Isa 35 | HCSB | STEP | The wilderness and the dry land will be glad ; the desert will rejoice and blossom like a rose .

Isaiah 35

The Ransomed Return to Zion

1 The wilderness and the dry land will be glad;
the desert will rejoice and blossom like a rose. ^{▼▼Or meadow saffron
,} ^{▼▼Not the modern flower but a common wildflower in northern Israel
,} ^c
2 It 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. ^d
They will see the glory of the Lord, ^e
the splendor of our God. ^f
3 Strengthen the weak hands,
steady the shaking knees! ^g
4 Say to the cowardly:
“Be strong; do not fear!
Here is your God; vengeance is coming. ^h
God’s retribution is coming; He will save you.” ⁱ
5 Then the eyes of the blind will be opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped. ^j
6 Then the lame will leap like a deer, ^k
and the tongue of the mute will sing for joy, ^l
for water will gush in the wilderness,
and streams in the desert; ^m
7 the parched ground will become a pool of water,
and the thirsty land springs of water. ⁿ
In the haunt of jackals, ^o in their lairs,
there will be grass, reeds, and papyrus.
8 A road will be there and a way; ^p
it will be called the Holy Way. ^q
The ^{▼▼unclean: When something is clean, it is holy or acceptable to God. When it is unclean, it is unholy (such as an unclean spirit). The term can be used in a ritual sense to apply to moral standards for living.}unclean will not travel on it, ^s
but it will be for the one who walks the path. ^t
Even the fool will not go astray.
9 There 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,
10 and the redeemed of the Lord will return ^u
and come to ^{▼▼Zion: Originally a term for the fortified section of Jerusalem and then, by extension, used for the temple and the city of Jerusalem both in the present time and in the future}Zion with singing,
crowned with unending joy.
Joy and gladness will overtake them,
and sorrow and sighing will flee. ^w