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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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Hope for Restoration

35 Even the wilderness and desert will be glad in those days.
    The wasteland will rejoice and blossom with spring crocuses.
Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers
    and singing and joy!
The deserts will become as green as the mountains of Lebanon,
    as lovely as Mount Carmel or the plain of Sharon.
There the Lord will display his glory,
    the splendor of our God.
With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands,
    and encourage those who have weak knees.
Say to those with fearful hearts,
    “Be strong, and do not fear,
for your God is coming to destroy your enemies.
    He is coming to save you.”

And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind
    and unplug the ears of the deaf.
The lame will leap like a deer,
    and those who cannot speak will sing for joy!
Springs will gush forth in the wilderness,
    and streams will water the wasteland.
The parched ground will become a pool,
    and springs of water will satisfy the thirsty land.
Marsh grass and reeds and rushes will flourish
    where desert jackals once lived.

And a great road will go through that once deserted land.
    It will be named the Highway of Holiness.
Evil-minded people will never travel on it.
    It will be only for those who walk in God’s ways;
    fools will never walk there.
Lions will not lurk along its course,
    nor any other ferocious beasts.
There will be no other dangers.
    Only the redeemed will walk on it.
10 Those who have been ransomed by the Lord will return.
    They will enter Jerusalem[a] singing,
    crowned with everlasting joy.
Sorrow and mourning will disappear,
    and they will be filled with joy and gladness.

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Footnotes

  1. 35:10 Hebrew Zion.