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A message of hope

35 The desert and the dry land will be happy!
The wilderness will be happy too,
    and beautiful flowers will grow there.
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.
If your hands feel weak,
    now be strong!
If your knees are shaking,
    now be brave!
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!’
At that time, he will open the eyes of blind people.
    Deaf people will hear again.
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.
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.

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.
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.

Joy of the Redeemed

35 The desert(A) and the parched land will be glad;
    the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.(B)
Like the crocus,(C) 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)

Strengthen the feeble hands,
    steady the knees(J) that give way;
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.”

Then will the eyes of the blind be opened(Q)
    and the ears of the deaf(R) unstopped.
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.
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.

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.
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)