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 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 to the wall and prayed to Yahweh.

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

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 the word of Yahweh came to Isaiah, saying,

Then came the word of the LORD 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 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 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 thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city.

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

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

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.

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

The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and was recovered of 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: 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 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 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 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 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 the morning; like a lion he breaks all my bones. Between day and night you are ending my life.

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

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

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 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 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 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, the living, he shall praise Thee, as I do this day; the father to the children shall make known Thy truth.

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 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 Now Isaiah had said, “Let them take a lump of figs and put it on the boil, and he will 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 Hezekiah also had said, “What will be the sign that I should go up to the house of Yahweh?”

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