Isaiah 38

1 In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came to him and said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Put your house in order, for you are about to die; you will not recover.’”

About this time Hezekiah fell very sick and was about to die. The prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz, went to him and said, “This is what the Lord says: Put your affairs in order, because you are going to die. You won't recover.”

2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD,

When Hezekiah heard this, he went to pray privately to the Lord, saying

3 saying, “Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before You faithfully and with wholehearted devotion; I have done what was good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

“Please remember Lord how I have followed you faithfully with all my heart. I have done what is good in your sight.” Then Hezekiah cried and cried.

4 And the word of the LORD came to Isaiah, saying,

Then the Lord sent a message to Isaiah, saying,

5 “Go and tell Hezekiah that this is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: ‘I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life.

“Go and tell Hezekiah, This is what the Lord, the God of your forefather David, says: I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears. I will add fifteen years to your life.

6 And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city.

I will save you and this city from the king of Assyria. I will defend this city.

7 This will be a sign to you from the LORD that He will do what He has promised:

This is the sign from the Lord to you that the Lord will do what he promised:

8 I will make the sun’s shadow that falls on the stairway of Ahaz go back ten steps.’” So the sunlight went back the ten steps it had descended.

Look, I will make the shadow made by the sun go back the ten steps that it has gone down on the stairway of Ahaz. So the sun went back the ten steps that it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.”

9 This is a writing by Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery:

This is what Hezekiah, king of Judah, wrote after he recovered from his sickness:

10 I said, “In the prime of my life I must go through the gates of Sheol and be deprived of the remainder of my years.” (Sheol h7585)

I said to myself, “Do I have to go to my death just as my life is going well? Why can't I count on the rest of my years?” (Sheol h7585)

11 I said, “I will never again see the LORD, even the LORD, in the land of the living; I will no longer look on mankind with those who dwell in this world.

I said, “I will never again see the Lord, the Lord, in the land of the living. I won't see anyone else again, none of the inhabitants of this world.

12 My dwelling has been picked up and removed from me like a shepherd’s tent. I have rolled up my life like a weaver; He cuts me off from the loom; from day until night You make an end of me.

Like a shepherd's tent, the place where I live has been pulled up and taken away from me. Like a weaver I have rolled up the cloth of my life and cut it from the loom. Day and night you bring me to an end.

13 I composed myself until the morning. Like a lion He breaks all my bones; from day until night You make an end of me.

I lie there patiently until the morning, but I feel like there's a lion breaking every bone in my body. Day and night you bring me to an end.

14 I chirp like a swallow or crane; I moan like a dove. My eyes grow weak as I look upward. O Lord, I am oppressed; be my security.”

I scream like a swift or a songbird, I moan like a dove. My eyes grow dim as I look heavenwards. I'm being attacked, Lord, please come and support me!

15 What can I say? He has spoken to me, and He Himself has done this. I will walk slowly all my years because of the anguish of my soul.

Yet what can I say? He told me what was going to happen, and he himself did it. I will walk quietly for the rest of my life because of the painful experience I went through.

16 O Lord, by such things men live, and in all of them my spirit finds life. You have restored me to health and have let me live.

Lord, we live by what you say and do, and I find life in all of this. You have given me back my health and allowed me to live.

17 Surely for my own welfare I had such great anguish; but Your love has delivered me from the pit of oblivion, for You have cast all my sins behind Your back.

It was definitely for my own good I went through this bitter experience. You in your love saved me from the pit of destruction and you have forgiven all my sins.

18 For Sheol cannot thank You; Death cannot praise You. Those who descend to the Pit cannot hope for Your faithfulness. (Sheol h7585)

Those in the grave cannot praise you, the dead cannot praise you. Those who go down into the pit can no longer hope in your faithfulness. (Sheol h7585)

19 The living, only the living, can thank You, as I do today; fathers will tell their children about Your faithfulness.

It's only the living who can praise you as I'm doing today. Parents explain to their children how you can be trusted.

20 The LORD will save me; we will play songs on stringed instruments all the days of our lives in the house of the LORD.

The Lord saved me! We will sing my songs with stringed instruments all the days of our lives in the Lord's Temple.”

21 Now Isaiah had said, “Prepare a lump of pressed figs and apply it to the boil, and he will recover.”

Isaiah had said, “Prepare a dressing of figs and spread it on the skin sores so he may recover.”

22 And Hezekiah had asked, “What will be the sign that I will go up to the house of the LORD?”

Hezekiah had asked, “What is the sign to confirm that I will go to the Lord's Temple?”