Isaiah 38
38
1In those days hath Hezekiah been sick unto death, and come in unto him doth Isaiah son of Amoz, the prophet, and saith unto him, ‘Thus said Jehovah: Give a charge to thy house, for thou [art] dying, and dost not live.’
2And Hezekiah turneth round his face unto the wall, and prayeth unto Jehovah,
3and saith, ‘I pray thee, O Jehovah, remember, I pray Thee, how I have walked habitually before Thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, and that which [is] good in thine eyes I have done;’ and Hezekiah weepeth — a great weeping.
4And a word of Jehovah is unto Isaiah, saying,
5Go, and thou hast said to Hezekiah, Thus said Jehovah, God of David thy father, ‘I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tear, lo, I am adding to thy days fifteen years,
6and out of the hand of the king of Asshur I deliver thee and this city, and have covered over this city.
7And this [is] to thee the sign from Jehovah, that Jehovah doth this thing that He hath spoken.
8Lo, I am bringing back the shadow of the degrees that it hath gone down on the degrees of Ahaz, by the sun, backward ten degrees:’ and the sun turneth back ten degrees in the degrees that it had gone down.
9A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah concerning his being sick, when he reviveth from his sickness:
10‘I — I said in the cutting off of my days, I go in to the gates of Sheol, I have numbered the remnant of mine years.
11I said, I do not see Jah — Jah! In the land of the living, I do not behold man any more, With the inhabitants of the world.
12My sojourning hath departed, And been removed from me as a shepherd's tent, I have drawn together, as a weaver, my life, By weakness it cutteth me off, From day unto night Thou dost end me.
13I have set [Him] till morning as a lion, So doth He break all my bones, From day unto night Thou dost end me.
14As a crane — a swallow — so I chatter, I mourn as a dove, Drawn up have been mine eyes on high, O Jehovah, oppression [is] on me, be my surety.
15— What do I say? seeing He said to me, And He Himself hath wrought, I go softly all my years for the bitterness of my soul.
16Lord, by these do [men] live, And by all in them [is] the life of my spirit, And Thou savest me, make me also to live,
17Lo, to peace He changed for me bitterness, And Thou hast delighted in my soul without corruption, For Thou hast cast behind Thy back all my sins.
18For Sheol doth not confess Thee, Death doth not praise Thee, Those going down to the pit hope not for Thy truth.
19The living, the living, he doth confess Thee.
20Like myself to-day — a father to sons Doth make known of Thy faithfulness, O Jehovah — to save me: And my songs we sing all days of our lives In the house of Jehovah.’
21And Isaiah saith, ‘Let them take a bunch of figs, and plaster over the ulcer, and he liveth.’
22And Hezekiah saith, ‘What [is] the sign that I go up to the house of Jehovah!’
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Isaiah 38: YLT98
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maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society
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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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.