Isaiah 38
1 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.”
那時希西家病得要死，亞摩斯的兒子先知以賽亞去見他，對他說：「耶和華如此說：你當留遺命與你的家，因為你必死不能活了。」
2 When Hezekiah heard this, he went to pray privately to the Lord, saying
希西家就轉臉朝牆，禱告耶和華說：
3 “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.
「耶和華啊，求你記念我在你面前怎樣存完全的心，按誠實行事，又做你眼中所看為善的。」希西家就痛哭了。
4 Then the Lord sent a message to Isaiah, saying,
耶和華的話臨到以賽亞說：
5 “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.
「你去告訴希西家說，耶和華－你祖大衛的上帝如此說：我聽見了你的禱告，看見了你的眼淚。我必加增你十五年的壽數；
6 I will save you and this city from the king of Assyria. I will defend this city.
並且我要救你和這城脫離亞述王的手，也要保護這城。
7 This is the sign from the Lord to you that the Lord will do what he promised:
「我－耶和華必成就我所說的。我先給你一個兆頭，
8 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.”
就是叫亞哈斯的日晷，向前進的日影往後退十度。」於是，前進的日影果然在日晷上往後退了十度。
9 This is what Hezekiah, king of Judah, wrote after he recovered from his sickness:
猶大王希西家患病已經痊癒，就作詩說：
10 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)
我說：正在我中年之日 必進入陰間的門； 我餘剩的年歲不得享受。 (Sheol h7585)
11 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.
我說：我必不得見耶和華， 就是在活人之地不見耶和華； 我與世上的居民不再見面。
12 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.
我的住處被遷去離開我， 好像牧人的帳棚一樣； 我將性命捲起， 像織布的捲布一樣。 耶和華必將我從機頭剪斷， 從早到晚，他要使我完結。
13 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.
我使自己安靜直到天亮； 他像獅子折斷我一切的骨頭， 從早到晚，他要使我完結。
14 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!
我像燕子呢喃， 像白鶴鳴叫， 又像鴿子哀鳴； 我因仰觀，眼睛困倦。 耶和華啊，我受欺壓， 求你為我作保。
15 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.
我可說甚麼呢？ 他應許我的，也給我成就了。 我因心裏的苦楚， 在一生的年日必悄悄而行。
16 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.
主啊，人得存活乃在乎此。 我靈存活也全在此。 所以求你使我痊癒，仍然存活。
17 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.
看哪，我受大苦，本為使我得平安； 你因愛我的靈魂便救我脫離敗壞的坑， 因為你將我一切的罪扔在你的背後。
18 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)
原來，陰間不能稱謝你， 死亡不能頌揚你； 下坑的人不能盼望你的誠實。 (Sheol h7585)
19 It's only the living who can praise you as I'm doing today. Parents explain to their children how you can be trusted.
只有活人，活人必稱謝你， 像我今日稱謝你一樣。 為父的，必使兒女知道你的誠實。
20 The Lord saved me! We will sing my songs with stringed instruments all the days of our lives in the Lord's Temple.”
耶和華肯救我， 所以，我們要一生一世 在耶和華殿中 用絲弦的樂器唱我的詩歌。
21 Isaiah had said, “Prepare a dressing of figs and spread it on the skin sores so he may recover.”
以賽亞說：「當取一塊無花果餅來，貼在瘡上，王必痊癒。」
22 Hezekiah had asked, “What is the sign to confirm that I will go to the Lord's Temple?”
希西家問說：「我能上耶和華的殿，有甚麼兆頭呢？」
