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.
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.”
2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed to the Lord,
When Hezekiah heard this, he went to pray privately 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.
“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.
4 Then came the worde of the Lord to Isaiah, saying,
Then the Lord sent a message 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 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.
6 And I will deliuer thee out of the hand of the King of Asshur, and this citie: for I will defende this citie.
I will save you and this city from the king of Assyria. I will defend this city.
7 And this signe shalt thou haue of ye Lord, that ye Lord will do this thing that he hath spoken,
This is the sign from the Lord to you that the Lord will do what he promised:
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.
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.”
9 The writing of Hezekiah King of Iudah, when he had bene sicke, and was recouered of his sickenesse.
This is what Hezekiah, king of Judah, wrote after he 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 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)
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 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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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 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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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)
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)
19 But the liuing, the liuing, he shall confesse thee, as I doe this day: the father to the children shall declare thy trueth.
It's only the living who can praise you as I'm doing today. Parents explain to their children how you can be trusted.
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.
The Lord saved me! We will sing my songs with stringed instruments all the days of our lives in the Lord's Temple.”
21 Then said Isaiah, Take a lumpe of drye figs and lay it vpon the boyle, and he shall recouer.
Isaiah had said, “Prepare a dressing of figs and spread it on the skin sores so he may recover.”
22 Also Hezekiah had said, What is ye signe, that I shall goe vp into the House of the Lord?
Hezekiah had asked, “What is the sign to confirm that I will go to the Lord's Temple?”
