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Hope for Restoration

35 Even the wilderness and desert will be glad in those days.
    The wasteland will rejoice and blossom with spring crocuses.
Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers
    and singing and joy!
The deserts will become as green as the mountains of Lebanon,
    as lovely as Mount Carmel or the plain of Sharon.
There the Lord will display his glory,
    the splendor of our God.
With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands,
    and encourage those who have weak knees.
Say to those with fearful hearts,
    “Be strong, and do not fear,
for your God is coming to destroy your enemies.
    He is coming to save you.”

And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind
    and unplug the ears of the deaf.
The lame will leap like a deer,
    and those who cannot speak will sing for joy!
Springs will gush forth in the wilderness,
    and streams will water the wasteland.
The parched ground will become a pool,
    and springs of water will satisfy the thirsty land.
Marsh grass and reeds and rushes will flourish
    where desert jackals once lived.

And a great road will go through that once deserted land.
    It will be named the Highway of Holiness.
Evil-minded people will never travel on it.
    It will be only for those who walk in God’s ways;
    fools will never walk there.
Lions will not lurk along its course,
    nor any other ferocious beasts.
There will be no other dangers.
    Only the redeemed will walk on it.
10 Those who have been ransomed by the Lord will return.
    They will enter Jerusalem[a] singing,
    crowned with everlasting joy.
Sorrow and mourning will disappear,
    and they will be filled with joy and gladness.

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Footnotes

  1. 35:10 Hebrew Zion.

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)

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12 “Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”

14 Blessed are those who wash their robes. They will be permitted to enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life. 15 Outside the city are the dogs—the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idol worshipers, and all who love to live a lie.

16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this message for the churches. I am both the source of David and the heir to his throne.[a] I am the bright morning star.”

17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” Let anyone who hears this say, “Come.” Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life.

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Footnotes

  1. 22:16 Greek I am the root and offspring of David.

Epilogue: Invitation and Warning

12 “Look, I am coming soon!(A) My reward is with me,(B) and I will give to each person according to what they have done.(C) 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega,(D) the First and the Last,(E) the Beginning and the End.(F)

14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes,(G) that they may have the right to the tree of life(H) and may go through the gates(I) into the city.(J) 15 Outside(K) are the dogs,(L) those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

16 “I, Jesus,(M) have sent my angel(N) to give you[a] this testimony for the churches.(O) I am the Root(P) and the Offspring of David,(Q) and the bright Morning Star.”(R)

17 The Spirit(S) and the bride(T) say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.(U)

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 22:16 The Greek is plural.

21 May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s holy people.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. 22:21 Other manuscripts read be with all; still others read be with all of God’s holy people. Some manuscripts add Amen.

21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people.(A) Amen.

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Zechariah’s Prophecy

67 Then his father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy:

68 “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
    because he has visited and redeemed his people.
69 He has sent us a mighty Savior[a]
    from the royal line of his servant David,
70 just as he promised
    through his holy prophets long ago.
71 Now we will be saved from our enemies
    and from all who hate us.
72 He has been merciful to our ancestors
    by remembering his sacred covenant—
73 the covenant he swore with an oath
    to our ancestor Abraham.
74 We have been rescued from our enemies
    so we can serve God without fear,
75 in holiness and righteousness
    for as long as we live.

76 “And you, my little son,
    will be called the prophet of the Most High,
    because you will prepare the way for the Lord.
77 You will tell his people how to find salvation
    through forgiveness of their sins.
78 Because of God’s tender mercy,
    the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us,[b]
79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
    and to guide us to the path of peace.”

80 John grew up and became strong in spirit. And he lived in the wilderness until he began his public ministry to Israel.

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Footnotes

  1. 1:69 Greek has raised up a horn of salvation for us.
  2. 1:78 Or the Morning Light from Heaven is about to visit us.

Zechariah’s Song

67 His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit(A) and prophesied:(B)

68 “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,(C)
    because he has come to his people and redeemed them.(D)
69 He has raised up a horn[a](E) of salvation for us
    in the house of his servant David(F)
70 (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),(G)
71 salvation from our enemies
    and from the hand of all who hate us—
72 to show mercy to our ancestors(H)
    and to remember his holy covenant,(I)
73     the oath he swore to our father Abraham:(J)
74 to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
    and to enable us to serve him(K) without fear(L)
75     in holiness and righteousness(M) before him all our days.

76 And you, my child, will be called a prophet(N) of the Most High;(O)
    for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,(P)
77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation
    through the forgiveness of their sins,(Q)
78 because of the tender mercy of our God,
    by which the rising sun(R) will come to us from heaven
79 to shine on those living in darkness
    and in the shadow of death,(S)
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”(T)

80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit[b];(U) and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 1:69 Horn here symbolizes a strong king.
  2. Luke 1:80 Or in the Spirit