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?”
Currently Selected:
Isaiah 38: FBV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
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
1In those days, Hezekiah became sick to death, and Isaiah son of Amoz, the prophet, came to him and said to him, “Thus says Yahweh: ‘Order your house, for you are about to die, and you shall not recover.’ ” 2Then#Or “And” Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to Yahweh, 3and he said, “O Yahweh, please remember how#Or “that” I have walked before your presence#Literally “face” in faithfulness with a whole heart, and I have done the good in your eyes!” And Hezekiah wept with great weeping.
4Then#Or “And” the word of Yahweh came#Or “was” to Isaiah, saying, 5“Go and say to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says Yahweh, the God of David your ancestor:#Or “father” “I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look, I am going to#Literally, “Behold me; he will add,” but in this context it makes better sense to change the “he” to “I”; most translations follow this emendation add fifteen years to your days. 6And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city.” ’
7And this is the sign to you from Yahweh, that Yahweh will do this thing that he has spoken: 8Look! I will cause the shadow of the steps, which it had gone down on the steps of Ahaz with the sun, to turn backwards ten steps.” And the sun turned back ten steps on the steps which it had gone down.
9A writing of Hezekiah, king of Judah, when he was sick and had recovered from his sickness:
10I was the one who said, “I must go in the quiet of my days;
I am summoned through the gates of Sheol for the rest of my years.”
11I said, “I shall not see Yah! Yah in the land of the living!
I shall no more look at humankind among the inhabitants of the world.
12My dwelling place is pulled up and removed from me like the tent of my shepherd;
I have rolled up my life like a weaver.
He cuts me off from the thrum;
from day to night you bring me to an end.
13I lie down#Or “cry out” until morning;
like a lion, so he breaks all my bones;
from day to night you bring me to an end.
14Like a horse or a crane, so I chirp;
I moan like a dove.
My eyes are weak toward the height.
Lord, I have oppression; lend me support!
15What can I say? For#Or “And” he has spoken to me,
and he himself has done it.
I will walk slowly all my years because of the bitterness of my soul.
16Lord, they live by them, and the life of my spirit belongs to all among them.
And restore me to health and keep me alive!
17Look! Bitterness was bitter to me for peace.
And you were the one who loved#Or possibly “kept back,” which sounds similar in Hebrew my life from the pit of destruction,
for you have cast all my sins behind your back.
18For Sheol cannot praise you; death cannot praise you.
Those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness.
19The living, the living one praises you like me today;
a father will make your faithfulness known to children.
20Yahweh, save me, and we will play my music on stringed instruments all the days of our lives at the temple#Or “house” of Yahweh.”
21And Isaiah said, “Let them take#Literally “lift up” a lump of figs, and let them rub it on the boil so that#Or “and” he may recover.” 22And Hezekiah said, “What is the sign that I shall go up to the temple#Or “house” of Yahweh?”
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
2010 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software