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, “The LORD says, ‘Set your house in order, for you will die, and not live.’”

And it came to pass at that time, [that] Ezekias was sick even to death. And Esaias the prophet the son of Amos came to him, and said to him, Thus says the Lord, Give orders concerning your house: for you shall die, and not live.

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

And Ezekias turned his face to the wall, and prayed to the Lord, saying,

3 and said, “Remember now, 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.

Remember, O Lord, how I have walked before you in truth, with a true heart, and have done that which was pleasing in your sight. And Ezekias wept bitterly.

4 Then the LORD’s word came to Isaiah, saying,

And the word of the Lord came to Esaias, saying, Go, and say to Ezekias,

5 “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.

Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father, I have heard your prayer, and seen your tears: behold, I [will] add to your time fifteen years.

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 deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of the Assyrians: and I will defend this city.

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

And this [shall be] a sign to you from the Lord, that God will do this thing;

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 turn back the shadow of the degrees [of the dial] by which ten degrees on the house of your father the sun has gone down—I will turn back the sun the ten degrees; so the sun went back the ten degrees by which the shadow had gone down.

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

THE PRAYER OF EZEKIAS KING OF JUDEA, WHEN HE HAD BEEN SICK, AND WAS 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 end of my days, I shall go to the gates of the grave: I shall part with the remainder of my years. (Sheol h7585)

11 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.

I said, I shall no more at all see the salvation of God in the land of the living: I shall no more at all see the salvation of Israel on the earth: I shall no more at all see man.

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 life] has failed from among my kindred: I have parted with the remainder of my life: it has gone forth and departed from me, as one that having pitched a tent takes it down [again]: my breath was with me as a weaver's web, when she that weaves draws near to cut off [the] thread.

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.

In that day I was given up as to a lion until the morning: so has he broken all my bones: for I was so given up from day [even] to night.

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.”

As a swallow, so will I cry, and as a dove, so do I mourn: for mine eyes have failed with looking to the height of heaven to the Lord, who has delivered me, and removed the sorrow of my soul.

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.

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

[Yes], O Lord, for it was told you concerning this; and you have revived my breath; and I am comforted, and 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.

For you have chosen my soul, that it should not perish: and you have cast all [my] sins behind me.

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 they that are in the grave shall not praise you, neither shall the dead bless you, neither shall they that are in Hades hope for your mercy. (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 shall bless you, as I also [do]: for from this day shall I beget children, who shall declare your righteousness,

20 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.

O God of my salvation; and I will not cease blessing you with the lute all the days of my life before the house of God.

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 Esaias had said to Ezekias; Take a cake of figs, and mash them, and apply them as a plaster, and you shall be well.

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

And Ezekias said, This is a sign to Ezekias, that I shall go up to the house of God.