Isaiah 38

1 In those days Hezekiah was sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, Thus saith Jehovah: Set thy house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.

In those days hath Hezekiah been sick unto death, and come in unto him doth Isaiah son of Amoz, the prophet, and saith unto him, 'Thus said Jehovah: Give a charge to thy house, for thou [art] dying, and dost not live.'

2 And Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed to Jehovah,

And Hezekiah turneth round his face unto the wall, and prayeth unto Jehovah,

3 and said, Ah, Jehovah, remember, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept much.

and saith, 'I pray thee, O Jehovah, remember, I pray Thee, how I have walked habitually before Thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, and that which [is] good in thine eyes I have done;' and Hezekiah weepeth — a great weeping.

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

And a word of Jehovah is unto Isaiah, saying,

5 Go and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of David thy father: I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add to thy days fifteen years.

Go, and thou hast said to Hezekiah, Thus said Jehovah, God of David thy father, 'I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tear, lo, I am adding to thy days fifteen years,

6 And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city.

and out of the hand of the king of Asshur I deliver thee and this city, and have covered over this city.

7 And this [shall be] the sign to thee from Jehovah, that Jehovah will do this thing that he hath spoken:

And this [is] to thee the sign from Jehovah, that Jehovah doth this thing that He hath spoken.

8 behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees which hath gone down with the sun on the dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned on the dial ten degrees, by which it had gone down.

Lo, I am bringing back the shadow of the degrees that it hath gone down on the degrees of Ahaz, by the sun, backward ten degrees:' and the sun turneth back ten degrees in the degrees that it had gone down.

9 The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick and had recovered from his sickness:

A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah concerning his being sick, when he reviveth from his sickness:

10 I said, In the meridian of my days I shall go to the gates of Sheol: I am deprived of the rest of my years. (Sheol h7585)

'I — I said in the cutting off of my days, I go in to the gates of Sheol, I have numbered the remnant of mine years. (Sheol h7585)

11 I said, I shall not see Jah, Jah in the land of the living. With those who dwell where all has ceased to be, I shall behold man no more.

I said, I do not see Jah — Jah! In the land of the living, I do not behold man any more, With the inhabitants of the world.

12 Mine age is departed, and is removed from me as a shepherd's tent. I have cut off like a weaver my life. He separateth me from the thrum: — from day to night thou wilt make an end of me.

My sojourning hath departed, And been removed from me as a shepherd's tent, I have drawn together, as a weaver, my life, By weakness it cutteth me off, From day unto night Thou dost end me.

13 I kept still until the morning; ...as a lion, so doth he break all my bones. From day to night thou wilt make an end of me.

I have set [Him] till morning as a lion, So doth He break all my bones, From day unto night Thou dost end me.

14 Like a swallow [or] a crane, so did I chatter; I mourned as a dove; mine eyes failed [with looking] upward: Lord, I am oppressed; undertake for me.

As a crane — a swallow — so I chatter, I mourn as a dove, Drawn up have been mine eyes on high, O Jehovah, oppression [is] on me, be my surety.

15 What shall I say? He hath both spoken unto me, and himself hath done [it]. I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul.

— What do I say? seeing He said to me, And He Himself hath wrought, I go softly all my years for the bitterness of my soul.

16 Lord, by these things [men] live, and in all these things is the life of my spirit; and thou hast recovered me, and made me to live.

Lord, by these do [men] live, And by all in them [is] the life of my spirit, And Thou savest me, make me also to live,

17 Behold, instead of peace I had bitterness upon bitterness; but thou hast in love delivered my soul from the pit of destruction; for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.

Lo, to peace He changed for me bitterness, And Thou hast delighted in my soul without corruption, For Thou hast cast behind Thy back all my sins.

18 For not Sheol shall praise thee, nor death celebrate thee; they that go down into the pit do not hope for thy truth. (Sheol h7585)

For Sheol doth not confess Thee, Death doth not praise Thee, Those going down to the pit hope not for Thy truth. (Sheol h7585)

19 The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth.

The living, the living, he doth confess Thee.

20 Jehovah was [purposed] to save me. — And we will play upon my stringed instruments all the days of our life, in the house of Jehovah.

Like myself to-day — a father to sons Doth make known of Thy faithfulness, O Jehovah — to save me: And my songs we sing all days of our lives In the house of Jehovah.'

21 Now Isaiah had said, Let them take a cake of figs, and lay it for a plaster upon the boil, and he shall recover.

And Isaiah saith, 'Let them take a bunch of figs, and plaster over the ulcer, and he liveth.'

22 And Hezekiah had said, What is the sign that I shall go up into the house of Jehovah?

And Hezekiah saith, 'What [is] the sign that I go up to the house of Jehovah!'