Isaiah 38

1 In those days Hezekiah fell sick unto death; and there came unto him Isaiah the son of Amoz, the prophet, and said unto him, Thus hath said the Lord, Give thy charge to thy house; for thou shalt die, and not live.

In those days Hezekiah was 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.’”

2 Then did Hezekiah turn his face to the wall, and prayed unto the Lord.

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

3 And he said, O Lord, I beseech thee remember now that I have walked before thee in truth, and with an undivided heart, and have done what is good in thy eyes. And Hezekiah wept aloud.

and 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.” Then Hezekiah wept bitterly.

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

Then Yahweh’s word came to Isaiah, saying,

5 Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus hath said 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.

“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.

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

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

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

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

8 Behold, I will cause the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down on the dial of Achaz by the sun, to return backward ten degrees. So the sun returned ten degrees, by the degrees which he was 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 the king of Judah, when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness:

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

10 I had said, In the midst of my days, must I enter the gates of the nether world; I am deprived of the residue of my years. (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 had said, I shall not see the Lord, the Lord, in the land of the living: I shall not behold man any more among the inhabitants of the regions of death.

I 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.

12 My dwelling is broken down, and is removed from me as a shepherd's tent: I have cut off, like a weaver, my life; with pining sickness will he snatch me away: from day until night wilt thou make an end of me.

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 waited [with patience] till morning, [whether] as a lion, so would he break all my bones: from day until night wilt thou make an end of me.

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 Like a swallow or a crane, so did I chirp; I did moan like a dove; my eyes were lifted up on high: O Lord, I am oppressed; grant me ease.

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 shall I speak? he hath promised it unto me, and he hath also accomplished it; I will make pilgrimages [to God's house] all my years because of the bitterness of my soul.

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, by these [things men] will live, and in all these [things] is the life of my spirit: so wilt thou give me health, and cause me to live.

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

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

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 nether world will not thank thee, death will not praise thee: they that go down into the pit will not hope for thy truth. (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 alone shall thank thee, like me this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth.

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

20 The Lord is there to help me; therefore we will play my hymns all the days of our life in the house of the Lord.

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

21 And Isaiah had said, Let them take a lump of figs, and lay it for a plaster upon the inflammation, and he shall recover.

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

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