Isaiah 35

Modern

Literal

The Glory of Zion

¹The wilderness and the dry land will be glad;

the desert will rejoice and blossom like a rose.

¹The desert and the dry land will be glad, and the desert plain will rejoice and blossom like the rose.

²It will bloom profusely

and rejoice with joy and singing.

The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,

the splendor of Carmel and Sharon.

They will see the glory of the LORD,

the splendor of our God.

²It will blossom profusely and rejoice even with joy and singing; the glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon—they will see the glory of YHWH, the splendor of our God.

³Strengthen the limp hands

and steady the feeble knees!^a

³Strengthen the limp hands and make firm the feeble knees.

⁴Say to those with anxious hearts:

“Be strong, do not fear!

Behold, your God will come with vengeance.

With divine retribution He will come to save you.”

⁴Say to the hastened of heart, “Be strong, do not fear! Behold your God—He comes with vengeance, with the recompense of God He will come and save you.”

⁵Then the eyes of the blind will be opened

and the ears of the deaf unstopped.

⁵Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped;

⁶Then the lame will leap like a deer

and the mute tongue will shout for joy.

For waters will gush forth in the wilderness,

and streams in the desert.

⁶then the lame one will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute one will sing. For waters will burst forth in the wilderness, and torrents in the desert plain;

⁷The parched ground will become a pool,

the thirsty land springs of water.

In the haunt where jackals^a once lay,

there will be grass and reeds and papyrus.

⁷and the parched ground will become like a pool, and the thirsty land like springs of water; in the abode where jackals once lay, will be grass with reeds and papyrus.

⁸And there will be a highway

called the Way of Holiness.

The unclean will not travel it—

only those who walk in the Way—

and fools will not stray onto it.

⁸And a highway will be there, and a way, and it will be called the Way of Holiness; the unclean will not pass over it, and it is for those walking the Way, and fools will not wander it.

⁹No lion will be there,

and no vicious beast will go up on it.

Such will not be found there,

but the redeemed will walk upon it.

⁹No lion will be there, and the violent beasts will not go up on it; it will not be found there, but the redeemed will walk it.

¹⁰So the redeemed of the LORD will return

and enter Zion with singing,

crowned with everlasting joy.

Gladness and joy will overtake them,

and sorrow and sighing will flee.

¹⁰And the ransomed of YHWH will return, and will they will enter Zion with singing, and with joy everlasting on their heads; joy and gladness will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee.