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Isaiah 35
New English Translation
Isaiah 35
New English Translation
The Land and Its People Are Transformed
35 Let the wilderness and desert be happy;[a]
let the arid rift valley[b] rejoice and bloom like a lily!
2 Let it richly bloom;[c]
let it rejoice and shout with delight![d]
It is given the grandeur[e] of Lebanon,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon.
They will see the grandeur of the Lord,
the splendor of our God.
3 Strengthen the hands that have gone limp,
steady the knees that shake.[f]
4 Tell those who panic,[g]
“Be strong! Do not fear!
Look, your God comes to avenge;
with divine retribution he comes to deliver you.”[h]
5 Then blind eyes will open,
deaf ears will hear.
6 Then the lame will leap like a deer,
the mute tongue will shout for joy;
for water will burst forth in the wilderness,
streams in the arid rift valley.[i]
7 The dry soil will become a pool of water,
the parched ground springs of water.
Where jackals once lived and sprawled out,
grass, reeds, and papyrus will grow.
8 A thoroughfare will be there—
it will be called the Way of Holiness.[j]
The unclean will not travel on it;
it is reserved for those authorized to use it[k]—
fools[l] will not stray into it.
9 No lions will be there,
no ferocious wild animals will be on it[m]—
they will not be found there.
Those delivered from bondage will travel on it,
10 those whom the Lord has ransomed will return that way.[n]
They will enter Zion with a happy shout.
Unending joy will crown them,[o]
happiness and joy will overwhelm[p] them;
grief and suffering will disappear.[q]
Footnotes
- Isaiah 35:1 tn The final mem (ם) on the verb יְשֻׂשׂוּם (yesusum) is dittographic (note the initial mem on the following noun מִדְבָּר [midbar]). The ambiguous verbal form is translated as a jussive because it is parallel to the jussive form תָגֵל (tagel). The jussive is used rhetorically here, not as a literal command or prayer.
- Isaiah 35:1 tn This verse employs three terms for desolate paces: מִדְבָּר (midbar, “wilderness”), צִיָּה (tsiyyah, “dry place, desert”), and עֲרָבָה (ʿaravah, “rift valley”). A midbar is an area that receives less than twelve inches of rain per year. It may have some pasturage (if receiving six to twelve inches of rain), but often has desert-like qualities. A tsiyyah is not a sandy desert per se, but of the three terms most clearly indicates a dry, desert region. The rift valley includes the Jordan Valley, but it still has a reputation as a dry, desolate place from its conditions near the Dead Sea and southward.
- Isaiah 35:2 tn The ambiguous verb form תִּפְרַח (tifrakh) is translated as a jussive because it is parallel to the jussive form תָגֵל (tagel).
- Isaiah 35:2 tn Heb “and let it rejoice, yes [with] rejoicing and shouting.” גִּילַת (gilat) may be an archaic feminine nominal form (see GKC 421 §130.b).
- Isaiah 35:2 tn Or “glory” (KJV, NIV, NRSV); also a second time later in this verse.
- Isaiah 35:3 tn Heb “staggering knees”; KJV, ASV, NRSV “feeble knees”; NIV “knees that give way.”
- Isaiah 35:4 tn Heb “Say to the hasty of heart,” i.e., those whose hearts beat quickly from fear.
- Isaiah 35:4 tn The jussive form וְיֹשַׁעֲכֶם (veyoshaʿakhem), which is subordinated to the preceding imperfect with vav conjunctive, indicates purpose.
- Isaiah 35:6 tn The rift valley (עֲרָבָה, ʿaravah) extends from Galilee to the Gulf of Aqaba. Near the Dead Sea and southward its conditions are very dry and desolate. Other translations render it as “desert” (KJV, NIV, NRSV), “wastelands” (NLT), or by its Hebrew name, “the Arabah” (NASB).
- Isaiah 35:8 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “and there will be there a road and a way, and the Way of Holiness it will be called.” וְדֶרֶךְ (vederekh, “and a/the way”) is accidentally duplicated; the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa does not reflect the repetition of the phrase.
- Isaiah 35:8 tn The precise meaning of this line is uncertain. The text reads literally “and it is for them, the one who walks [on the] way.” In this context those authorized to use the Way of Holiness would be morally upright people who are the recipients of God’s deliverance, in contrast to the morally impure and foolish who are excluded from the new covenant community.
- Isaiah 35:8 tn In this context “fools” are those who are morally corrupt, not those with limited intellectual capacity.
- Isaiah 35:9 tn Heb “will go up on it”; TEV “will pass that way.”
- Isaiah 35:10 tn Heb “and the redeemed will walk, the ransomed of the Lord will return.”
- Isaiah 35:10 tn Heb “[will be] on their head[s].” “Joy” may be likened here to a crown (cf. 2 Sam 1:10). The statement may also be an ironic twist on the idiom “earth/dust on the head” (cf. 2 Sam 1:2; 13:19; 15:32; Job 2:12), referring to a mourning practice.
- Isaiah 35:10 tn Heb “will overtake” (NIV); NLT “they will be overcome with.”
- Isaiah 35:10 tn Heb “grief and groaning will flee”; KJV “sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”
Isaiah 35
International Standard Version
Isaiah 35
International Standard Version
The Future of Israel’s Land
35 “The desert and the dry land will rejoice;
the desert will celebrate and blossom. Like crocuses,
2 it will burst into bloom,
and rejoice with gladness and shouts of joy.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon.
They will see the glory of the Lord,
the splendor of our God.[a]
3 Strengthen the feeble hands,
and support the stumbling knees.
4 Say to those with anxious hearts,
‘Be strong, do not be afraid!
Here is your God—
he will bring[b] vengeance,
he will bring[c] divine retribution,
and he will save you.’
5 “Then the eyes of the blind will be opened,
and the ears of the deaf unblocked;
6 then the lame will leap like deer,
and the tongues of speechless people will sing for joy.
Yes, waters will gush forth in the wilderness,
and streams will run[d] through the desert;
7 the burning sands will become a pool,
and the thirsty ground fountains of water.
In the haunts of jackals there will be
a verdant resting place with[e] reeds and rushes.”
God’s Holy Highway
8 “A highway will be there—yes, there—[f]
and people will call it[g] ‘The Holy Way’.[h]
As for unclean people,
they will not journey on it,
but it will be for whomever[i] is traveling on that Way—
not even fools will get lost.
9 No lions will be there—
no—[j] nor will any ferocious beasts get up on it,
and[k] they will not be found there.
“But the redeemed will walk there,
10 and the Lord’s ransomed ones will return
and enter Zion with singing.
Everlasting joy will rest upon their heads,
gladness and joy will overtake them,[l]
and sorrow and mourning will flee away.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 35:2 So MT LXX 1QIsaa corrector; 1QIsaa lacks vss. 1-2
- Isaiah 35:4 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT reads he will come
- Isaiah 35:4 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read he will come
- Isaiah 35:6 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX lack will run
- Isaiah 35:7 So 1QIsaa; MT reads is her resting place; the grass will become
- Isaiah 35:8 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX lack yes, there
- Isaiah 35:8 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read it will be called
- Isaiah 35:8 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT reads Way, yes, Way
- Isaiah 35:8 So 1QIsaa; MT reads but it will be for the one; cf. LXX
- Isaiah 35:9 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX lack no
- Isaiah 35:9 So 1QIsaa LXX; the Heb. lacks and
- Isaiah 35:10 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsaa corrector lacks them; MT reads they will attain gladness and joy
Isaiah 35
New International Version
Isaiah 35
New International Version
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) 2 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)
3 Strengthen the feeble hands,
steady the knees(J) that give way;
4 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.”
5 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened(Q)
and the ears of the deaf(R) unstopped.
6 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.
7 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.
8 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.
9 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)
New English Translation (NET)
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