Isaiah 38

1 In those days hath Hezekiah been sick unto death, and come in unto him doth Isaiah son of Amoz, the prophet, and saith unto him, 'Thus said Jehovah: Give a charge to thy house, for thou [art] dying, and dost not live.'

In those days Hezekiah fell sick unto death; and there came unto him Isaiah the son of Amoz, the prophet, and said unto him, Thus hath said the Lord, Give thy charge to thy house; for thou shalt die, and not live.

2 And Hezekiah turneth round his face unto the wall, and prayeth unto Jehovah,

Then did Hezekiah turn his face to the wall, and prayed unto the Lord.

3 and saith, 'I pray thee, O Jehovah, remember, I pray Thee, how I have walked habitually before Thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, and that which [is] good in thine eyes I have done;' and Hezekiah weepeth — a great weeping.

And he said, O Lord, I beseech thee remember now that I have walked before thee in truth, and with an undivided heart, and have done what is good in thy eyes. And Hezekiah wept aloud.

4 And a word of Jehovah is unto Isaiah, saying,

Then came the word of the Lord to Isaiah, saying,

5 Go, and thou hast said to Hezekiah, Thus said Jehovah, God of David thy father, 'I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tear, lo, I am adding to thy days fifteen years,

Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus hath said 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 and out of the hand of the king of Asshur I deliver thee and this city, and have covered over this city.

And out of the hand of the king of Assyria will I deliver thee and this city; and I will shield this city.

7 And this [is] to thee the sign from Jehovah, that Jehovah doth this thing that He hath spoken.

And this shall be unto thee the sign from the Lord, that the Lord will do this thing which he hath spoken:

8 Lo, I am bringing back the shadow of the degrees that it hath gone down on the degrees of Ahaz, by the sun, backward ten degrees:' and the sun turneth back ten degrees in the degrees that it had gone down.

Behold, I will cause the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down on the dial of Achaz by the sun, to return backward ten degrees. So the sun returned ten degrees, by the degrees which he was gone down.

9 A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah concerning his being sick, when he reviveth from his sickness:

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

10 'I — I said in the cutting off of my days, I go in to the gates of Sheol, I have numbered the remnant of mine years. (Sheol h7585)

I had said, In the midst of my days, must I enter the gates of the nether world; I am deprived of the residue of my years. (Sheol h7585)

11 I said, I do not see Jah — Jah! In the land of the living, I do not behold man any more, With the inhabitants of the world.

I had said, I shall not see the Lord, the Lord, in the land of the living: I shall not behold man any more among the inhabitants of the regions of death.

12 My sojourning hath departed, And been removed from me as a shepherd's tent, I have drawn together, as a weaver, my life, By weakness it cutteth me off, From day unto night Thou dost end me.

My dwelling is broken down, and is removed from me as a shepherd's tent: I have cut off, like a weaver, my life; with pining sickness will he snatch me away: from day until night wilt thou make an end of me.

13 I have set [Him] till morning as a lion, So doth He break all my bones, From day unto night Thou dost end me.

I waited [with patience] till morning, [whether] as a lion, so would he break all my bones: from day until night wilt thou make an end of me.

14 As a crane — a swallow — so I chatter, I mourn as a dove, Drawn up have been mine eyes on high, O Jehovah, oppression [is] on me, be my surety.

Like a swallow or a crane, so did I chirp; I did moan like a dove; my eyes were lifted up on high: O Lord, I am oppressed; grant me ease.

15 — What do I say? seeing He said to me, And He Himself hath wrought, I go softly all my years for the bitterness of my soul.

What shall I speak? he hath promised it unto me, and he hath also accomplished it; I will make pilgrimages [to God's house] all my years because of the bitterness of my soul.

16 Lord, by these do [men] live, And by all in them [is] the life of my spirit, And Thou savest me, make me also to live,

O Lord, by these [things men] will live, and in all these [things] is the life of my spirit: so wilt thou give me health, and cause me to live.

17 Lo, to peace He changed for me bitterness, And Thou hast delighted in my soul without corruption, For Thou hast cast behind Thy back all my sins.

Behold, for peace I had great bitterness; but thou hast, in loving my soul, delivered it from the pit of corruption; for thou hast cast behind thy back all my sins.

18 For Sheol doth not confess Thee, Death doth not praise Thee, Those going down to the pit hope not for Thy truth. (Sheol h7585)

For the nether world will not thank thee, death will not praise thee: they that go down into the pit will not hope for thy truth. (Sheol h7585)

19 The living, the living, he doth confess Thee.

The living, the living alone shall thank thee, like me this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth.

20 Like myself to-day — a father to sons Doth make known of Thy faithfulness, O Jehovah — to save me: And my songs we sing all days of our lives In the house of Jehovah.'

The Lord is there to help me; therefore we will play my hymns all the days of our life in the house of the Lord.

21 And Isaiah saith, 'Let them take a bunch of figs, and plaster over the ulcer, and he liveth.'

And Isaiah had said, Let them take a lump of figs, and lay it for a plaster upon the inflammation, and he shall recover.

22 And Hezekiah saith, 'What [is] the sign that I go up to the house of Jehovah!'

And Hezekiah had said, What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the Lord?