Isaiæ 38

1 In diebus illis ægrotavit Ezechias usque ad mortem: et introivit ad eum Isaias filius Amos propheta, et dixit ei: Hæc dicit Dominus: Dispone domui tuæ, quia morieris tu, et non vives.

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 Et convertit Ezechias faciem suam ad parietem, et oravit ad Dominum,

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

3 et dixit: Obsecro Domine, memento quæso quomodo ambulaverim coram te in veritate, et in corde perfecto, et quod bonum est in oculis tuis fecerim. Et flevit Ezechias fletu magno.

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 Et factum est verbum Domini ad Isaiam, dicens:

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

5 Vade, et dic Ezechiæ: Hæc dicit Dominus Deus David patris tui: Audivi orationem tuam, et vidi lacrymas tuas: ecce ego adiiciam super dies tuos quindecim annos:

“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 et de manu regis Assyriorum eruam te, et civitatem istam, et protegam eam.

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

7 Hoc autem tibi erit signum a Domino, quia faciet Dominus verbum hoc, quod locutus est:

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

8 Ecce ego reverti faciam umbram linearum, per quas descenderat in horologio Achaz in sole, retrorsum decem lineis. Et reversus est sol decem lineis per gradus, quos descenderat.

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 Scriptura Ezechiæ regis Iuda cum ægrotasset, et convaluisset de infirmitate sua.

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

10 Ego dixi: In dimidio dierum meorum vadam ad portas inferi. Quæsivi residuum annorum meorum. (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 Dixi: Non videbo Dominum Deum in terra viventium. Non aspiciam hominem ultra, et habitatorem quietis.

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 Generatio mea ablata est; et convoluta est a me, quasi tabernaculum pastorum: Præcisa est velut a texente, vita mea: dum adhuc ordirer, succidit me: de mane usque ad vesperam finies 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 Sperabam usque ad mane, quasi leo sic contrivit omnia ossa mea: De mane usque ad vesperam finies 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 sicut pullus hirundinis sic clamabo, meditabor ut columba: Attenuati sunt oculi mei, suspicientes in excelsum: Domine vim patior, responde pro me.

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 Quid dicam, aut quid respondebit mihi, cum ipse fecerit? Recogitabo tibi omnes annos meos in amaritudine animæ meæ.

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 Domine si sic vivitur, et in talibus vita spiritus mei, corripies me, et vivificabis me.

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 Ecce in pace amaritudo mea amarissima: Tu autem eruisti animam meam ut non periret, proiecisti post tergum tuum omnia peccata mea.

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 Quia non infernus confitebitur tibi, neque mors laudabit te: non expectabunt qui descendunt in lacum, veritatem tuam. (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 Vivens, vivens ipse confitebitur tibi, sicut et ego hodie: pater filiis notam faciet veritatem tuam.

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 Domine salvum me fac, et psalmos nostros cantabimus cunctis diebus vitæ nostræ in domo Domini.

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

21 Et iussit Isaias ut tollerent massam de ficis, et cataplasmarent super vulnus, et sanaretur.

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 Et dixit Ezechias: Quod erit signum quia ascendam in domum Domini?

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