Isaiah 35

THE RANSOMED RETURN TO ZION

35The wilderness and the dry land will be glad;

the desert will rejoice and blossom like a wildflower.^Fi

²It will blossom abundantly

and will also rejoice with joy and singing.

The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,

the splendor of Carmel and Sharon.^j

They will see the glory of the Lord,^k

the splendor of our God.^l

³Strengthen the weak hands,

steady the shaking knees!^m

⁴Say to the cowardly:

“Be strong; do not fear!

Here is your God; vengeance is coming.ⁿ

God’s retribution is coming; he will save you.”^o

⁵Then the eyes of the blind will be opened,

and the ears of the deaf unstopped.^p

⁶Then the lame will leap like a deer,^q

and the tongue of the mute will sing for joy,^r

for water will gush in the wilderness,

and streams in the desert;^s

⁷the parched ground will become a pool,

and the thirsty land, springs.^t

In the haunt of jackals,^u in their lairs,

there will be grass, reeds, and papyrus.

⁸A road will be there and a way;^v

it will be called the Holy Way.^w

The unclean will not travel on it,^x

but it will be for the one who walks the path.^y

Fools will not wander on it.

⁹There will be no lion there,

and no vicious beast will go up on it;

they will not be found there.

But the redeemed will walk on it,

¹⁰and the ransomed of the Lord will return^z

and come to Zion with singing,

crowned with unending joy.

Joy and gladness will overtake them,

and sorrow and sighing will flee.^aa