Isaiah 38

1 About that time was Hezekiah sicke vnto the death, and the Prophet Isaiah sonne of Amoz came vnto him, and sayd vnto him, Thus sayth the Lord, Put thine house in an order, for thou shalt dye, and not liue.

In those days Hezekiah was ill and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, came to him, and said to him, The Lord says, Put your house in order; for your death is near.

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

And Hezekiah, turning his face to the wall, made his prayer to the Lord, saying,

3 And saide, I beseeche thee, Lord, remember nowe howe I haue walked before thee in trueth, and with a perfite heart, and haue done that which is good in thy sight: and Hezekiah wept sore.

O Lord, keep in mind how I have been true to you with all my heart, and have done what is good in your eyes. And Hezekiah gave way to bitter weeping.

4 Then came the worde of the Lord to Isaiah, saying,

Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah, saying,

5 Goe, and say vnto Hezekiah, Thus saith the Lord God of Dauid thy father, I haue heard thy prayer, and seene thy teares: behold, I will adde vnto thy dayes fifteene yeeres.

Go to Hezekiah, and say, The Lord, the God of David, your father, says, Your prayer has come to my ears, and I have seen your weeping: see, I will give you fifteen more years of life.

6 And I will deliuer thee out of the hand of the King of Asshur, and this citie: for I will defende this citie.

And I will keep you and this town safe from the hands of the king of Assyria: and I will keep watch over this town.

7 And this signe shalt thou haue of ye Lord, that ye Lord will do this thing that he hath spoken,

And Isaiah said, This is the sign the Lord will give you, that he will do what he has said:

8 Beholde, I will bring againe the shadowe of the degrees (whereby it is gone downe in the diall of Ahaz by the sunne) ten degrees backeward: so the sunne returned by tenne degrees, by the which degrees it was gone downe.

See, I will make the shade which has gone down on the steps of Ahaz with the sun, go back ten steps. So the shade went back the ten steps by which it had gone down.

9 The writing of Hezekiah King of Iudah, when he had bene sicke, and was recouered of his sickenesse.

The writing of Hezekiah, king of Judah, after he had been ill, and had got better from his disease.

10 I saide in the cutting off of my dayes, I shall goe to the gates of the graue: I am depriued of the residue of my yeeres. (Sheol h7585)

I said, In the quiet of my days I am going down into the underworld: the rest of my years are being taken away from me. (Sheol h7585)

11 I said, I shall not see the Lord, euen the Lord in the land of the liuing: I shall see man no more among the inhabitants of the world.

I said, I will not see the Lord, even the Lord in the land of the living: I will not see man again or those living in the world.

12 Mine habitation is departed, and is remoued from me, like a shepheards tent: I haue cut off like a weauer my life: he will cut me off from the height: from day to night, thou wilt make an ende of me.

My resting-place is pulled up and taken away from me like a herdsman's tent: my life is rolled up like a linen-worker's thread; I am cut off from the cloth on the frame: from day even to night you give me up to pain.

13 I rekoned to the morning: but he brake all my bones, like a lion: from day to night wilt thou make an ende of me.

I am crying out with pain till the morning; it is as if a lion was crushing all my bones.

14 Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourne as a doue: mine eies were lift vp on high: O Lord, it hath oppressed me, comfort me.

I make cries like a bird; I give out sounds of grief like a dove: my eyes are looking up with desire; O Lord, I am crushed, take up my cause.

15 What shall I say? for he hath said it to me, and he hath done it: I shall walke weakely all my yeeres in the bitternesse of my soule.

What am I to say? seeing that it is he who has done it: all my time of sleeping I am turning from side to side without rest.

16 O Lord, to them that ouerliue them, and to all that are in them, the life of my spirite shalbe knowen, that thou causedst me to sleepe and hast giuen life to me.

O Lord, for this cause I am waiting for you, give rest to my spirit: make me well again, and let me come back to life.

17 Beholde, for felicitie I had bitter griefe, but it was thy pleasure to deliuer my soule from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sinnes behinde thy backe.

See, in place of peace my soul had bitter sorrow. but you have kept back my soul from the underworld; for you have put all my sins out of your memory.

18 For the graue cannot confesse thee: death cannot praise thee: they that goe downe into the pit, cannot hope for thy trueth. (Sheol h7585)

For the underworld is not able to give you praise, death gives you no honour: for those who go down into the underworld there is no hope in your mercy. (Sheol h7585)

19 But the liuing, the liuing, he shall confesse thee, as I doe this day: the father to the children shall declare thy trueth.

The living, the living man, he will give you praise, as I do this day: the father will give the story of your mercy to his children.

20 The Lord was ready to saue me: therefore we will sing my song, all the dayes of our life in the House of the Lord.

O Lord, quickly be my saviour; so we will make my songs to corded instruments all the days of our lives in the house of the Lord.

21 Then said Isaiah, Take a lumpe of drye figs and lay it vpon the boyle, and he shall recouer.

And Isaiah said, Let them take a cake of figs, and put it on the diseased place, and he will get well.

22 Also Hezekiah had said, What is ye signe, that I shall goe vp into the House of the Lord?

And Hezekiah said, What is the sign that I will go up to the house of the Lord?