Isaiah 38
38
King Hezekiah's Illness and Recovery
(2 Kgs 20.1–11; 2 Chr 32.24–26)
1About this time King Hezekiah fell ill and almost died. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to see him and said to him, “The LORD tells you that you are to put everything in order because you will not recover. Get ready to die.”
2Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed: 3“Remember, LORD, that I have served you faithfully and loyally, and that I have always tried to do what you wanted me to.” And he began to cry bitterly.
4Then the LORD commanded Isaiah 5to go back to Hezekiah and say to him, “I, the LORD, the God of your ancestor David, have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will let you live fifteen years longer. 6I will rescue you and this city of Jerusalem from the emperor of Assyria, and I will continue to protect the city.”
21 # 38.21 Verses 21–22 are moved here from the end of the chapter (see 2 Kgs 20.6–9). Isaiah told the king to put a paste made of figs on his boil, and he would get well. 22Then King Hezekiah asked, “What is the sign to prove that I will be able to go to the Temple?”
7Isaiah replied, “The LORD will give you a sign to prove that he will keep his promise. 8On the stairway built by King Ahaz, the LORD will make the shadow go back ten steps.” And the shadow moved back ten steps.#38.8 stairway… ten steps… steps; or sundial… ten degrees… degrees (see 2 Kgs 20.9–11).
9After Hezekiah recovered from his illness, he wrote this song of praise:
10I thought that in the prime of life
I was going to the world of the dead,
Never to live out my life.
11I thought that in this world of the living
I would never again see the LORD
Or any living person.
12My life was cut off and ended,
Like a tent that is taken down,
Like cloth that is cut from a loom.
I thought that God was ending my life.#38.12 I thought… my life; Hebrew unclear.
13All night I cried out with pain,
As if a lion were breaking my bones.
I thought that God was ending my life.#38.13 Verse 13 in Hebrew is unclear.
14My voice was thin and weak,
And I moaned like a dove.
My eyes grew tired from looking to heaven.
Lord, rescue me from all this trouble.
15What can I say? The LORD has done this.
My heart is bitter, and I cannot sleep.
16Lord, I will live for you, for you alone;
Heal me and let me live.#38.16 Verses 15–16 in Hebrew are unclear.
17My bitterness will turn into peace.
You save#38.17 Some ancient translations save; Hebrew love. my life from all danger;
You forgive all my sins.
18No one in the world of the dead can praise you;
The dead cannot trust in your faithfulness.
19It is the living who praise you,
As I praise you now.
Parents tell their children how faithful you are.
20 LORD, you have healed me.
We will play harps and sing your praise,
Sing praise in your Temple as long as we live.#38.20 Verses 21–22 are placed after verse 6.
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Isaiah 38: GNBUK
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.
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?”
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