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

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

Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to 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 said, “Remember now, the LORD, 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.

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

Then the LORD’s word came 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 tell Hezekiah, ‘The LORD, 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.

6 and out of the hand of the king of Asshur I deliver thee and this city, and have covered over this city.

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

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

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

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

The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and had 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 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)

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

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 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.

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 patiently until morning. He breaks all my bones like a lion. From day even to night you will 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.

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.”

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 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.

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,

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

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 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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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