Isaiah 38

1 In those days has Hezekiah been sick to death, and Isaiah son of Amoz, the prophet, comes to him and says to him, “Thus said YHWH: Give a charge to your house, for you [are] dying, and do not live.”

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 And Hezekiah turns around his face to the wall, and prays to YHWH,

When Hezekiah heard this, he went to pray privately to the Lord, saying

3 and says, “Ah, now, O YHWH, please remember how I have habitually walked before You in truth, and with a perfect heart, and I have done that which [is] good in your eyes”; and Hezekiah weeps [with] a great weeping.

“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 And a word of YHWH is to Isaiah, saying,

Then the Lord sent a message to Isaiah, saying,

5 “Go, and you have said to Hezekiah, Thus said YHWH, God of your father David: I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tear, behold, I am adding fifteen years to your days,

“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 out of the hand of the king of Asshur I deliver you and this city, and have covered over this city.

I will save you and this city from the king of Assyria. I will defend this city.

7 And this [is] to you the sign from YHWH, that YHWH does this thing that He has spoken.

This is the sign from the Lord to you that the Lord will do what he promised:

8 Behold, I am bringing back the shadow of the degrees that it has gone down on the degrees of Ahaz, by the sun, backward ten degrees”; and the sun turns back ten degrees in the degrees that it had gone down.

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 A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah concerning his being sick when he revives from his sickness:

This is what Hezekiah, king of Judah, wrote after he recovered from his sickness:

10 “I said in the cutting off of my days, I go to the gates of Sheol, I have numbered the remnant of my years. (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 do not see YAH—YAH! In the land of the living, I do not behold man anymore, With 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 My sojourning has departed, And been removed from me as a shepherd’s tent, I have drawn together, as a weaver, my life, By weakness it cuts me off, From day to night You end 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 have set [Him] as a lion until morning, So He breaks all my bones, From day to night You end 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 As a crane—a swallow—so I chatter, I mourn as a dove, My eyes have been drawn up on high, O YHWH, oppression [is] on me, be my guarantor.

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 do I say? Seeing He spoke to me, And He Himself has worked, I go softly all my years for the bitterness of my soul.

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 Lord, [men] live by these, And by all in them [is] the life of my spirit, And You save me, make me to also live,

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 Behold, He changed bitterness to peace for me, And You have delighted in my soul without corruption, For You have cast all my sins behind Your back.

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 Sheol does not confess You, Death does not praise You, Those going down to the pit do not hope for Your truth. (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 The living, the living, he confesses You,

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 Like myself today; A father makes known to [his] sons of Your faithfulness, O YHWH—to save me: And we sing my songs all [the] days of our lives In the house of YHWH.”

The Lord saved me! We will sing my songs with stringed instruments all the days of our lives in the Lord's Temple.”

21 And Isaiah says, “Let them take a bunch of figs, and plaster over the ulcer, and he lives.”

Isaiah had said, “Prepare a dressing of figs and spread it on the skin sores so he may recover.”

22 And Hezekiah says, “What [is] the sign that I go up to the house of YHWH?”

Hezekiah had asked, “What is the sign to confirm that I will go to the Lord's Temple?”