Isaiah 38

1 In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him: 'Thus saith the LORD: Set thy house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.'

In those days Ezechias was sick even to death, and Isaias the son of Amos the prophet came unto him, and said to him: Thus saith the Lord: Take order with thy house, for thou shalt die, and not live.

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

And Ezechias turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the Lord,

3 and said: 'Remember now, O LORD, I beseech Thee, how I have walked before Thee in truth and with a whole heart, and have done that which is good in Thy sight.' And Hezekiah wept sore.

And said: I beseech thee, O Lord, remember how I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Ezechias wept with great weeping.

4 Then came the word of the LORD to Isaiah, saying:

And the word of the Lord came to Isaias, saying:

5 'Go, and say to Hezekiah: Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father: I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears; behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years.

Go and say to Ezechias: Thus saith the Lord the God of David thy father: I have heard thy prayer, and I have seen thy tears: behold I will add to thy days fifteen years:

6 And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city.

And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of the Assyrians, and I will protect it.

7 And this shall be the sign unto thee from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that He hath spoken:

And this shall be a sign to thee from the Lord, that the Lord will do this word which he hath spoken:

8 behold, I will cause the shadow of the dial, which is gone down on the sun-dial of Ahaz, to return backward ten degrees.' So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down.

Behold I will bring again the shadow of the lines, by which it is now gone down in the sun dial of Achaz with the sun, ten lines backward. And the sun returned ten lines by the degrees by which it was gone down.

9 The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness.

The writing of Ezechias king of Juda, when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness.

10 I said: In the noontide of my days I shall go, even to the gates of the nether-world; I am deprived of the residue of my years. (Sheol h7585)

I said: In the midst of my days I shall go to the gates of hell: I sought for the residue of my years. (Sheol h7585)

11 I said: I shall not see the LORD, even the LORD in the land of the living; I shall behold man no more with the inhabitants of the world.

I said: I shall not see the Lord God in the land of the living. I shall behold man no more, nor the inhabitant of rest.

12 My habitation is plucked up and carried away from me as a shepherd's tent; I have rolled up like a weaver my life; He will cut me off from the thrum; from day even to night wilt Thou make an end of me.

My generation is at an end, and it is rolled away from me, as a shepherd’s tent. My life is cut off, as by a weaver: whilst I was yet but beginning, he out me off: from morning even to night thou wilt make an end of me.

13 The more I make myself like unto a lion until morning, the more it breaketh all my bones; from day even to night wilt Thou make an end of me.

I hoped till morning, as a lion so hath he broken all my bones: from morning even to night thou wilt make an end of me.

14 Like a swallow or a crane, so do I chatter, I do moan as a dove; mine eyes fail with looking upward. O LORD, I am oppressed, be Thou my surety.

I will cry like a young swallow, I will meditate like a dove: my eyes are weakened looking upward: Lord, I suffer violence, answer thou for me.

15 What shall I say? He hath both spoken unto me, and Himself hath done it; I shall go softly all my years for the bitterness of my soul.

What shall I say, or what shall he answer for me, whereas he himself hath done it? I will recount to thee all my years in the bitterness of my soul.

16 O Lord, by these things men live, and altogether therein is the life of my spirit; wherefore recover Thou me, and make me to live.

O Lord, if man’s life be such, and the life of my spirit be in such things as these, thou shalt correct me, and make me to live.

17 Behold, for my peace I had great bitterness; but Thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption; for Thou hast cast all my sins behind Thy back.

Behold in peace is my bitterness most bitter: but thou best delivered my soul that it should not perish, thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.

18 For the nether-world cannot praise Thee, death cannot celebrate Thee; they that go down into the pit cannot hope for Thy truth. (Sheol h7585)

For hell shall not confess to thee, neither shall death praise thee: nor shall they that go down into the pit, look for thy truth. (Sheol h7585)

19 The living, the living, he shall praise Thee, as I do this day; the father to the children shall make known Thy truth.

The living, the living, he shall give praise to thee, as I do this day: the father shall make thy truth known to the children.

20 The LORD is ready to save me; therefore we will sing songs to the stringed instruments all the days 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 And Isaiah said: 'Let them take a cake of figs, and lay it for a plaster upon the boil, and he shall recover.'

Now Isaias had ordered that they should take a lump of figs, and lay it as it plaster upon the wound, and that he should be healed.

22 And Hezekiah said. 'What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the LORD?'

And Ezechias bed said: What shall be the sign that I shall go up to the house of the Lord?