Isaiah 38
38
1About this time Hezekiah fell very sick and was about to die. The prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz, went to him and said, “This is what the Lord says: Put your affairs in order, because you are going to die. You won't recover.”
2When Hezekiah heard this, he went to pray privately#38:2. “Privately”: literally, “turned his face to the wall.” to the Lord, saying 3“Please remember Lord how I have followed you faithfully with all my heart. I have done what is good in your sight.” Then Hezekiah cried and cried.
4Then the Lord sent a message to Isaiah, saying, 5“Go and tell Hezekiah, This is what the Lord, the God of your forefather David, says: I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears. I will add fifteen years to your life. 6I will save you and this city from the king of Assyria. I will defend this city.
7This is the sign from the Lord to you that the Lord will do what he promised: 8Look, I will make the shadow made by the sun go back the ten steps that it has gone down on the stairway of Ahaz. So the sun went back the ten steps that it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.”
9This is what Hezekiah, king of Judah, wrote after he recovered from his sickness:
10I said to myself, “Do I have to go to my death#38:10. “Death” literally, “gates of Sheol.” just as my life is going well? Why can't I count on the rest of my years?”
11I said, “I will never again see the Lord, the Lord, in the land of the living. I won't see anyone else again, none of the inhabitants of this world. 12Like a shepherd's tent, the place where I live#38:12. “The place where I live”: referring to his body. has been pulled up and taken away from me. Like a weaver I have rolled up the cloth of my life and cut it from the loom. Day and night you bring me to an end. 13I lie there patiently until the morning, but I feel like there's a lion breaking every bone in my body. Day and night you bring me to an end. 14I scream like a swift or a songbird,#38:14. “Songbird”: some have suggested “thrush,” but the meaning is uncertain. It was certainly meant to reflect a plaintive, sad cry, and therefore the common translation of “crane” is certainly incorrect. I moan like a dove. My eyes grow dim as I look heavenwards. I'm being attacked, Lord, please come and support me!
15Yet what can I say? He told me what was going to happen, and he himself did it.#38:15. Referring to his illness. I will walk quietly for the rest of my life because of the painful experience I went through. 16Lord, we live by what you say and do, and I find life in all of this. You have given me back my health and allowed me to live. 17It was definitely for my own good I went through this bitter experience. You in your love saved me from the pit of destruction and you have forgiven all my sins. 18Those in the grave cannot praise you, the dead cannot praise you. Those who go down into the pit can no longer hope in your faithfulness. 19It's only the living who can praise you as I'm doing today. Parents explain to their children how you can be trusted. 20The Lord saved me! We will sing my songs with stringed instruments all the days of our lives in the Lord's Temple.”
21Isaiah had said, “Prepare a dressing of figs and spread it on the skin sores so he may recover.” 22Hezekiah had asked, “What is the sign to confirm that I will go to the Lord's Temple?”
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Isaiah 38: FBV
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com
Isaiah 38
38
Hezekiah’s Illness
1At that time Hezekiah became very sick. He was almost dead. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to see him. Isaiah told him, “This is what the Lord says: You are going to die. So you should give your last orders to everyone. You will not get well.”
2Hezekiah turned toward the wall and prayed to the Lord. 3He said, “Lord, please remember that I have always obeyed you. I have given myself completely to you. I have done what you said was right.” And Hezekiah cried loudly.
4Then the Lord spoke his word to Isaiah: 5“Go to Hezekiah and tell him: ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your ancestor David, says: I have heard your prayer. And I have seen your tears. I will add 15 years to your life. 6I will save you and this city from the king of Assyria. I will defend this city.’”
21# These verses are generally found at the end of chapter 38. But the same story in 2 Kings 20:6–9 shows the events happened in this order. Then Isaiah said, “Make a paste from figs. Put it on Hezekiah’s boil. Then he will get well.”
22Hezekiah asked Isaiah, “What will be the sign? What will show that I will go up to the Temple of the Lord?”
7Isaiah said, “The Lord will do what he says. This is the sign from the Lord to show you: 8The sun has made a shadow go down the stairway of Ahaz. I will make it go back ten steps.” So the shadow made by the sun went back up the ten steps it had gone down.
9After Hezekiah king of Judah got well, he wrote this song:
10I said, “I am in the middle of my life.
Do I have to go through the gates where the dead are now?
Will I have the rest of my life taken away from me?”
11I said, “I will not see the Lord
in the land of the living again.
I will not again see the people
who live on the earth.
12Like a shepherd’s tent,
my home has been pulled down and taken from me.
I am finished like the cloth
a weaver rolls up and cuts from the loom.
In one day you brought me to this end.
13All night I cried loudly.
Like a lion, he crushed all my bones.
In one day you brought me to this end.
14I cried like a bird.
I moaned like a dove.
My eyes became tired as I looked to the heavens.
Lord, I have troubles. Please help me.”
15What can I say?
The Lord told me what would happen and then made it happen.
I have had these troubles in my soul.
So now I will be humble all my life.
16Lord, because of you, men live.
Because of you, my spirit also lives.
You made me well and let me live.
17It was for my own good
that I had such troubles.
Because you love me very much,
you did not let me die.
You threw my sins
far away.
18People in the place where the dead are cannot praise you.
Those who have died cannot sing praises to you.
Those who die don’t trust you
to help them.
19The people who are alive are the ones who praise you.
They praise you as I praise you today.
A father should tell his children
that you provide help.
20The Lord saved me.
So we will sing and play songs.
We will make music in the Temple of the Lord
all the days of our lives.
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