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.'”
About this time Hezekiah fell very sick and was about to die. The prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz, went to him and said, “This is what the Lord says: Put your affairs in order, because you are going to die. You won't recover.”
2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to Yahweh.
When Hezekiah heard this, he went to pray privately to the Lord, saying
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.
“Please remember Lord how I have followed you faithfully with all my heart. I have done what is good in your sight.” Then Hezekiah cried and cried.
4 Then the word of Yahweh came to Isaiah, saying,
Then the Lord sent a message 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, This is what the Lord, the God of your forefather David, says: I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears. 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.
I will save you and this city from 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 is the sign from the Lord to you that the Lord will do what he 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.
Look, I will make the shadow made by the sun go back the ten steps that it has gone down on the stairway of Ahaz. So the sun went back the ten steps that it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.”
9 This was the written prayer of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick and then recovered:
This is what Hezekiah, king of Judah, wrote after he recovered from his sickness:
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 to myself, “Do I have to go to my death just as my life is going well? Why can't I count on the rest 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, the Lord, in the land of the living. I won't see anyone else again, none of the inhabitants of 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.
Like a shepherd's tent, the place where I live has been pulled up and taken away from me. Like a weaver I have rolled up the cloth of my life and cut it from the loom. Day and night you bring me to an end.
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 lie there patiently until the morning, but I feel like there's a lion breaking every bone in my body. Day and night you bring me to an end.
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 scream like a swift or a songbird, I moan like a dove. My eyes grow dim as I look heavenwards. I'm being attacked, Lord, please come and support me!
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.
Yet what can I say? He told me what was going to happen, and he himself did it. I will walk quietly for the rest of my life because of the painful experience I went through.
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.
Lord, we live by what you say and do, and I find life in all of this. You have given me back my health and allowed me to 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.
It was definitely for my own good I went through this bitter experience. You in your love saved me from the pit of destruction and you have forgiven all my sins.
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)
Those in the grave cannot praise you, the dead cannot praise you. Those who go down into the pit can no longer hope in 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.
It's only the living who can praise you as I'm doing today. Parents explain to their children how you can be trusted.
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 saved me! We will sing my songs with stringed instruments all the days of our lives in the Lord's Temple.”
21 Now Isaiah had said, “Let them take a lump of figs and put it on the boil, and he will recover.”
Isaiah had said, “Prepare a dressing of figs and spread it on the skin sores so he may recover.”
22 Hezekiah also had said, “What will be the sign that I should go up to the house of Yahweh?”
Hezekiah had asked, “What is the sign to confirm that I will go to the Lord's Temple?”
