Isaiah Chapter 35
Showing all 10 verses for Isaiah Chapter 35.
The People's Bible is written by people, for the people. Each verse below shows:
"The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. "
"The wilderness and the dry, lonely land will be glad; the desert will rejoice and blossom like a rose."
Whatever feels most barren and hopeless in your life right now is not necessarily the final word - real transformation, even in the driest seasons, is possible. Don't write off any part of your life as permanently a desert.
"It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God. "
"It will burst into bloom, celebrating with joy and singing; it will be given the splendour of Lebanon's forests, the beauty of Carmel and Sharon. People will see the glory of the LORD, the majesty of our God."
Don't put a ceiling on what real change can look like - sometimes what seems most broken ends up more beautiful than you ever expected, not despite the hard season but through it. Hold space for that kind of possibility.
"Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. "
"Strengthen hands that have gone weak, steady knees that are shaking."
When someone near you is worn out or shaking with fear, your job isn't to fix everything for them - it's to steady them, encourage them, remind them they can keep standing. That kind of quiet support matters more than you might think.
"Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you. "
"Tell the fearful-hearted: be strong, don't be afraid. Look - your God is coming to set things right, coming to save you."
Fear doesn't need to be denied or shamed - it needs to be met with real reassurance and courage. Be strong for someone who can't be strong right now; that's one of the most loving things you can offer another person.
"Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. "
"Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be unblocked."
Real hope should eventually show up in something concrete, not just stay as a feeling - look for it, and where you can, be part of making it visible in someone's actual life, not just offering them comforting words.
"Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. "
"Then the lame will leap like a deer, and the mute tongue will sing for joy - because water will burst out in the wilderness, and streams will flow in the desert."
Real change tends to ripple outward - when something genuinely heals in you, it often affects more than just you; it touches the people and the world around you too. Don't underestimate how far genuine healing can spread.
"And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes. "
"The scorched ground will become a pool, and the thirsty land will have springs of water; in the place where jackals once lived, grass will grow with reeds and rushes."
No part of your life is too far gone, too dried-out, or too associated with past desolation to become something genuinely good again. Don't write off any area as permanently beyond hope of renewal.
"And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. "
"There will be a highway there, a clear path, and it will be called the Way of Holiness; no unclean person will travel it - it's for those who belong there. Even travellers who aren't especially wise won't lose their way on it."
You don't have to be the smartest or most sophisticated person to find your way to a good life - the path is clearer and more accessible than you might fear. Sincerity matters more than cleverness here.
"No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: "
"No lion will be there, no dangerous predator will come up on it - it won't be found there; only the redeemed will walk that road."
Look for the kind of path in life that's genuinely safe to walk, not just impressive to look at - real goodness protects you as you go, it doesn't just decorate the journey while leaving real dangers hidden along the way.
"And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. "
"And those the LORD has rescued will return, coming to Zion with singing, crowned with joy that never ends; they will be filled with gladness, and sorrow and sighing will disappear completely."
Hold on to the hope that grief and struggle are not meant to be permanent features of a life - real, lasting joy is possible, and it's worth walking towards even through a long, hard journey to get there.