Isaias (Isaiah) 38
38
1IN those days, Ezechias was sick even to death, and Isaias the son of Amos the prophet came unto him, and said to him: Thus saith the Lord: Take order with thy house, for thou shalt die, and not live.
2And Ezechias turned his face toward the wall and prayed to the Lord,
3And said: I beseech thee, O Lord, remember how I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Ezechias wept with great weeping.
4And the word of the Lord came to Isaias, saying:
5Go and say to Ezechias: Thus saith the Lord the God of David thy father: I have heard thy prayer, and I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add to thy days fifteen years.
6And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of the Assyrians: and I will protect it.
7And this shall be a sign to thee from the Lord, that the Lord will do this word which he hath spoken:
8Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the lines, by which it is now gone down in the sun-dial of Achaz with the sun, ten lines backward. And the sun returned ten lines by the degrees by which it was gone down.
9The writing of Ezechias king of Juda, when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness.
10I said: In the midst of my days I shall go to the gates of hell. I sought for the residue of my years.
11I said: I shall not see the Lord God in the land of the living. I shall behold man no more, nor the inhabitant of rest.
12My generation is at an end; and it is rolled away from me, as a shepherd's tent. My life is cut off, as by a weaver: whilst I was yet but beginning, he cut me off. From morning even to night thou wilt make an end of me.
13I hoped till morning: as a lion so hath he broken all my bones. From morning even to night thou wilt make an end of me.
14I will cry like a young swallow, I will meditate like a dove: my eyes are weakened looking upward. Lord, I suffer violence, answer thou for me.
15What shall I say, or what shall he answer for me, whereas he himself hath done it? I will recount to thee all my years in the bitterness of my soul.
16O Lord, if man's life be such, and the life of my spirit be in such things as these, thou shalt correct me and make me to live.
17Behold, in peace is my bitterness most bitter. But thou best delivered my soul that it should not perish: thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.
18For hell shall not confess to thee, neither shall death praise thee: nor shall they that go down into the pit look for thy truth.
19The living, the living, he shall give praise to thee, as I do this day: the father shall make thy truth known to the children.
20O Lord, save me, and we will sing our psalms all the days of our life in the house of the Lord.
21Now Isaias had ordered that they should take a lump of figs and lay it as it plaster upon the wound, and that he should be healed.
22And Ezechias had said: What shall be the sign that I shall go up to the house of the Lord?
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Isaias (Isaiah) 38: DRC1752
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.
Isaiah 38
38
Hezekiah Gets Sick and Almost Dies
(2 Kings 20.1-11; 2 Chronicles 32.24-26)
1About this time, Hezekiah got sick and was almost dead. So I went in and told him, “The Lord says you won't ever get well. You are going to die, and so you had better start doing what needs to be done.”
2Hezekiah turned toward the wall and prayed, 3“Don't forget that I have been faithful to you, Lord. I have obeyed you with all my heart, and I do whatever you say is right.” After this, he cried hard.
4Then the Lord sent me 5with this message for Hezekiah:
I am the Lord God, who was worshiped by your ancestor David. I heard you pray, and I saw you cry. I will let you live 15 more years, 6while I protect you and your city from the king of Assyria.
7Now I will prove to you that I will keep my promise. 8Do you see the shadow made by the setting sun on the stairway built for King Ahaz? I will make the shadow go back ten steps.
Then the shadow went back ten steps.#38.8 steps: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 8.
King Hezekiah's Song of Praise
9This is what Hezekiah wrote after he got well:
10I thought I would die
during my best years
and stay as a prisoner forever
in the world of the dead.
11I thought I would never again
see you, my Lord,
or any of the people
who live on this earth.
12My life was taken from me
like the tent that a shepherd
pulls up and moves.
You cut me off like thread
from a weaver's loom;
you make a wreck of me
day and night.
13Until morning came, I thought
you would crush my bones
just like a hungry lion;
both night and day
you make a wreck of me.#38.13 of me: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 13.
14I cry like a swallow;
I mourn like a dove.
My eyes are red
from looking to you, Lord.
I am in terrible trouble.
Please come and help me.#38.14 help me: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 14.
15There's nothing I can say
in answer to you,
since you are the one
who has done this to me.#38.15 There's … me: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
My life has turned sour;
I will limp until I die.
16Your words and your deeds
bring life to everyone,
including me.#38.16 Your … me: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Please make me healthy
and strong again.
17It was for my own good
that I had such hard times.
But your love protected me
from doom in the deep pit,#38.17 deep pit: The world of the dead, as in verse 18.
and you turned your eyes
away from my sins.
18 #
Si 17.27; Ba 2.17. No one in the world of the dead
can thank you or praise you;
none of those in the deep pit
can hope for you
to show them
how faithful you are.
19Only the living can thank you,
as I am doing today.
Each generation tells the next
about your faithfulness.#38.19 about your faithfulness: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
20You, Lord, will save me,
and every day that we live
we will sing in your temple
to the music
of stringed instruments.
Isaiah's Advice to Hezekiah
21I had told King Hezekiah's servants to put some mashed figs on the king's open sore, and he would get well. 22Then Hezekiah asked for proof that he would again worship in the Lord's temple.
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