Isaiah 38

1 In those days Hezekiah was ill and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, came to him, and said to him, The Lord says, Put your house in order; for your death is near.

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, turning his face to the wall, made his prayer to the Lord, saying,

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

3 O Lord, keep in mind how I have been true to you with all my heart, and have done what is good in your eyes. And Hezekiah gave way to bitter weeping.

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.

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

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

5 Go to Hezekiah, and say, The Lord, the God of David, your father, says, Your prayer has come to my ears, and I have seen your weeping: see, I will give you fifteen more years of life.

“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 I will keep you and this town safe from the hands of the king of Assyria: and I will keep watch over this town.

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

7 And Isaiah said, This is the sign the Lord will give you, that he will do what he has said:

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

8 See, I will make the shade which has gone down on the steps of Ahaz with the sun, go back ten steps. So the shade went back the ten steps by which 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 The writing of Hezekiah, king of Judah, after he had been ill, and had got better from his disease.

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

10 I said, In the quiet of my days I am going down into the underworld: the rest of my years are being taken away from me. (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 will not see the Lord, even the Lord in the land of the living: I will not see man again or those living in 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 resting-place is pulled up and taken away from me like a herdsman's tent: my life is rolled up like a linen-worker's thread; I am cut off from the cloth on the frame: from day even to night you give me up to pain.

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 am crying out with pain till the morning; it is as if a lion was crushing all my bones.

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 I make cries like a bird; I give out sounds of grief like a dove: my eyes are looking up with desire; O Lord, I am crushed, take up my cause.

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 am I to say? seeing that it is he who has done it: all my time of sleeping I am turning from side to side without rest.

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 O Lord, for this cause I am waiting for you, give rest to my spirit: make me well again, and let me come back to life.

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

17 See, in place of peace my soul had bitter sorrow. but you have kept back my soul from the underworld; for you have put all my sins out of your memory.

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 the underworld is not able to give you praise, death gives you no honour: for those who go down into the underworld there is no hope in your mercy. (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 man, he will give you praise, as I do this day: the father will give the story of your mercy to his children.

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

20 O Lord, quickly be my saviour; so we will make my songs to corded instruments all the days of our lives in the house of the Lord.

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 said, Let them take a cake of figs, and put it on the diseased place, and he will get well.

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 said, What is the sign that I will go up to the house of the Lord?

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