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’s Sickness and Recovery
1About that time Hezekiah became deathly ill, and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to visit him. He gave the king this message: “This is what the Lord says: ‘Set your affairs in order, for you are going to die. You will not recover from this illness.’”
2When Hezekiah heard this, he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, 3“Remember, O Lord, how I have always been faithful to you and have served you single-mindedly, always doing what pleases you.” Then he broke down and wept bitterly.
4Then this message came to Isaiah from the Lord: 5“Go back to Hezekiah and tell him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your ancestor David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will add fifteen years to your life, 6and I will rescue you and this city from the king of Assyria. Yes, I will defend this city.
7“‘And this is the sign from the Lord to prove that he will do as he promised: 8I will cause the sun’s shadow to move ten steps backward on the sundial#38:8 Hebrew the steps. of Ahaz!’” So the shadow on the sundial moved backward ten steps.
Hezekiah’s Poem of Praise
9When King Hezekiah was well again, he wrote this poem:
10I said, “In the prime of my life,
must I now enter the place of the dead?#38:10 Hebrew enter the gates of Sheol?
Am I to be robbed of the rest of my years?”
11I said, “Never again will I see the Lord God
while still in the land of the living.
Never again will I see my friends
or be with those who live in this world.
12My life has been blown away
like a shepherd’s tent in a storm.
It has been cut short,
as when a weaver cuts cloth from a loom.
Suddenly, my life was over.
13I waited patiently all night,
but I was torn apart as though by lions.
Suddenly, my life was over.
14Delirious, I chattered like a swallow or a crane,
and then I moaned like a mourning dove.
My eyes grew tired of looking to heaven for help.
I am in trouble, Lord. Help me!”
15But what could I say?
For he himself sent this sickness.
Now I will walk humbly throughout my years
because of this anguish I have felt.
16Lord, your discipline is good,
for it leads to life and health.
You restore my health
and allow me to live!
17Yes, this anguish was good for me,
for you have rescued me from death
and forgiven all my sins.
18For the dead#38:18 Hebrew Sheol. cannot praise you;
they cannot raise their voices in praise.
Those who go down to the grave
can no longer hope in your faithfulness.
19Only the living can praise you as I do today.
Each generation tells of your faithfulness to the next.
20Think of it—the Lord is ready to heal me!
I will sing his praises with instruments
every day of my life
in the Temple of the Lord.
21Isaiah had said to Hezekiah’s servants, “Make an ointment from figs and spread it over the boil, and Hezekiah will recover.”
22And Hezekiah had asked, “What sign will prove that I will go to the Temple of the Lord?”
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Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation.
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