ISAIAH 35 [†]  t The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad;

 u the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus;

2 it shall blossom abundantly

and rejoice with joy and singing.

 v The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,

the majesty of  w Carmel and  x Sharon.

 y They shall see the glory of the LORD,

the majesty of our God.

3[^][†]  z Strengthen the weak hands,

and make firm the feeble knees.

4 Say to those who have an anxious heart,

“Be strong; fear not!

 a Behold, your God

will come with vengeance,

with the recompense of God.

He will come and save you.”

5[^][†]  b Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,

and the ears of the deaf unstopped;

6  b then shall the lame man leap like a deer,

and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.

 c For waters break forth in the wilderness,

and streams in the desert;

7  d the burning sand shall become a pool,

and the thirsty ground springs of water;

in the haunt of  e jackals, where they lie down,

the grass shall become reeds and rushes.

8[†]  f And a highway shall be there,

and it shall be called the Way of Holiness;

 g the unclean shall not pass over it.

It shall belong to those who walk on the way;

even if they are fools, they shall not go astray. [1]

9 No 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.

10[^]  h And the ransomed of the LORD shall return

and come to Zion with singing;

 i everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;

they shall obtain gladness and joy,

and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.