Isaiah 35

Common English Bible

Fertile wilderness

35 The desert and the dry land will be glad;
    the wilderness will rejoice and blossom like the crocus.
²They will burst into bloom,
    and rejoice with joy and singing.
They will receive the glory of Lebanon,
    the splendor of Carmel and Sharon.
They will see the Lord’s glory,
    the splendor of our God.

³Strengthen the weak hands,
    and support the unsteady knees.
⁴Say to those who are panicking:
    “Be strong! Don’t fear!
    Here’s your God,
        coming with vengeance;
        with divine retribution
    God will come to save you.”

⁵Then the eyes of the blind will be opened,
    and the ears of the deaf will be cleared.
⁶Then the lame will leap like the deer,
    and the tongue of the speechless will sing.
Waters will spring up in the desert,
    and streams in the wilderness.
⁷The burning sand will become a pool,
    and the thirsty ground, fountains of water.
The jackals’ habitat, a pasture;^[a]
    grass will become reeds and rushes.
⁸A highway will be there.
    It will be called The Holy Way.
The unclean won’t travel on it,
    but it will be for those walking on that way.^[b]
Even fools won’t get lost on it;
⁹    no lion will be there,
    and no predator will go up on it.
None of these will be there;
    only the redeemed will walk on it.
¹⁰The Lord’s ransomed ones will return and enter Zion with singing,
    with everlasting joy upon their heads.
Happiness and joy will overwhelm them;
    grief and groaning will flee away.

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Footnotes

Isaiah 35:7 Heb uncertain
Isaiah 35:8 Heb uncertain

Luke 1:46-55

Common English Bible

Mary praises God

⁴⁶Mary said,

“With all my heart I glorify the Lord!
⁴⁷    In the depths of who I am I rejoice in God my savior.
⁴⁸He has looked with favor on the low status of his servant.
    Look! From now on, everyone will consider me highly favored
⁴⁹        because the mighty one has done great things for me.
Holy is his name.
⁵⁰    He shows mercy to everyone,
        from one generation to the next,
        who honors him as God.
⁵¹He has shown strength with his arm.
    He has scattered those with arrogant thoughts and proud inclinations.
⁵²    He has pulled the powerful down from their thrones
        and lifted up the lowly.
⁵³He has filled the hungry with good things
    and sent the rich away empty-handed.
⁵⁴He has come to the aid of his servant Israel,
        remembering his mercy,
⁵⁵    just as he promised to our ancestors,
        to Abraham and to Abraham’s descendants forever.”

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Matthew 11:2-11

Common English Bible

Question from John the Baptist

²Now when John heard in prison about the things the Christ was doing, he sent word by his disciples to Jesus, asking, ³“Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?”

⁴Jesus responded, “Go, report to John what you hear and see. ⁵Those who were blind are able to see. Those who were crippled are walking. People with skin diseases are cleansed. Those who were deaf now hear. Those who were dead are raised up. The poor have good news proclaimed to them.^[a] ⁶Happy are those who don’t stumble and fall because of me.”

Appeal of John’s ministry

⁷When John’s disciples had gone, Jesus spoke to the crowds about John: “What did you go out to the wilderness to see? A stalk blowing in the wind? ⁸What did you go out to see? A man dressed up in refined clothes? Look, those who wear refined clothes are in royal palaces. ⁹What did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. ¹⁰He is the one of whom it is written: Look, I’m sending my messenger before you, who will prepare your way before you.^[b]

Significance of John’s ministry

¹¹“I assure you that no one who has ever been born is greater than John the Baptist. Yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

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