[1] The waste land and the dry places will be glad; the lowland will have
joy and be full of flowers. [2] It will be flowering like the rose; it will
be full of delight and songs; the glory of Lebanon will be given to it; the
pride of Carmel and Sharon: they will see the glory of the Lord, the power
of our God. [3] Make strong the feeble hands, give support to the shaking
knees. [4] Say to those who are full of fear, Be strong and take heart:
see, your God will give punishment; the reward of God will come; he himself
will come to be your saviour. [5] Then the eyes of the blind will see, and
the ears which are stopped will be open. [6] Then will the feeble-footed be
jumping like a roe, and the voice which was stopped will be loud in song:
for in the waste land streams will be bursting out, and waters in the dry
places. [7] And the burning sand will become a pool, and the dry earth
springs of waters: the fields where the sheep take their food will become
wet land, and water-plants will take the place of grass. [8] And a highway
will be there; its name will be, The Holy Way; the unclean and the sinner
may not go over it, and those who go on it will not be turned out of the
way by the foolish. [9] No lion will be there, or any cruel beast; they
will not be seen there; but those for whom the Lord has given a price, [10]
Even those whom he has made free, will come back again; they will come with
songs to Zion; on their heads will be eternal joy; delight and joy will be
theirs, and sorrow and sounds of grief will be gone for ever.
