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The Return of the Redeemed to Zion

35 The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad,
    the desert shall rejoice and blossom;
like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly,
    and rejoice with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,
    the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.
They shall see the glory of the Lord,
    the majesty of our God.

Strengthen the weak hands,
    and make firm the feeble knees.
Say to those who are of a fearful heart,
    ‘Be strong, do not fear!
Here is your God.
    He will come with vengeance,
with terrible recompense.
    He will come and save you.’

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
    and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
then the lame shall leap like a deer,
    and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.
For waters shall break forth in the wilderness,
    and streams in the desert;
the burning sand shall become a pool,
    and the thirsty ground springs of water;
the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp,[a]
    the grass shall become reeds and rushes.

A highway shall be there,
    and it shall be called the Holy Way;
the unclean shall not travel on it,[b]
    but it shall be for God’s people;[c]
    no traveller, not even fools, shall go astray.
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 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return,
    and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
    they shall obtain joy and gladness,
    and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 35:7 Cn: Heb in the haunt of jackals is her resting-place
  2. Isaiah 35:8 Or pass it by
  3. Isaiah 35:8 Cn: Heb for them

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.