1 The desert will rejoice, and flowers will bloom in the wastelands.
2 The desert will sing and shout for joy; it will be as beautiful as the Lebanon Mountains and as fertile as the fields of Carmel and Sharon. Everyone will see the Lord's splendor, see his greatness and power.
3 Give strength to hands that are tired and to knees that tremble with weakness.
4 Tell everyone who is discouraged, “Be strong and don't be afraid! God is coming to your rescue, coming to punish your enemies.”
5 The blind will be able to see, and the deaf will hear.
6 The lame will leap and dance, and those who cannot speak will shout for joy. Streams of water will flow through the desert;
7 the burning sand will become a lake, and dry land will be filled with springs. Where jackals used to live, marsh grass and reeds will grow.
8 There will be a highway there, called “The Road of Holiness.” No sinner will ever travel that road; no fools will mislead those who follow it.
9 No lions will be there; no fierce animals will pass that way. Those whom the Lord has rescued will travel home by that road.
10 They will reach Jerusalem with gladness, singing and shouting for joy. They will be happy forever, forever free from sorrow and grief.
THE LIVING BIBLE TRANSLATION
1 Even the wilderness and desert will rejoice in those days; the desert will blossom with flowers.
2 Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers and singing and joy! The deserts will become as green as the Lebanon mountains, as lovely as Mount Carmel’s pastures and Sharon’s meadows; for the Lord will display his glory there, the excellency of our God.
3 With this news bring cheer to all discouraged ones.
4 Encourage those who are afraid. Tell them, “Be strong, fear not, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you.”
5 And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind and unstop the ears of the deaf.
6 The lame man will leap up like a deer, and those who could not speak will shout and sing! Springs will burst forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert.
7 The parched ground will become a pool, with springs of water in the thirsty land. Where desert jackals lived, there will be reeds and rushes!
8 And a main road will go through that once-deserted land; it will be named “The Holy Highway.” No evil-hearted men may walk upon it. God will walk there with you; even the most stupid cannot miss the way.
9 No lion will lurk along its course, nor will there be any other dangers; only the redeemed will travel there.
10 These, the ransomed of the Lord, will go home along that road to Zion, singing the songs of everlasting joy. For them all sorrow and all sighing will be gone forever; only joy and gladness will be there.
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