Isaiah 38

1 In those days was Hezekiah sick and near death. Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, came to him, and said to him, "Thus says the LORD, 'Set your house in order, for you will 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 saith the Lord, Give orders concerning thy house: for thou shalt die, and not live.

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

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

3 and said, "Remember now, the LORD, I beg you, how I have walked before you in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in your sight." Hezekiah wept bitterly.

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

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

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

5 "Go, and tell Hezekiah, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father, "I have heard your prayer. I have seen your tears. Look, I will add fifteen years to your life.

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

6 I will deliver you 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 defend this city.

7 This shall be the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that he has spoken.

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

8 Look, I will cause the shadow on the steps, which has gone down with the sun on the upper steps of Ahaz, to go backward ten steps. So the sun returned ten steps on the sundial on which it had gone down."'"

behold, I will turn back the shadow of the degrees [of the dial] by which ten degrees on the house of thy 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 king of Judah, when he had been sick, and had recovered of his sickness.

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

10 I said, "In the middle of my life I go into the gates of Sheol. 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 said, "I won't see the LORD in the land of the living. I will not look on humankind any longer with the inhabitants of the world.

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 removed, and is carried away from me like a shepherd's tent. I have rolled up, like a weaver, my life. He will cut me off from the loom. From day even to night you will make an end of me.

[My life] has failed from among 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 nigh to cut off [the] thread.

13 I waited patiently until morning. He breaks all my bones like a lion. From day even to night you will 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 I chip like a swallow or a thrush. I moan like a dove. My eyes weaken looking upward. LORD, I am oppressed. Be my security."

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 will I say? He has both spoken to me, and himself has done it. I will walk carefully all my years because of the anguish of my soul.

16 The LORD is against them, but they live, and all of them who live have his spirit. Restore me to health and let me live.

[Yea], O Lord, for it was told thee concerning this; and thou hast revived my breath; and I am comforted, and live.

17 Look, for peace I had great anguish, but you have in love for my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption; for you have cast all my sins behind your back.

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

18 For Sheol can't praise you. And death can't celebrate you. And those who go down into the pit can't hope for your truth. (Sheol h7585)

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

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

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

20 The LORD will save me. Therefore we will sing my songs with stringed instruments all the days of our life in the house of the LORD.

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

21 Now Isaiah had said, "Let them take a cake of figs, and lay it for a poultice on the boil, 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 thou shalt be well.

22 Hezekiah also had said, "What is the sign that I will 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.