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 sick to the point of dying. So Isaiah son of Amoz, the prophet, came to him, and said to him, “Yahweh says, 'Set your house in order; for you will die, not live.'”
2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed to the Lord,
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to Yahweh.
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.
He said, “Please, Yahweh, call to mind how I have faithfully walked before you with my whole heart, and how I have done what was good in your sight.” Then Hezekiah wept loudly.
4 Then came the worde of the Lord to Isaiah, saying,
Then the word of Yahweh 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, the leader of my people, 'This is what Yahweh, the God of David your ancestor, says: I have heard your prayer, and I have seen your tears. See, I am about to 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.
Then I will rescue you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria, and 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 will be the sign to you from Yahweh, that I will do what I have 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 cause the shadow on the stairs of Ahaz to go back ten steps.'” So the shadow went back ten steps of the stairs on which it had advanced.
9 The writing of Hezekiah King of Iudah, when he had bene sicke, and was recouered of his sickenesse.
This was the written prayer of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick and then recovered:
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 that halfway through my life I will go through the gates of Sheol; I am sent there for 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 that I will no longer see Yahweh, Yahweh in the land of the living; I will no longer look on mankind or the inhabitants of 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 life is removed and carried away from me like a shepherd's tent; I have rolled up my life like a weaver; you are cutting me off from the loom; between day and night you are ending my life.
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 cried out until the morning; like a lion he breaks all my bones. Between day and night you are ending my life.
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.
Like a swallow I chirp; I coo like a dove; my eyes grow tired with looking upward. Lord, I am oppressed; help 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.
What shall I say? He has both spoken to me, and has done it; I will walk slowly all my years because I am overcome with grief.
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, the sufferings you send are good for me; may my life be given back to me; you have restored my life and health.
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 for my benefit that I experienced such grief. You have rescued me from the pit of destruction; for you have thrown 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 Sheol does not thank you; death does not praise you; those who go down into the pit do not hope in your trustworthiness. (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 person, the living person, he is the one who gives you thanks, as I do this day; a father makes known to children your trustworthiness.
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.
Yahweh is about to save me, and we will celebrate with music all the days of our lives in the house of Yahweh.”
21 Then said Isaiah, Take a lumpe of drye figs and lay it vpon the boyle, and he shall recouer.
Now Isaiah had said, “Let them take a lump of figs and put it on the boil, and he will recover.”
22 Also Hezekiah had said, What is ye signe, that I shall goe vp into the House of the Lord?
Hezekiah also had said, “What will be the sign that I should go up to the house of Yahweh?”
