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God Will Comfort His People

35 The ·desert [wilderness] and dry land will ·become happy [rejoice];
    the ·desert [arid plain; or Arabah] will be glad and will ·produce flowers [blossom; bloom].
Like a ·flower [lily; crocus], it will have many blooms.
    It will ·show its happiness [joyfully rejoice], as if it were ·shouting [or singing] with joy.
It will be ·beautiful like the forest [L given the glory] of Lebanon,
    ·as beautiful as Mount Carmel and the Plain of Sharon [L the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; 33:9].
·Everyone [L They] will see the glory of the Lord [C his manifest presence]
    and the splendor of our God.
Make the weak hands strong
    and the weak knees steady.
Say to people who are ·frightened [anxious; L hasty of heart],
    “Be strong. Don’t be afraid.
Look, your God will come,
    ·and he will punish your enemies [L …with vengeance].
·He will make them pay for the wrongs they did […with the retribution of God],
    but he will save you.”

Then the blind ·people [L eyes] will see again,
    and the ·deaf [L deaf ears] will hear [Matt. 11:5; Luke 7:22].
·Crippled people [Then the lame] will ·jump [leap] like deer,
    and ·those who can’t talk now [L the tongue of the mute] will shout with joy.
Water will ·flow [burst forth] in the ·desert [wilderness],
    and streams will flow in the ·dry land [arid plain; or Arabah].
The ·burning desert [scorched ground; parched earth] will have pools of water,
    and the ·dry [parched; thirsty] ground will have springs.
Where ·wild dogs [jackals] once ·lived [lived and laid down],
    grass and ·water plants [reeds and rushes/papyrus] will grow.
A road will be there;
    this highway will be called “The ·Road to Being Holy [L Way/Highway of Holiness].”
·Evil people [The unclean; C ritually] will not be allowed to walk on that road;
    only good people [C those who walk in the Way of Holiness] will walk on it.
    No fools [C the morally corrupt who disregard God] will go on it.
No lions will be there,
    nor will ·dangerous animals [ravenous/violent beasts] be on that road.
    They will not be found there.
That road will be for the ·people God saves [redeemed];
10     the people the Lord has ·freed [ransomed] will return there.
They will enter ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple] with ·joy [or singing; shouting],
    and ·their happiness will last forever [L eternal joy will be upon their head; C as a crown].
Their gladness and joy will ·fill them completely [overtake/come upon them],
    and sorrow and ·sadness [sighing] will ·go far [flee] away.

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)