Isaiah 35

English Standard Version

The Ransomed Shall Return

35 ^(A)The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad;
    ^(B)the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus;
²it shall blossom abundantly
    and rejoice with joy and singing.
^(C)The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,
    the majesty of ^(D)Carmel and ^(E)Sharon.
^(F)They shall see the glory of the Lord,
    the majesty of our God.

³^(G)Strengthen the weak hands,
    and make firm the feeble knees.
⁴Say to those who have an anxious heart,
    “Be strong; fear not!
^(H)Behold, your God
    will come with vengeance,
with the recompense of God.
    He will come and save you.”

⁵^(I)Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
    and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
⁶^(J)then shall the lame man leap like a deer,
    and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.
^(K)For waters break forth in the wilderness,
    and streams in the desert;
⁷^(L)the burning sand shall become a pool,
    and the thirsty ground springs of water;
in the haunt of ^(M)jackals, where they lie down,
    the grass shall become reeds and rushes.

⁸^(N)And a highway shall be there,
    and it shall be called the Way of Holiness;
^(O)the unclean shall not pass over it.
    It shall belong to those who walk on the way;
    even if they are fools, they shall not go astray.^[a]
⁹No lion shall be there,
    nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it;
they shall not be found there,
    but the redeemed shall walk there.
¹⁰^(P)And the ransomed of the Lord shall return
    and come to Zion with singing;
^(Q)everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
    they shall obtain gladness and joy,
    and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

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Footnotes

Isaiah 35:8 Or if they are fools, they shall not wander in it

James 5:7-11

English Standard Version

Patience in Suffering

⁷Be patient, therefore, brothers,^[a] until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives ^(A)the early and the late rains. ⁸You also, be patient. ^(B)Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord ^(C)is at hand. ⁹Do not grumble against one another, brothers, ^(D)so that you may not be judged; behold, ^(E)the Judge is standing ^(F)at the door. ¹⁰As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take ^(G)the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. ¹¹Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of ^(H)the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen ^(I)the purpose of the Lord, how ^(J)the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

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Footnotes

James 5:7 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 9, 10, 12, 19

Matthew 11:2-15

English Standard Version

²^(A)Now when John heard ^(B)in prison about the deeds of ^(C)the Christ, he sent word by ^(D)his disciples ³and said to him, “Are you ^(E)the one who is to come, or shall we ^(F)look for another?” ⁴And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: ⁵^(G)the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers^[a] are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and ^(H)the poor have good news preached to them. ⁶And blessed is the one who ^(I)is not offended by me.”

⁷As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out ^(J)into the wilderness to see? ^(K)A reed shaken by the wind? ⁸What then did you go out to see? A man^[b] dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. ⁹What then did you go out to see? ^(L)A prophet?^[c] Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. ¹⁰This is he of whom it is written,

^(M)“‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way before you.’

¹¹Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. ¹²^(N)From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence,^[d] and the violent take it by force. ¹³^(O)For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, ¹⁴and if you are willing to accept it, he is ^(P)Elijah who is to come. ¹⁵^(Q)He who has ears to hear,^[e] let him hear.