Isaiah 35

The Return of the Redeemed to Zion

³⁵The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad;

the desert shall rejoice and blossom;

like the crocus^{* 2}it shall blossom abundantly

and rejoice with joy and shouting.

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.]]^t*

³Strengthen the weak hands

and make firm the feeble knees.^*

⁴Say 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.”^*

⁵Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,

and the ears of the deaf shall be opened;^*

⁶then 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;^*

⁷the burning sand shall become a pool

and the thirsty ground springs of water;

the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp;^u

the grass shall become reeds and rushes.^*

⁸A highway shall be there,^v

and it shall be called the Holy Way;

the unclean shall not travel on it,^w

but it shall be for God’s people;^x

no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray.^*

⁹No 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.^*

¹⁰And 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.^*