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.'

About that time, Hezekiah became [very] ill and was close to dying. [So] I went to see him. And I gave him this message: “This is what Yahweh says: ‘You should tell the people in your palace what you want them to do after you die, because you will not recover from this illness. You are going to die’”

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

Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed this:

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.

“Yahweh, do not forget that I have always served you very faithfully, and I have done things that pleased you!” Then Hezekiah [started to] cry loudly.

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

[I left his room, but] Yahweh gave me this message:

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 [back] to Hezekiah and tell him that this is what I, the God to whom your ancestor King David belonged, say: ‘I have heard what you prayed, and I have seen you crying. So listen: I will enable you to live 15 years more.

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 rescue you and this city from the power [MTY] of the King of Assyria. I will defend this city.

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 is what I will do to prove that I will do what I have just now promised. I will cause the shadow of the sun to move ten steps backward on the sundial that was built by King Ahaz.’”

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.

So the shadow of the sun on the sundial moved backward ten steps.

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

When King Hezekiah was almost well again, he wrote this:

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 thought to myself, “Is it necessary for me to die and go to the place where the dead people are during this time of my life when I am still strong? Is Yahweh going to rob me of the remaining years that I [should live]?” (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 will not see Yahweh [again] in this world where people are alive. I will not see my friends again, or be with others who [now] are alive in this world.

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.

[It is as if] my life has been taken away like [SIM] a tent [whose pegs] have been pulled up by a shepherd and taken away. My time to live has been cut short, like a piece of cloth that a weaver [cuts and] rolls up [after he has finished weaving a cloth].” Suddenly, [it seemed that] my life was ending.

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 waited patiently all during the night, but [my pain was as though] [MET] I was being torn apart by lions. [It seemed that] my life was finished.

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 was delirious, and] I chirped like a swift or a swallow, and moaned like a dove. My eyes became tired looking up [toward heaven] for help. I cried out, Lord, help me, [because] I am distressed!’

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.

But there was really nothing [RHQ] that I could say and ask him to reply to me, because it was Yahweh who sent this illness. [So now] I will live humbly during my [remaining] years because I am very anguished.

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.

Yahweh, the sufferings (OR, the promises) that you give are good, [because] what you do and what you say bring [new] life and health to us. And you restore/heal me and allow me [to continue] 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.

Truly, my suffering was good for me; you loved me, and as a result you have rescued me from dying and have also forgiven all my sins.

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)

Dead people [MTY] cannot praise you; they cannot sing to praise you. Those who have descended to their graves cannot confidently expect you to faithfully [do things for them]. (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.

Only people who are still alive, like I am, can praise you. Fathers tell their children how you are faithful, [and if I remain alive, I will do the same thing].

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.

[I know that] Yahweh will fully heal me, [so] I will sing to praise him while others praise him playing musical instruments; I will do that every day of my life, in the temple of Yahweh.”

21 And Isaiah said: 'Let them take a cake of figs, and lay it for a plaster upon the boil, and he shall recover.'

I had [previously] said to Hezekiah’s servants, “Prepare an ointment from [mashed] figs, and spread it on his boil, and then he will recover.” [So they did that, and Hezekiah recovered].

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

And Hezekiah had [previously] asked, “What will Yahweh do to prove that I will [recover and be able to] go to his temple?”