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 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.”

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

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

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.

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.

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

And 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 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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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 middle of my days, I will go to the gates of Hell. So I sought the remainder of my years. (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 God in the land of the living. I will no longer behold man, nor the habitation of rest.

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 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.

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

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 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.

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 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.

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, 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.

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.

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.

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 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)

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

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, save me! And we will sing our psalms, all the days of our life, 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.

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.

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

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