Isaiah 38

1 In those days Hezekiah fell sick unto death; and there came unto him Isaiah the son of Amoz, the prophet, and said unto him, Thus hath said the Lord, Give thy charge to thy house; for thou shalt die, and not live.

And it came to pass at that time, [that] Ezekias was sick even to death. And Esaias the prophet the son of Amos came to him, and said to him, Thus says the Lord, Give orders concerning your house: for you shall die, and not live.

2 Then did Hezekiah turn his face to the wall, and prayed unto the Lord.

And Ezekias turned his face to the wall, and prayed to the Lord, saying,

3 And he said, O Lord, I beseech thee remember now that I have walked before thee in truth, and with an undivided heart, and have done what is good in thy eyes. And Hezekiah wept aloud.

Remember, O Lord, how I have walked before you in truth, with a true heart, and have done that which was pleasing in your sight. And Ezekias wept bitterly.

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

And the word of the Lord came to Esaias, saying, Go, and say to Ezekias,

5 Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus hath said 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.

Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father, I have heard your prayer, and seen your tears: behold, I [will] add to your time fifteen years.

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

And I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of the Assyrians: and I will defend this city.

7 And this shall be unto thee the sign from the Lord, that the Lord will do this thing which he hath spoken:

And this [shall be] a sign to you from the Lord, that God will do this thing;

8 Behold, I will cause the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down on the dial of Achaz by the sun, to return backward ten degrees. So the sun returned ten degrees, by the degrees which he was gone down.

behold, I will turn back the shadow of the degrees [of the dial] by which ten degrees on the house of your father the sun has gone down—I will turn back the sun the ten degrees; so the sun went back the ten degrees by which the shadow had gone down.

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

THE PRAYER OF EZEKIAS KING OF JUDEA, WHEN HE HAD BEEN SICK, AND WAS RECOVERED FROM HIS SICKNESS.

10 I had said, In the midst of my days, must I enter the gates of the nether world; I am deprived of the residue of my years. (Sheol h7585)

I said in the end of my days, I shall go to the gates of the grave: I shall part with the remainder of my years. (Sheol h7585)

11 I had said, I shall not see the Lord, the Lord, in the land of the living: I shall not behold man any more among the inhabitants of the regions of death.

I said, I shall no more at all see the salvation of God in the land of the living: I shall no more at all see the salvation of Israel on the earth: I shall no more at all see man.

12 My dwelling is broken down, and is removed from me as a shepherd's tent: I have cut off, like a weaver, my life; with pining sickness will he snatch me away: from day until night wilt thou make an end of me.

[My life] has failed from amongst my kindred: I have parted with the remainder of my life: it has gone forth and departed from me, as one that having pitched a tent takes it down [again]: my breath was with me as a weaver's web, when she that weaves draws near to cut off [the] thread.

13 I waited [with patience] till morning, [whether] as a lion, so would he break all my bones: from day until night wilt thou make an end of me.

In that day I was given up as to a lion until the morning: so has he broken all my bones: for I was so given up from day [even] to night.

14 Like a swallow or a crane, so did I chirp; I did moan like a dove; my eyes were lifted up on high: O Lord, I am oppressed; grant me ease.

As a swallow, so will I cry, and as a dove, so do I mourn: for mine eyes have failed with looking to the height of heaven to the Lord, who has delivered me, and removed the sorrow of my soul.

15 What shall I speak? he hath promised it unto me, and he hath also accomplished it; I will make pilgrimages [to God's house] all my years because of the bitterness of my soul.

16 O Lord, by these [things men] will live, and in all these [things] is the life of my spirit: so wilt thou give me health, and cause me to live.

[Yes], O Lord, for it was told you concerning this; and you have revived my breath; and I am comforted, and live.

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

For you have chosen my soul, that it should not perish: and you have cast all [my] sins behind me.

18 For the nether world will not thank thee, death will not praise thee: they that go down into the pit will not hope for thy truth. (Sheol h7585)

For they that are in the grave shall not praise you, neither shall the dead bless you, neither shall they that are in Hades hope for your mercy. (Sheol h7585)

19 The living, the living alone shall thank thee, like me this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth.

The living shall bless you, as I also [do]: for from this day shall I beget children, who shall declare your righteousness,

20 The Lord is there to help me; therefore we will play my hymns all the days of our life in the house of the Lord.

O God of my salvation; and I will not cease blessing you with the lute all the days of my life before the house of God.

21 And Isaiah had said, Let them take a lump of figs, and lay it for a plaster upon the inflammation, and he shall recover.

Now Esaias had said to Ezekias; Take a cake of figs, and mash them, and apply them as a plaster, and you shall be well.

22 And Hezekiah had said, What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the Lord?

And Ezekias said, This is a sign to Ezekias, that I shall go up to the house of God.