< 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.’”
那時希西家病得要死,亞摩斯的兒子先知以賽亞去見他,對他說:「耶和華如此說:你當留遺命與你的家,因為你必死不能活了。」
2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD,
希西家就轉臉朝牆,禱告耶和華說:
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.
「耶和華啊,求你記念我在你面前怎樣存完全的心,按誠實行事,又做你眼中所看為善的。」希西家就痛哭了。
4 Then the LORD’s word came to Isaiah, saying,
耶和華的話臨到以賽亞說:
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.
「你去告訴希西家說,耶和華-你祖大衛的上帝如此說:我聽見了你的禱告,看見了你的眼淚。我必加增你十五年的壽數;
6 I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city.
並且我要救你和這城脫離亞述王的手,也要保護這城。
7 This shall be the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that he has spoken.
「我-耶和華必成就我所說的。我先給你一個兆頭,
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.
就是叫亞哈斯的日晷,向前進的日影往後退十度。」於是,前進的日影果然在日晷上往後退了十度。
9 The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and had recovered of his sickness:
猶大王希西家患病已經痊癒,就作詩說:
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)
我說:正在我中年之日 必進入陰間的門; 我餘剩的年歲不得享受。 (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.
我說:我必不得見耶和華, 就是在活人之地不見耶和華; 我與世上的居民不再見面。
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.
我的住處被遷去離開我, 好像牧人的帳棚一樣; 我將性命捲起, 像織布的捲布一樣。 耶和華必將我從機頭剪斷, 從早到晚,他要使我完結。
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.
我使自己安靜直到天亮; 他像獅子折斷我一切的骨頭, 從早到晚,他要使我完結。
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.”
我像燕子呢喃, 像白鶴鳴叫, 又像鴿子哀鳴; 我因仰觀,眼睛困倦。 耶和華啊,我受欺壓, 求你為我作保。
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.
我可說甚麼呢? 他應許我的,也給我成就了。 我因心裏的苦楚, 在一生的年日必悄悄而行。
16 Lord, men live by these things; and my spirit finds life in all of them. You restore me, and cause me to live.
主啊,人得存活乃在乎此。 我靈存活也全在此。 所以求你使我痊癒,仍然存活。
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.
看哪,我受大苦,本為使我得平安; 你因愛我的靈魂便救我脫離敗壞的坑, 因為你將我一切的罪扔在你的背後。
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)
原來,陰間不能稱謝你, 死亡不能頌揚你; 下坑的人不能盼望你的誠實。 (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.
只有活人,活人必稱謝你, 像我今日稱謝你一樣。 為父的,必使兒女知道你的誠實。
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.
耶和華肯救我, 所以,我們要一生一世 在耶和華殿中 用絲弦的樂器唱我的詩歌。
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.”
以賽亞說:「當取一塊無花果餅來,貼在瘡上,王必痊癒。」
22 Hezekiah also had said, “What is the sign that I will go up to the LORD’s house?”
希西家問說:「我能上耶和華的殿,有甚麼兆頭呢?」

< Isaiah 38 >