Isaiah 38

1 In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, came to him, and said to him, “Yahweh says, ‘Set your house in order, for you will die, and not live.’”

In those days Hezekiah became ill and was near death. And so, Isaiah, the son of Amoz, the prophet, entered to him, and he said to him: “Thus says the Lord: Put your house in order, for you shall die, and you shall not live.”

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

And Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and he prayed to the Lord.

3 and said, “Remember now, Yahweh, I beg you, how I have walked before you in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in your sight.” Then Hezekiah wept bitterly.

And he said: “I beg you, Lord, I beseech you, to remember how I walked before you in truth and with a whole heart, and that I have done what is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept with a great weeping.

4 Then Yahweh’s word came to Isaiah, saying,

And the word of the Lord came to Isaiah, saying:

5 “Go, and tell Hezekiah, ‘Yahweh, the God of David your father, says, “I have heard your prayer. I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life.

“Go and say to Hezekiah: Thus says the Lord, the God of David, your father: I have heard your prayer, and I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your days.

6 I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city.

And I will rescue you and this city from the hand of the king of the Assyrians, and I will protect it.

7 This shall be the sign to you from Yahweh, that Yahweh will do this thing that he has spoken.

And this will be a sign for you from the Lord, that the Lord will do this word, which he has spoken:

8 Behold, I will cause the shadow on the sundial, which has gone down on the sundial of Ahaz with the sun, to return backward ten steps.”’” So the sun returned ten steps on the sundial on which it had gone down.

Behold, I will cause the shadow of the lines, which has now descended on the sundial of Ahaz, to move in reverse for ten lines.” And so, the sun moved backward by ten lines, through the degrees by which it had descended.

9 The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and had recovered of his sickness:

The writing of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, after he had fallen ill and had recovered from his sickness:

10 I said, “In the middle of my life I go into the gates of Sheol. I am deprived of the residue of my years.” (Sheol h7585)

“I said: In the middle of my days, I will go to the gates of Hell. So I sought the remainder of my years. (Sheol h7585)

11 I said, “I won’t see Yah, Yah in the land of the living. I will see man no more with the inhabitants of the world.

I said: I will not see the Lord God in the land of the living. I will no longer behold man, nor the habitation of rest.

12 My dwelling is removed, and is carried away from me like a shepherd’s tent. I have rolled up my life like a weaver. He will cut me off from the loom. From day even to night you will make an end of me.

My longevity has been taken away; it has been folded up and taken from me, like the tent of a shepherd. My life has been cut off, as if by a weaver. While I was still beginning, he cut me off. From morning until evening, you have marked out my limits.

13 I waited patiently until morning. He breaks all my bones like a lion. From day even to night you will make an end of me.

I hoped, even until morning. Like a lion, so has he crushed all my bones. From morning until evening, you have marked my limits.

14 I chattered like a swallow or a crane. I moaned like a dove. My eyes weaken looking upward. Lord, I am oppressed. Be my security.”

I will cry out, like a young swallow. I will meditate, like a dove. My eyes have been weakened by gazing upward. O Lord, I suffer violence! Answer in my favor.

15 What will I say? He has both spoken to me, and himself has done it. I will walk carefully all my years because of the anguish of my soul.

What can I say, or what would he answer me, since he himself has done this? I will acknowledge to you all my years, in the bitterness of my soul.

16 Lord, men live by these things; and my spirit finds life in all of them. You restore me, and cause me to live.

O Lord, if such is life, and if the life of my spirit is of such a kind, may you correct me and may you cause me to live.

17 Behold, for peace I had great anguish, but you have in love for my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption; for you have cast all my sins behind your back.

Behold, in peace my bitterness is most bitter. But you have rescued my soul, so that it would not perish. You have cast all my sins behind your back.

18 For Sheol can’t praise you. Death can’t celebrate you. Those who go down into the pit can’t hope for your truth. (Sheol h7585)

For Hell will not confess to you, and death will not praise you. Those who descend into the pit will not hope for your truth. (Sheol h7585)

19 The living, the living, he shall praise you, as I do today. The father shall make known your truth to the children.

The living, the living, these will give praise to you, as I also do this day! The father will make the truth known to the sons.

20 Yahweh will save me. Therefore we will sing my songs with stringed instruments all the days of our life in Yahweh’s house.

O Lord, save me! And we will sing our psalms, all the days of our life, in the house of the Lord.”

21 Now Isaiah had said, “Let them take a cake of figs, and lay it for a poultice on the boil, and he shall recover.”

Now Isaiah had ordered them to take a paste of figs, and to spread it like plaster over the wound, so that he would be healed.

22 Hezekiah also had said, “What is the sign that I will go up to Yahweh’s house?”

And Hezekiah said, “What will be the sign that I may go up to the house of the Lord?”