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 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.'

2 Then Hezekiah turned his face unto the wall, —and prayed unto Yahweh;

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

4 Then came the word of Yahweh unto, Isaiah, saying:

Then came the word of the LORD 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 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.

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 deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city.

7 And, this, to thee, shall be the sign from Yahweh, —that Yahweh will do this thing which he hath spoken: —

And this shall be the sign unto thee from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that He hath 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 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.

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

The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and was recovered of 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 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)

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 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.

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 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.

13 I cried out, until morning, like a lion, Thus, will he break all my bones! From day until night, Thou wilt finish me!

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.

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!

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.

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 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.

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, by these things men live, and altogether therein is the life of my spirit; wherefore recover Thou me, and make 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, 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.

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 the nether-world cannot praise Thee, death cannot celebrate Thee; they that go down into the pit cannot hope for Thy 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, he shall praise Thee, as I do this day; the father to the children shall make known Thy truth.

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.

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.

21 And Isaiah had said, Let them take a cake of figs, and let them press it over the boil, that he may recover.

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

22 And Hezekiah had said—What is the sign—that I shall go up unto the house of Yahweh?

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