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35 The wilderness and the dry land will be glad.
    The desert will rejoice and blossom like a rose.
It will blossom abundantly,
    and rejoice even with joy and singing.
    Lebanon’s glory will be given to it,
    the excellence of Carmel and Sharon.
    They will see Yahweh’s glory,
    the excellence of our God.

Strengthen the weak hands,
    and make the feeble knees firm.
Tell those who have a fearful heart, “Be strong!
    Don’t be afraid!
Behold, your God will come with vengeance, God’s retribution.
    He will come and save you.

Then the eyes of the blind will be opened,
    and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped.
Then the lame man will leap like a deer,
    and the tongue of the mute will sing;
    for waters will break out in the wilderness,
    and streams in the desert.
The burning sand will become a pool,
    and the thirsty ground springs of water.
    Grass with reeds and rushes will be in the habitation of jackals, where they lay.
A highway will be there, a road,
    and it will be called “The Holy Way”.
The unclean shall not pass over it,
    but it will be for those who walk in the Way.
    Wicked fools shall not go there.
No lion will be there,
    nor will any ravenous animal go up on it.
    They will not be found there;
    but the redeemed will walk there.
10 Then Yahweh’s ransomed ones will return,
    and come with singing to Zion;
    and everlasting joy will be on their heads.
They will obtain gladness and joy,
    and sorrow and sighing will flee away.”

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The Future of Israel’s Land

35 “The desert and the dry land will rejoice;
    the desert will celebrate and blossom. Like crocuses,
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]

Strengthen the feeble hands,
    and support the stumbling knees.
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.’

“Then the eyes of the blind will be opened,
    and the ears of the deaf unblocked;
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;
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

“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.
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.”

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 35:2 So MT LXX 1QIsaa corrector; 1QIsaa lacks vss. 1-2
  2. Isaiah 35:4 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT reads he will come
  3. Isaiah 35:4 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read he will come
  4. Isaiah 35:6 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX lack will run
  5. Isaiah 35:7 So 1QIsaa; MT reads is her resting place; the grass will become
  6. Isaiah 35:8 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX lack yes, there
  7. Isaiah 35:8 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read it will be called
  8. Isaiah 35:8 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT reads Way, yes, Way
  9. Isaiah 35:8 So 1QIsaa; MT reads but it will be for the one; cf. LXX
  10. Isaiah 35:9 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX lack no
  11. Isaiah 35:9 So 1QIsaa LXX; the Heb. lacks and
  12. Isaiah 35:10 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsaa corrector lacks them; MT reads they will attain gladness and joy