Isaiah 38

1 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was near death. And so, Isaiah, the son of Amoz, the prophet, entered to him, and he said to him: “Thus says the Lord: Put your house in order, for you shall die, and you shall not live.”

About that time, Hezekiah became [very] ill and was close to dying. [So] I went to see him. And I gave him this message: “This is what Yahweh says: ‘You should tell the people in your palace what you want them to do after you die, because you will not recover from this illness. You are going to die’”

2 And Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and he prayed to the Lord.

Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed this:

3 And he said: “I beg you, Lord, I beseech you, to remember how I walked before you in truth and with a whole heart, and that I have done what is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept with a great weeping.

“Yahweh, do not forget that I have always served you very faithfully, and I have done things that pleased you!” Then Hezekiah [started to] cry loudly.

4 And the word of the Lord came to Isaiah, saying:

[I left his room, but] Yahweh gave me this message:

5 “Go and say to Hezekiah: Thus says the Lord, the God of David, your father: I have heard your prayer, and I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your days.

“Go [back] to Hezekiah and tell him that this is what I, the God to whom your ancestor King David belonged, say: ‘I have heard what you prayed, and I have seen you crying. So listen: I will enable you to live 15 years more.

6 And I will rescue you and this city from the hand of the king of the Assyrians, and I will protect it.

And, I will rescue you and this city from the power [MTY] of the King of Assyria. I will defend this city.

7 And this will be a sign for you from the Lord, that the Lord will do this word, which he has spoken:

And this is what I will do to prove that I will do what I have just now promised. I will cause the shadow of the sun to move ten steps backward on the sundial that was built by King Ahaz.’”

8 Behold, I will cause the shadow of the lines, which has now descended on the sundial of Ahaz, to move in reverse for ten lines.” And so, the sun moved backward by ten lines, through the degrees by which it had descended.

So the shadow of the sun on the sundial moved backward ten steps.

9 The writing of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, after he had fallen ill and had recovered from his sickness:

When King Hezekiah was almost well again, he wrote this:

10 “I said: In the middle of my days, I will go to the gates of Hell. So I sought the remainder of my years. (Sheol h7585)

I thought to myself, “Is it necessary for me to die and go to the place where the dead people are during this time of my life when I am still strong? Is Yahweh going to rob me of the remaining years that I [should live]?” (Sheol h7585)

11 I said: I will not see the Lord God in the land of the living. I will no longer behold man, nor the habitation of rest.

I said, “I will not see Yahweh [again] in this world where people are alive. I will not see my friends again, or be with others who [now] are alive in this world.

12 My longevity has been taken away; it has been folded up and taken from me, like the tent of a shepherd. My life has been cut off, as if by a weaver. While I was still beginning, he cut me off. From morning until evening, you have marked out my limits.

[It is as if] my life has been taken away like [SIM] a tent [whose pegs] have been pulled up by a shepherd and taken away. My time to live has been cut short, like a piece of cloth that a weaver [cuts and] rolls up [after he has finished weaving a cloth].” Suddenly, [it seemed that] my life was ending.

13 I hoped, even until morning. Like a lion, so has he crushed all my bones. From morning until evening, you have marked my limits.

I waited patiently all during the night, but [my pain was as though] [MET] I was being torn apart by lions. [It seemed that] my life was finished.

14 I will cry out, like a young swallow. I will meditate, like a dove. My eyes have been weakened by gazing upward. O Lord, I suffer violence! Answer in my favor.

[I was delirious, and] I chirped like a swift or a swallow, and moaned like a dove. My eyes became tired looking up [toward heaven] for help. I cried out, Lord, help me, [because] I am distressed!’

15 What can I say, or what would he answer me, since he himself has done this? I will acknowledge to you all my years, in the bitterness of my soul.

But there was really nothing [RHQ] that I could say and ask him to reply to me, because it was Yahweh who sent this illness. [So now] I will live humbly during my [remaining] years because I am very anguished.

16 O Lord, if such is life, and if the life of my spirit is of such a kind, may you correct me and may you cause me to live.

Yahweh, the sufferings (OR, the promises) that you give are good, [because] what you do and what you say bring [new] life and health to us. And you restore/heal me and allow me [to continue] to live!

17 Behold, in peace my bitterness is most bitter. But you have rescued my soul, so that it would not perish. You have cast all my sins behind your back.

Truly, my suffering was good for me; you loved me, and as a result you have rescued me from dying and have also forgiven all my sins.

18 For Hell will not confess to you, and death will not praise you. Those who descend into the pit will not hope for your truth. (Sheol h7585)

Dead people [MTY] cannot praise you; they cannot sing to praise you. Those who have descended to their graves cannot confidently expect you to faithfully [do things for them]. (Sheol h7585)

19 The living, the living, these will give praise to you, as I also do this day! The father will make the truth known to the sons.

Only people who are still alive, like I am, can praise you. Fathers tell their children how you are faithful, [and if I remain alive, I will do the same thing].

20 O Lord, save me! And we will sing our psalms, all the days of our life, in the house of the Lord.”

[I know that] Yahweh will fully heal me, [so] I will sing to praise him while others praise him playing musical instruments; I will do that every day of my life, in the temple of Yahweh.”

21 Now Isaiah had ordered them to take a paste of figs, and to spread it like plaster over the wound, so that he would be healed.

I had [previously] said to Hezekiah’s servants, “Prepare an ointment from [mashed] figs, and spread it on his boil, and then he will recover.” [So they did that, and Hezekiah recovered].

22 And Hezekiah said, “What will be the sign that I may go up to the house of the Lord?”

And Hezekiah had [previously] asked, “What will Yahweh do to prove that I will [recover and be able to] go to his temple?”