Isaiah
35 The wilderness and the parched land will exult,+
And the desert plain will be joyful and blossom as the saffron.*+
2 Without fail it will blossom;+
It will rejoice and shout for joy.
They will see the glory of Jehovah, the splendor of our God.
3 Strengthen the weak hands,
And make firm the knees that are shaking.+
4 Say to those who are anxious at heart:
“Be strong. Do not be afraid.
Look! Your own God will come with vengeance,
God will come with retribution.+
He will come and save you.”+
6 At that time the lame will leap like the deer,+
And the tongue of the speechless will shout for joy.+
For waters will burst forth in the wilderness,
And streams in the desert plain.
7 The heat-parched ground will become a reedy pool,
And the thirsty ground springs of water.+
In the lairs where jackals rested,+
There will be green grass and reeds and papyrus.
8 And a highway will be there,+
Yes, a way called the Way of Holiness.
The unclean one will not travel on it.+
It is reserved for the one walking on the way;
No one foolish will stray onto it.
9 No lion will be there,
And no vicious wild beasts will come on it.
10 Those redeemed by Jehovah will return+ and come to Zion with a joyful cry.+
Unending joy will crown their heads.+
Exultation and rejoicing will be theirs,
And grief and sighing will flee away.+