk there.
^10 (P)And the ransomed of the Lord shall return
    and come to Zion with singing;
^(Q)everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
    they shall obtain gladness and joy,
    and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

^5 (B)Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
    whose ^(C)hope is in the Lord his God,
^6 (D)who made heaven and earth,
    the sea, and all that is in them,
^(E)who keeps faith forever;
^{7     (F)}who executes justice for the oppressed,
    ^(G)who gives food to the hungry.

^(H)The Lord sets the prisoners free;
^{8     (I)}the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
^(J)The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
    ^(K)the Lord loves the righteous.
^9 (L)The Lord watches over the sojourners;
    ^(M)he upholds the widow and the fatherless,
    but ^(N)the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

^(M)“‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
    who will prepare your way before you.’