1The wilderness and the desert will be glad, And the Arabah will rejoice and blossom; Like the crocus
2It will blossom profusely And rejoice with rejoicing and shout of joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, The majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They will see the glory of the LORD, The majesty of our God.
3Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble.
4Say to those with anxious heart, 'Take courage, fear not. Behold, your God will come [with] vengeance; The recompense of God will come, But He will save you.'
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 tongue of the mute will shout for joy. For waters will break forth in the wilderness And streams in the Arabah.
7The scorched land will become a pool And the thirsty ground springs of water; In the haunt of jackals, its resting place, Grass [becomes] reeds and rushes.
8A highway will be there, a roadway, And it will be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it, But it [will] be for him who walks [that] way, And fools will not wander [on it].
9No lion will be there, Nor will any vicious beast go up on it; These will not be found there. But the redeemed will walk [there],
10And the ransomed of the LORD will return And come with joyful shouting to Zion, With everlasting joy upon their heads. They will find gladness and joy, And sorrow and sighing will flee away.