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 to him, 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 toward the wall, and made his supplication to Jehovah.

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 beseech thee, O Jehovah, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thine eyes! And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

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

Then came the word of Jehovah to Isaiah,

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 in and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of David thy father: I have heard thy prayer; I have seen thy tears. Behold, I will add to thy life 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 from 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 to thee from Jehovah, that Jehovah will do that which 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 upon the dial, which hath gone down upon the dial of Ahaz with the sun, to go back ten degrees. So the sun went back ten degrees, which degrees it had 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 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: “Now, in the quiet of my days, shall I go down to the gates of the under-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: “No more shall I see Jehovah, Jehovah in the land of the living. I shall behold man no more Among the inhabitants of stillness.

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 torn away and removed from me, Like a shepherd's tent; My life is rolled up as by the weaver; He cutteth me off from the thrum; Between morning and 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!

I waited till morning, and like a lion Did he crush all my bones; “Between morning and 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 did I twitter; I did mourn as a dove; Mine eyes failed with looking upward; “O Lord, I am in distress; O, deliver me!”

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 promised it, and he hath done it; I will walk humbly all my life On account of 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.

Lord, it is thus that men live; From thee alone cometh the life of my spirit; Thou hast restored me, and caused 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, my anguish is changed into ease; In love thou hast delivered me from the pit of destruction; 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 under-world cannot praise thee; The realms of death cannot celebrate thee; They that go down to the pit cannot wait for thy faithfulness. (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 praise thee, as I do this day; The father to the children shall make known thy faithfulness.

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.

Jehovah hath saved me; Therefore will we sing our songs with stringed instruments, All the days of our life, In the house of Jehovah.

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 said, let them take a lump of figs, and bruise them, and lay them upon the ulcer, and he shall recover.

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

Hezekiah also had said, What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of Jehovah?