Isaiah 38

1 In those days Hezekiah was sick to the point of dying. So Isaiah son of Amoz, the prophet, came to him, and said to him, “Yahweh says, 'Set your house in order; for you will die, not live.'”

In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came to him and said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Put your house in order, for you are about to die; you will not recover.’”

2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to Yahweh.

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

3 He said, “Please, Yahweh, call to mind how I have faithfully walked before you with my whole heart, and how I have done what was good in your sight.” Then Hezekiah wept loudly.

saying, “Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before You faithfully and with wholehearted devotion; I have done what was good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

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

And the word of the LORD came to Isaiah, saying,

5 “Go and say to Hezekiah, the leader of my people, 'This is what Yahweh, the God of David your ancestor, says: I have heard your prayer, and I have seen your tears. See, I am about to add fifteen years to your life.

“Go and tell Hezekiah that this is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: ‘I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life.

6 Then I will rescue you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city.

And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city.

7 This will be the sign to you from Yahweh, that I will do what I have promised.

This will be a sign to you from the LORD that He will do what He has promised:

8 Look, I will cause the shadow on the stairs of Ahaz to go back ten steps.'” So the shadow went back ten steps of the stairs on which it had advanced.

I will make the sun’s shadow that falls on the stairway of Ahaz go back ten steps.’” So the sunlight went back the ten steps it had descended.

9 This was the written prayer of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick and then recovered:

This is a writing by Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery:

10 “I said that halfway through my life I will go through the gates of Sheol; I am sent there for the rest of my years. (Sheol h7585)

I said, “In the prime of my life I must go through the gates of Sheol and be deprived of the remainder of my years.” (Sheol h7585)

11 I said that I will no longer see Yahweh, Yahweh in the land of the living; I will no longer look on mankind or the inhabitants of the world.

I said, “I will never again see the LORD, even the LORD, in the land of the living; I will no longer look on mankind with those who dwell in this world.

12 My life is removed and carried away from me like a shepherd's tent; I have rolled up my life like a weaver; you are cutting me off from the loom; between day and night you are ending my life.

My dwelling has been picked up and removed from me like a shepherd’s tent. I have rolled up my life like a weaver; He cuts me off from the loom; from day until night You make an end of me.

13 I cried out until the morning; like a lion he breaks all my bones. Between day and night you are ending my life.

I composed myself until the morning. Like a lion He breaks all my bones; from day until night You make an end of me.

14 Like a swallow I chirp; I coo like a dove; my eyes grow tired with looking upward. Lord, I am oppressed; help me.

I chirp like a swallow or crane; I moan like a dove. My eyes grow weak as I look upward. O Lord, I am oppressed; be my security.”

15 What shall I say? He has both spoken to me, and has done it; I will walk slowly all my years because I am overcome with grief.

What can I say? He has spoken to me, and He Himself has done this. I will walk slowly all my years because of the anguish of my soul.

16 Lord, the sufferings you send are good for me; may my life be given back to me; you have restored my life and health.

O Lord, by such things men live, and in all of them my spirit finds life. You have restored me to health and have let me live.

17 It was for my benefit that I experienced such grief. You have rescued me from the pit of destruction; for you have thrown all my sins behind your back.

Surely for my own welfare I had such great anguish; but Your love has delivered me from the pit of oblivion, for You have cast all my sins behind Your back.

18 For Sheol does not thank you; death does not praise you; those who go down into the pit do not hope in your trustworthiness. (Sheol h7585)

For Sheol cannot thank You; Death cannot praise You. Those who descend to the Pit cannot hope for Your faithfulness. (Sheol h7585)

19 The living person, the living person, he is the one who gives you thanks, as I do this day; a father makes known to children your trustworthiness.

The living, only the living, can thank You, as I do today; fathers will tell their children about Your faithfulness.

20 Yahweh is about to save me, and we will celebrate with music all the days of our lives in the house of Yahweh.”

The LORD will save me; we will play songs on stringed instruments all the days of our lives in the house of the LORD.

21 Now Isaiah had said, “Let them take a lump of figs and put it on the boil, and he will recover.”

Now Isaiah had said, “Prepare a lump of pressed figs and apply it to the boil, and he will recover.”

22 Hezekiah also had said, “What will be the sign that I should go up to the house of Yahweh?”

And Hezekiah had asked, “What will be the sign that I will go up to the house of the LORD?”