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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Isaiah 38: LEB
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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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