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 that time, Hezekiah became [very] ill and was close to dying. [So] I went to see him. And I gave him this message: “This is what Yahweh says: ‘You should tell the people in your palace what you want them to do after you die, because you will not recover from this illness. You are going to die’”

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

Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed this:

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.

“Yahweh, do not forget that I have always served you very faithfully, and I have done things that pleased you!” Then Hezekiah [started to] cry loudly.

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

[I left his room, but] Yahweh gave me this message:

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 [back] to Hezekiah and tell him that this is what I, the God to whom your ancestor King David belonged, say: ‘I have heard what you prayed, and I have seen you crying. So listen: I will enable you to live 15 years more.

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 rescue you and this city from the power [MTY] 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.

And this is what I will do to prove that I will do what I have just now promised. I will cause the shadow of the sun to move ten steps backward on the sundial that was built by King Ahaz.’”

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.

So the shadow of the sun on the sundial moved backward ten steps.

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

When King Hezekiah was almost well again, he wrote this:

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 thought to myself, “Is it necessary for me to die and go to the place where the dead people are during this time of my life when I am still strong? Is Yahweh going to rob me of the remaining years that I [should live]?” (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 not see Yahweh [again] in this world where people are alive. I will not see my friends again, or be with others who [now] are alive 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.

[It is as if] my life has been taken away like [SIM] a tent [whose pegs] have been pulled up by a shepherd and taken away. My time to live has been cut short, like a piece of cloth that a weaver [cuts and] rolls up [after he has finished weaving a cloth].” Suddenly, [it seemed that] my life was ending.

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 waited patiently all during the night, but [my pain was as though] [MET] I was being torn apart by lions. [It seemed that] my life was finished.

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 was delirious, and] I chirped like a swift or a swallow, and moaned like a dove. My eyes became tired looking up [toward heaven] for help. I cried out, Lord, help me, [because] I am distressed!’

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.

But there was really nothing [RHQ] that I could say and ask him to reply to me, because it was Yahweh who sent this illness. [So now] I will live humbly during my [remaining] years because I am very anguished.

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.

Yahweh, the sufferings (OR, the promises) that you give are good, [because] what you do and what you say bring [new] life and health to us. And you restore/heal me and allow me [to continue] 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.

Truly, my suffering was good for me; you loved me, and as a result you have rescued me from dying and have also 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)

Dead people [MTY] cannot praise you; they cannot sing to praise you. Those who have descended to their graves cannot confidently expect you to faithfully [do things for them]. (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.

Only people who are still alive, like I am, can praise you. Fathers tell their children how you are faithful, [and if I remain alive, I will do the same thing].

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

[I know that] Yahweh will fully heal me, [so] I will sing to praise him while others praise him playing musical instruments; I will do that every day of my life, in the temple of Yahweh.”

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

I had [previously] said to Hezekiah’s servants, “Prepare an ointment from [mashed] figs, and spread it on his boil, and then he will recover.” [So they did that, and Hezekiah recovered].

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

And Hezekiah had [previously] asked, “What will Yahweh do to prove that I will [recover and be able to] go to his temple?”