< 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.’”
In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him: 'Thus saith the LORD: Set thy house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.'
2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD,
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD,
3 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.
and said: 'Remember now, O LORD, I beseech Thee, how I have walked before Thee in truth and with a whole heart, and have done that which is good in Thy sight.' And Hezekiah wept sore.
4 Then the LORD’s word came to Isaiah, saying,
Then came the word of the LORD to Isaiah, saying:
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.
'Go, 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.
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 thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; 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 the sign unto thee from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that He hath spoken:
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 cause the shadow of the dial, which is gone down on the sun-dial of Ahaz, to return backward ten degrees.' So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down.
9 The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and had recovered of his sickness:
The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness.
10 I said, "In the middle of my life I go into the gates of Sheol (Sheol h7585). I am deprived of the residue of my years."
I said: In the noontide of my days I shall go, even to the gates of the nether-world; I am deprived of the residue of my years. (Sheol h7585)
11 I said, “I will not 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 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.
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 habitation is plucked up and 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 thrum; from day even to night wilt Thou make an end of me.
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.
The more I make myself like unto a lion until morning, the more it breaketh all my bones; from day even to night wilt Thou make an end of me.
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.”
Like a swallow or a crane, so do I chatter, I do moan as a dove; mine eyes fail with looking upward. O LORD, I am oppressed, be Thou my surety.
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.
What shall I say? He hath both spoken unto me, and Himself hath done it; I shall go softly all my years for the bitterness 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.
O Lord, by these things men live, and altogether therein is the life of my spirit; wherefore recover Thou me, and make me to 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.
Behold, for my 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.
18 For Sheol (Sheol h7585) cannot praise you. Death cannot celebrate you. Those who go down into the pit cannot hope for your truth.
For the nether-world cannot praise Thee, death cannot celebrate Thee; they that go down into the pit cannot hope for Thy truth. (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, the living, he shall praise Thee, as I do this day; the father to the children shall make known Thy truth.
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.
The LORD is ready to save me; therefore we will sing songs to the stringed instruments all the days of our life in the house of the LORD.
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.”
And Isaiah said: 'Let them take a cake of figs, and lay it for a plaster upon the boil, and he shall recover.'
22 Hezekiah also had said, “What is the sign that I will go up to the LORD’s house?”
And Hezekiah said. 'What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the LORD?'

< Isaiah 38 >