Isaiah 38
1 In those days, was Hezekiah sick, unto death, —and Isaiah the prophet son of Amoz came in unto him, and said unto him—Thus, saith Yahweh, Set in order thy house, for, about to die thou art and shalt not recover.
In those days Hezekiah became ill and was near death. And so, Isaiah, the son of Amoz, the prophet, entered to him, and he said to him: “Thus says the Lord: Put your house in order, for you shall die, and you shall not live.”
2 Then Hezekiah turned his face unto the wall, —and prayed unto Yahweh;
And Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and he prayed to the Lord.
3 and said, —I beseech thee, O Yahweh, remember, I pray thee, how I have walked before thee in faithfulness and with an undivided heart, and, that which is good in thine eyes, have I done. And Hezekiah wept aloud.
And he said: “I beg you, Lord, I beseech you, to remember how I walked before you in truth and with a whole heart, and that I have done what is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept with a great weeping.
4 Then came the word of Yahweh unto, Isaiah, saying:
And the word of the Lord came to Isaiah, saying:
5 Go, and say unto Hezekiah—Thus, saith Yahweh, the God of David thy father: I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears, —Behold me! about to add unto thy days, fifteen years;
“Go and say to Hezekiah: Thus says the Lord, the God of David, your father: I have heard your prayer, and I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your days.
6 And out of the hand of the king of Assyria, will I deliver thee, and this city; And I will throw a covering over this city.
And I will rescue you and this city from the hand of the king of the Assyrians, and I will protect it.
7 And, this, to thee, shall be the sign from Yahweh, —that Yahweh will do this thing which he hath spoken: —
And this will be a sign for you from the Lord, that the Lord will do this word, which he has spoken:
8 Behold me! causing the shadow on the steps, which hath come gone down on the steps of Ahaz with the sun, to return, backwards ten steps. So the sun returned ten steps, by the steps which it had come down.
Behold, I will cause the shadow of the lines, which has now descended on the sundial of Ahaz, to move in reverse for ten lines.” And so, the sun moved backward by ten lines, through the degrees by which it had descended.
9 the writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick and then recovered from his sickness:
The writing of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, after he had fallen ill and had recovered from his sickness:
10 I, said—In the noontide of my days, I must enter the gates of hades, —I am deprived of the residue of my years! (Sheol h7585)
“I said: In the middle of my days, I will go to the gates of Hell. So I sought the remainder of my years. (Sheol h7585)
11 I said—I shall not see Yah, Yah, in the land of the living, I shall discern the son of earth no longer, with the dwellers in the quiet land.
I said: I will not see the Lord God in the land of the living. I will no longer behold man, nor the habitation of rest.
12 My dwelling, hath been broken up. And is stripped from me, like a shepherd’s tent, —I have rolled up—as a weaver—my life From the loom, doth he cut me off, From day until night, [I said] —Thou wilt finish me.
My longevity has been taken away; it has been folded up and taken from me, like the tent of a shepherd. My life has been cut off, as if by a weaver. While I was still beginning, he cut me off. From morning until evening, you have marked out my limits.
13 I cried out, until morning, like a lion, Thus, will he break all my bones! From day until night, Thou wilt finish me!
I hoped, even until morning. Like a lion, so has he crushed all my bones. From morning until evening, you have marked my limits.
14 As a twittering swallow, so, do I chatter, I coo as a dove, —Mine eyes languish through looking on high, O My Lord! distress is upon me—my Surety!
I will cry out, like a young swallow. I will meditate, like a dove. My eyes have been weakened by gazing upward. O Lord, I suffer violence! Answer in my favor.
15 What can I say? Since he hath promised for me, Himself, will perform. I will go softly, all my years. Because of the bitterness of my soul,
What can I say, or what would he answer me, since he himself has done this? I will acknowledge to you all my years, in the bitterness of my soul.
16 O My Lord! on those things do men live, —And, altogether in them, is the life of my spirit, When thou hast strengthened me and made me live.
O Lord, if such is life, and if the life of my spirit is of such a kind, may you correct me and may you cause me to live.
17 Lo! for well-being, I had bitterness—bitterness, —But, thou, cleaving unto my soul, hast raised me from the pit of corruption, For thou hast cast, behind thy back all my sins.
Behold, in peace my bitterness is most bitter. But you have rescued my soul, so that it would not perish. You have cast all my sins behind your back.
18 For, hades, cannot praise thee Nor, death, celebrate thee, —They who go down to the pit cannot wait for thy faithfulness. (Sheol h7585)
For Hell will not confess to you, and death will not praise you. Those who descend into the pit will not hope for your truth. (Sheol h7585)
19 The living, the living, he, can praise thee, As I do this day, —A father, to his children, can make known thy faithfulness.
The living, the living, these will give praise to you, as I also do this day! The father will make the truth known to the sons.
20 Yahweh, [was willing] to save me, —Therefore, on my stringed instruments, will we play—All the days of our life By the house of Yahweh.
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 had said, Let them take a cake of figs, and let them press it over the boil, that he may recover.
Now Isaiah had ordered them to take a paste of figs, and to spread it like plaster over the wound, so that he would be healed.
22 And Hezekiah had said—What is the sign—that I shall go up unto the house of Yahweh?
And Hezekiah said, “What will be the sign that I may go up to the house of the Lord?”
