Isaiah — Chapter 38

1In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came to him and said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Put your house in order, for you are about to die; you will not recover.’”

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

3saying, “Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before You faithfully and with wholehearted devotion; I have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

4And the word of the LORD came to Isaiah, saying,

5“Go and tell Hezekiah that this is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: ‘I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life.

6And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city.

7This will be a sign to you from the LORD that He will do what He has promised:

8I will make the sun’s shadow that falls on the stairway of Ahaz go back ten steps.’” So the sunlight went back the ten steps it had descended.

9This is a writing by Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery:

10I said, “In the prime of my life I must go through the gates of Sheol and be deprived of the remainder of my years.”

11I said, “I will never again see the LORD, even the LORD, in the land of the living; I will no longer look on mankind with those who dwell in this world.

12My dwelling has been picked up and removed from me like a shepherd’s tent. I have rolled up my life like a weaver; He cuts me off from the loom; from day until night You make an end of me.

13I composed myself until the morning. Like a lion He breaks all my bones; from day until night You make an end of me.

14I chirp like a swallow or crane; I moan like a dove. My eyes grow weak as I look upward. O Lord, I am oppressed; be my security.”

15What can I say? He has spoken to me, and He Himself has done this. I will walk slowly all my years because of the anguish of my soul.

16O Lord, by such things men live, and in all of them my spirit finds life. You have restored me to health and have let me live.

17Surely for my own welfare I had such great anguish; but Your love has delivered me from the pit of oblivion, for You have cast all my sins behind Your back.

18For Sheol cannot thank You; Death cannot praise You. Those who descend to the Pit cannot hope for Your faithfulness.

19The living, only the living, can thank You, as I do today; fathers will tell their children about Your faithfulness.

20The LORD will save me; we will play songs on stringed instruments all the days of our lives in the house of the LORD.

21Now Isaiah had said, “Prepare a lump of pressed figs and apply it to the boil, and he will recover.”

22And Hezekiah had asked, “What will be the sign that I will go up to the house of the LORD?”

1In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live.

2Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the LORD,

3And said, Remember now, O LORD, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.

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

5Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith 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.

6And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria: and I will defend this city.

7And this shall be a sign unto thee from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that he hath spoken;

8Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the sun dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down.

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

10I said in the cutting off of my days, I shall go to the gates of the grave: I am deprived of the residue of my years.

11I said, I shall not see the LORD, even the LORD, in the land of the living: I shall behold man no more with the inhabitants of the world.

12Mine age is departed, and is removed from me as a shepherd’s tent: I have cut off like a weaver my life: he will cut me off with pining sickness: from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me.

13I reckoned till morning, that, as a lion, so will he break all my bones: from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me.

14Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove: mine eyes fail with looking upward: O LORD, I am oppressed; undertake for me.

15What shall I say? he hath both spoken unto me, and himself hath done it: I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul.

16O Lord, by these things men live, and in all these things is the life of my spirit: so wilt thou recover me, and make me to live.

17Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.

18For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.

19The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth.

20The LORD was ready to save me: therefore we will sing my songs to the stringed instruments all the days of our life in the house of the LORD.

21For Isaiah had said, Let them take a lump of figs, and lay it for a plaister upon the boil, and he shall recover.

22Hezekiah also had said, What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the LORD?

1In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith Jehovah, Set thy house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.

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

3and said, Remember now, O Jehovah, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.

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

5Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith Jehovah, 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.

6And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city.

7And this shall be the sign unto thee from Jehovah, that Jehovah will do this thing that he hath spoken:

8behold, I will cause the shadow on the steps, which is gone down on the dial of Ahaz with the sun, to return backward ten steps. So the sun returned ten steps on the dial whereon it was gone down.

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

10I said, In the noontide of my days I shall go into the gates of Sheol: I am deprived of the residue of my years.

11I said, I shall not see Jehovah, [even] Jehovah in the land of the living: I shall behold man no more with the inhabitants of the world.

12My dwelling is removed, and is carried away from me as a shepherd`s tent: I have rolled up, like a weaver, my life; he will cut me off from the loom: From day even to night wilt thou make an end of me.

13I quieted [myself] until morning; as a lion, so he breaketh all my bones: From day even to night wilt thou make an end of me.

14Like a swallow [or] a crane, so did I chatter; I did moan as a dove; mine eyes fail [with looking] upward: O Lord, I am oppressed, be thou my surety.

15What shall I say? he hath both spoken unto me, and himself hath done it: I shall go softly all my years because of the bitterness of my soul.

16O Lord, by these things men live; And wholly therein is the life of my spirit: Wherefore recover thou me, and make me to live.

17Behold, [it was] for [my] peace [that] I had great bitterness: But thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption; For thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.

18For Sheol cannot praise thee, death cannot celebrate thee: They that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.

19The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: The father to the children shall make known thy truth.

20Jehovah is [ready] to save me: Therefore we will sing my songs with stringed instruments All the days of our life in the house of Jehovah.

21Now Isaiah had said, Let them take a cake of figs, and lay it for a plaster upon the boil, and he shall recover.

22Hezekiah also had said, What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of Jehovah?

1In those days Hezekiah was stricken with a terminal illness. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz visited him and told him, “This is what the Lord says, ‘Give instructions to your household, for you are about to die; you will not get well.’”

2Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord,

3“Please, Lord. Remember how I have served you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion, and how I have carried out your will.” Then Hezekiah wept bitterly.

4The Lord’s message came to Isaiah,

5“Go and tell Hezekiah: ‘This is what the Lord God of your ancestor David says: “I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look, I will add 15 years to your life.

6I will also rescue you and this city from the king of Assyria. I will shield this city.”’”

7Isaiah replied, “This is your sign from the Lord confirming that the Lord will do what he has said:

8Look, I will make the shadow go back 10 steps on the stairs of Ahaz.” And then the shadow went back 10 steps.

9This is the prayer of King Hezekiah of Judah when he was sick and then recovered from his illness:

10“I thought, ‘In the middle of my life I must walk through the gates of Sheol, I am deprived of the rest of my years.’

11“I thought, ‘I will no longer see the Lord in the land of the living, I will no longer look on humankind with the inhabitants of the world.

12My dwelling place is removed and taken away from me as a shepherd’s tent. I rolled up my life like a weaver rolls cloth; from the loom he cuts me off. You turn day into night and end my life.

13I cry out until morning; like a lion he shatters all my bones; you turn day into night and end my life.

14Like a swallow or a thrush I chirp, I coo like a dove; my eyes grow tired from looking up to the sky. O Lord, I am oppressed; help me!

15What can I say? He has decreed and acted. I will walk slowly all my years because I am overcome with grief.

16O Lord, your decrees can give men life; may years of life be restored to me. Restore my health and preserve my life.’

17“Look, the grief I experienced was for my benefit. You delivered me from the Pit of oblivion. For you removed all my sins from your sight.

18Indeed Sheol does not give you thanks; death does not praise you. Those who descend into the Pit do not anticipate your faithfulness.

19The living person, the living person, he gives you thanks, as I do today. A father tells his sons about your faithfulness.

20The Lord is about to deliver me, and we will celebrate with music for the rest of our lives in the Lord’s temple.”

21(Isaiah ordered, “Let them take a fig cake and apply it to the ulcerated sore and he will get well.”

22Hezekiah said, “What is the confirming sign that I will go up to the Lord’s temple?”)

1In those days was Hezekiah 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.’”

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

3and 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.” Hezekiah wept bitterly.

4Then Yahweh’s word 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.

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

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

8Behold, 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.”’”

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

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

11I 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.

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

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

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

15What 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.

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

17Behold, 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.

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

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

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

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

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