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 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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