₁The desert will rejoice,

and flowers will bloom in the wilderness.

₂The 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 splendour,

see his greatness and power.

₃Give strength to hands that are tired

and to knees that tremble with weakness.

₄Tell everyone who is discouraged,

“Be strong and don't be afraid!

God is coming to your rescue,

coming to punish your enemies.”

₅The blind will be able to see,

and the deaf will hear.

₆The lame will leap and dance,

and those who cannot speak will shout for joy.

Streams of water will flow through the desert;

₇the 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.

₈There 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.

₉No lions will be there;

no fierce animals will pass that way.

Those whom the LORD has rescued

will travel home by that road.

₁₀They will reach Jerusalem with gladness,

singing and shouting for joy.

They will be happy for ever,

for ever free from sorrow and grief.