1The desert will rejoice, and flowers will bloom in the wastelands. 2The desert will sing and shout for joy! It will be beautiful like the Lebanon Mountains. It will be fertile as the fields of Carmel and Sharon. Everyone will see Jehovahs splendor. They will see his greatness and power. 3Strengthen the tired hands and the knees that tremble with weakness. 4Tell the discouraged ones with anxious heart: »Be strong and do not be afraid! God is coming to your rescue! He is coming to punish your enemies.« 5Then the 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 plain. 7The parched ground will become a lake, and dry land will be filled with springs. Marsh grass and reeds will grow where jackals used to live. 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 Jehovah has rescued will travel home by that road. 10They will reach Jerusalem with gladness, singing and shouting for joy. They will be happy forever. They will be forever free from sorrow and grief.