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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 Ransomed Return to Zion

35 Wilderness and dry land shall be glad,[a]
    and desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus.
It shall blossom abundantly,
    and it shall rejoice indeed with rejoicing and exulting.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,
    the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.
They are the ones who[b] shall see the glory of Yahweh,
    the majesty of our God.
Strengthen the weak hands
    and make the staggering knees firm.

Say to those who are hasty of heart,

“Be strong; you must not fear!
    Look! your God will come with vengeance,
with divine retribution.[c]
    He is the one who[d] will come and save you.”
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
    and the ears of the deaf shall be opened.
Then the lame shall leap like the deer,
    and the tongue of the dumb shall sing for joy,
for waters shall break forth in the wilderness
    and streams in the desert.
And the parched ground shall become a pool,
    and the thirsty ground springs of water.
Her resting place is in a settlement of jackals;
    the grass shall become like reeds[e] and rushes.[f]
And a highway shall be there, and a way,
    and it shall be called the way of holiness.
The unclean shall not travel through it,
    but[g] it is for them, he who walks on the way;
    and fools shall not wander about.
No lion shall be there,
    and no ferocious wild beast shall go up it.
It shall not be found there,
    but[h] the redeemed shall walk there.
10 And the ransomed of Yahweh shall return,
    and they shall come to Zion with rejoicing.
And everlasting joy shall be on their head;
    joy and gladness shall overtake them,
        and sorrow and sighing shall flee.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 35:1 The Hebrew has an extra “them,” probably from an accidental of the first letter of the next word
  2. Isaiah 35:2 Literally “they”
  3. Isaiah 35:4 Literally “the retribution of gods”
  4. Isaiah 35:4 Literally “he”
  5. Isaiah 35:7 Hebrew “reed”
  6. Isaiah 35:7 Hebrew “rush”
  7. Isaiah 35:8 Or “and”
  8. Isaiah 35:9 Or “and”