35 The desert and the dry land will be happy!
The wilderness will be happy too,
and beautiful flowers will grow there.
2 Yes, there will be lots of flowers!
The land will sing and shout with joy!
The desert will be as beautiful as Lebanon.
It will seem like lovely places in Carmel and in Sharon.
In those places, people will see the Lord 's glory.
They will see that our God is very great.
3 If your hands feel weak,
now be strong!
If your knees are shaking,
now be brave!
4 Say this to people who are afraid:
‘Be strong! Do not be afraid!
Your God is coming now.
He is coming to punish his enemies
for the bad things that they have done.
He is coming to rescue you!’
5 At that time, he will open the eyes of blind people.
Deaf people will hear again.
6 People with weak legs will jump like deer.
People who cannot speak now will shout with joy.
Water will pour from springs in the desert.
Streams of water will run in the wilderness.
7 The hot earth will become a pool of water.
The dry ground will have springs of water.
In the places where jackals made their homes,
there will now be grasses and reeds.
8 There will be a great road there.
It will be called ‘The Holy Way’.
People who are unclean will not travel on it.
It will be for those people who know God's way.
Evil fools will not walk on it.
9 No lions will be there.
No dangerous wild animals will come onto it.
They will not come near to it.
It is the people that the Lord has rescued
who will travel on that road.
10 He has paid the price to rescue them,
and they will return home along it.
They will be happy and they will sing,
as they go into Zion city.
They will be very happy for ever.
They will never again be sad or upset.
All the time they will be completely happy.
35 The dry desert will rejoice. The desert will be glad and blossom. 2 It will be covered with flowers and dance with joy. It will be as beautiful as the forest of Lebanon, the hill of Carmel, and the Sharon Valley. This will happen because all people will see the Glory of the Lord . They will see the beauty of our God.
3 Make the weak arms strong again. Strengthen the weak knees. 4 People are afraid and confused. Say to them, “Be strong! Don’t be afraid!” Look, your God will come and punish your enemies. He will come and give you your reward. He will save you. 5 Then the eyes of the blind will be opened so that they can see, and the ears of the deaf will be opened so that they can hear. 6 Crippled people will dance like deer, and those who cannot speak now will use their voices to sing happy songs. This will happen when springs of water begin to flow in the dry desert. 7 Now people see mirages [ a ] that look like water, but then there will be real pools of water. There will be wells in the dry land where water flows from the ground. Tall water plants will grow where wild animals once ruled.
8 There will be a road there. This highway will be called “The Holy Road.” Evil people will not be allowed to walk on that road. No fools [ b ] will walk on it. Only good people will walk there. 9 There will be no dangers on that road. There will be no lions there to hurt people or any dangerous animals on it. That road will be for the people God saves.
10 The Lord will make his people free, and they will come back to him. They will come into Zion rejoicing. They will be happy forever. Their happiness will be like a crown on their heads. Gladness and joy will fill them completely. Sorrow and sadness will be far, far away.
35 The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.
2 It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord , and the excellency of our God.
3 Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.
4 Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.
5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
6 Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.
7 And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes.
8 And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.
9 No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there:
10 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
35 The ( A ) wilderness and the desert will rejoice,
And the [ a ] ( B ) desert will shout for joy and blossom;
Like the crocus
2 It will ( C ) blossom profusely
And ( D ) rejoice with joy and jubilation.
The ( E ) glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
The majesty of ( F ) Carmel and Sharon.
They will see the ( G ) glory of the Lord ,
The majesty of our God.
3 ( H ) Strengthen the [ b ] exhausted, and make the [ c ] feeble strong.
4 Say to those with ( I ) anxious heart,
“Take courage, fear not.
Behold, your God will come with ( J ) vengeance;
The ( K ) retribution of God will come,
But He will ( L ) save you.”
5 Then the ( M ) eyes of those who are blind will be opened,
And the ears of those who are deaf will be unstopped.
6 Then those who ( N ) limp will leap like a deer,
And the ( O ) tongue of those who cannot speak will shout for joy.
For waters will burst forth in the ( P ) wilderness,
And streams in the [ d ] desert.
7 The [ e ] scorched land will become a pool
And the thirsty ground ( Q ) springs of water;
In the ( R ) haunt of jackals, its resting place,
Grass becomes reeds and rushes.
8 ( S ) A highway will be there, ( T ) a roadway,
And it will be called the Highway of ( U ) Holiness.
The unclean will not travel on it,
But it will be for the one who walks that way,
And ( V ) fools will not wander on it .
9 No ( W ) lion will be there,
Nor will any vicious animal go up on it;
[ f ] They will not be found there.
But ( X ) the redeemed will walk there ,
10 And ( Y ) the redeemed of the Lord will return
And come to Zion with joyful shouting,
And everlasting joy will be on their heads.
They will obtain gladness and joy,
And ( Z ) sorrow and sighing will flee away.
35 The desert ( A ) and the parched land will be glad;
the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. ( B )
Like the crocus, ( C ) 2 it will burst into bloom;
it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. ( D )
The glory of Lebanon ( E ) will be given to it,
the splendor of Carmel ( F ) and Sharon; ( G )
they will see the glory ( H ) of the Lord ,
the splendor of our God. ( I )
3 Strengthen the feeble hands,
steady the knees ( J ) that give way;
4 say ( K ) to those with fearful hearts, ( L )
“Be strong, do not fear; ( M )
your God will come, ( N )
he will come with vengeance; ( O )
with divine retribution
he will come to save ( P ) you.”
5 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened ( Q )
and the ears of the deaf ( R ) unstopped.
6 Then will the lame ( S ) leap like a deer, ( T )
and the mute tongue ( U ) shout for joy. ( V )
Water will gush forth in the wilderness
and streams ( W ) in the desert.
7 The burning sand will become a pool,
the thirsty ground ( X ) bubbling springs. ( Y )
In the haunts where jackals ( Z ) once lay,
grass and reeds ( AA ) and papyrus will grow.
8 And a highway ( AB ) will be there;
it will be called the Way of Holiness; ( AC )
it will be for those who walk on that Way.
The unclean ( AD ) will not journey on it;
wicked fools will not go about on it.
9 No lion ( AE ) will be there,
nor any ravenous beast; ( AF )
they will not be found there.
But only the redeemed ( AG ) will walk there,
10 and those the Lord has rescued ( AH ) will return.
They will enter Zion with singing; ( AI )
everlasting joy ( AJ ) will crown their heads.
Gladness ( AK ) and joy will overtake them,
and sorrow and sighing will flee away. ( AL )
