希西迦患病

38 那些日子,希西迦病危,亚摩斯的儿子以赛亚先知前来对他说:“耶和华说,‘你要交待后事,因为你要死了,你的病不能康复。’” 希西迦把脸转向墙,向耶和华祷告,说: “耶和华啊,求你顾念我怎样全心、忠诚地事奉你,做你视为善的事。”希西迦痛哭起来。 耶和华对以赛亚说: “你去告诉希西迦,‘你祖先大卫的上帝耶和华说,我听见了你的祷告,也看见了你的眼泪,我要使你的寿命增加十五年。 我要从亚述王手中拯救你和这城,我要保护这城。’” 21 [a]以赛亚说:“拿一块无花果饼贴在王的疮上,他就会痊愈。” 22 希西迦问:“有什么兆头能证明我可以再上耶和华的殿吗?” 以赛亚说:“耶和华要给你一个预兆,以证明祂言出必行。 祂要使亚哈斯日晷上的日影后退十度。”果然,日影后退了十度。

犹大王希西迦病愈后,
写了一首诗:
10 “我以为自己盛年之际,
就要踏入阴间之门,
不能享受余年。
11 我以为再也见不到耶和华,
在世间再不能见到祂,
也不能再见到世人。
12 我的生命像牧人的帐篷一样被拆走,
像织布机上的布匹一样被剪断。
一日之间,祂使我的生命嘎然而止。
13 我整夜哀号,
好像被狮子咬断了全身的骨头。
一日之间,祂使我的生命嘎然而止。

14 “我像燕、鹤一样哀鸣,
像鸽子一样呻吟;
我举目望天,双眼疲倦。
耶和华啊!
我困苦不堪,求你保护我。
15 我能说什么呢?
祂对我说的,祂都亲自成就了。
因为心灵的苦痛,我要一生谨慎而行。

16 “主啊,你的管教使人存活,
使我的心灵有活力。
主啊,求你使我身体复原,
让我存活。
17 其实我受大苦对我有益。
你施慈爱,从死亡的深坑中拯救我的生命,
将我一切罪恶抛在你背后。
18 阴间不能称谢你,
死亡不能赞美你,
下坟墓的人不能仰望你的信实。
19 只有活着的人才能像我今天这样赞美你,
并且把你的信实告诉下一代。

20 “耶和华必救我,
我们要一生一世在祂殿中弹琴歌唱。”

Footnotes

  1. 38:21-22 这两节在原文抄本是放在本章末尾,不过这可能是在誊抄过程中放错位置。其实这两节经文放在6节和7节之间最为自然,就如在列王纪下一样,参见列王纪下20:7-8

Hezekiah’s Illness(A)

38 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz(B) went to him and said, “This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order,(C) because you are going to die; you will not recover.”(D)

Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, “Remember, Lord, how I have walked(E) before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion(F) and have done what is good in your eyes.(G)” And Hezekiah wept(H) bitterly.

Then the word(I) of the Lord came to Isaiah: “Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David,(J) says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears;(K) I will add fifteen years(L) to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend(M) this city.

“‘This is the Lord’s sign(N) to you that the Lord will do what he has promised: I will make the shadow cast by the sun go back the ten steps it has gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.’” So the sunlight went back the ten steps it had gone down.(O)

A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery:

10 I said, “In the prime of my life(P)
    must I go through the gates of death(Q)
    and be robbed of the rest of my years?(R)
11 I said, “I will not again see the Lord himself(S)
    in the land of the living;(T)
no longer will I look on my fellow man,
    or be with those who now dwell in this world.
12 Like a shepherd’s tent(U) my house
    has been pulled down(V) and taken from me.
Like a weaver I have rolled(W) up my life,
    and he has cut me off from the loom;(X)
    day and night(Y) you made an end of me.
13 I waited patiently(Z) till dawn,
    but like a lion he broke(AA) all my bones;(AB)
    day and night(AC) you made an end of me.
14 I cried like a swift or thrush,
    I moaned like a mourning dove.(AD)
My eyes grew weak(AE) as I looked to the heavens.
    I am being threatened; Lord, come to my aid!”(AF)

15 But what can I say?(AG)
    He has spoken to me, and he himself has done this.(AH)
I will walk humbly(AI) all my years
    because of this anguish of my soul.(AJ)
16 Lord, by such things people live;
    and my spirit finds life in them too.
You restored me to health
    and let me live.(AK)
17 Surely it was for my benefit(AL)
    that I suffered such anguish.(AM)
In your love you kept me
    from the pit(AN) of destruction;
you have put all my sins(AO)
    behind your back.(AP)
18 For the grave(AQ) cannot praise you,
    death cannot sing your praise;(AR)
those who go down to the pit(AS)
    cannot hope for your faithfulness.
19 The living, the living—they praise(AT) you,
    as I am doing today;
parents tell their children(AU)
    about your faithfulness.

20 The Lord will save me,
    and we will sing(AV) with stringed instruments(AW)
all the days of our lives(AX)
    in the temple(AY) of the Lord.

21 Isaiah had said, “Prepare a poultice of figs and apply it to the boil, and he will recover.”

22 Hezekiah had asked, “What will be the sign(AZ) that I will go up to the temple of the Lord?”

Hezekiah’s Life Extended(A)

38 In (B)those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: (C)‘Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.’ ”

Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the Lord, and said, (D)“Remember now, O Lord, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a [a]loyal heart, and have done what is good in Your (E)sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

And the word of the Lord came to Isaiah, saying, “Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will add to your days fifteen years. I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria, and (F)I will defend this city.” ’ And this is (G)the sign to you from the Lord, that the Lord will do this thing which He has spoken: Behold, I will bring the shadow on the sundial, which has gone down with the sun on the sundial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward.” So the sun returned ten degrees on the dial by which it had gone down.

This is the writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick and had recovered from his sickness:

10 I said,
“In the prime of my life
I shall go to the gates of Sheol;
I am deprived of the remainder of my years.”
11 I said,
“I shall not see [b]Yah,
The Lord (H)in the land of the living;
I shall observe man no more [c]among the inhabitants of [d]the world.
12 (I)My life span is gone,
Taken from me like a shepherd’s tent;
I have cut off my life like a weaver.
He cuts me off from the loom;
From day until night You make an end of me.
13 I have considered until morning—
Like a lion,
So He breaks all my bones;
From day until night You make an end of me.
14 Like a crane or a swallow, so I chattered;
(J)I mourned like a dove;
My eyes fail from looking upward.
O [e]Lord, I am oppressed;
[f]Undertake for me!

15 “What shall I say?
[g]He has both spoken to me,
And He Himself has done it.
I shall walk carefully all my years
(K)In the bitterness of my soul.
16 O Lord, by these things men live;
And in all these things is the life of my spirit;
So You will restore me and make me live.
17 Indeed it was for my own peace
That I had great bitterness;
But You have lovingly delivered my soul from the pit of corruption,
For You have cast all my sins behind Your back.
18 For (L)Sheol cannot thank You,
Death cannot praise You;
Those who go down to the pit cannot hope for Your truth.
19 The living, the living man, he shall praise You,
As I do this day;
(M)The father shall make known Your truth to the children.

20 “The Lord was ready to save me;
Therefore we will sing my songs with stringed instruments
All the days of our life, in the house of the Lord.”

21 Now (N)Isaiah had said, “Let them take a lump of figs, and apply it as a poultice on the boil, and he shall recover.”

22 And (O)Hezekiah had said, “What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the Lord?”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 38:3 whole or peaceful
  2. Isaiah 38:11 Heb. Yah, Yah
  3. Isaiah 38:11 LXX omits among the inhabitants of the world
  4. Isaiah 38:11 So with some Heb. mss.; MT, Vg. rest; Tg. land
  5. Isaiah 38:14 So with Bg.; MT, DSS Lord
  6. Isaiah 38:14 Be my surety
  7. Isaiah 38:15 So with MT, Vg.; DSS, Tg. And shall I say to Him; LXX omits first half of this verse

Hezekiah's Sickness and Recovery

38 (A)In those days Hezekiah became (B)sick and was at the point of death. And (C)Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: Set your house in order, for you shall die, you shall not recover.”[a] Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, and said, “Please, O Lord, remember how (D)I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah: “Go and say to Hezekiah, Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add (E)fifteen years to your life.[b] (F)I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and will defend this city.

“This shall be the sign to you from the Lord, that the Lord will do this thing that he has promised: (G)Behold, I will make the shadow cast by the declining sun on the dial of Ahaz turn back ten steps.” So the sun turned back on the dial the ten steps by which it had declined.[c]

A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, after he had been sick and had recovered from his sickness:

10 I said, (H)In the middle[d] of my days
    I must depart;
I am consigned to the gates of Sheol
    for the rest of my years.
11 I said, I shall not see the Lord,
    the Lord (I)in the land of the living;
I shall look on man no more
    among the inhabitants of the world.
12 My dwelling is plucked up and removed from me
    (J)like a shepherd's tent;
(K)like a weaver (L)I have rolled up my life;
    (M)he cuts me off from the loom;
(N)from day to night you bring me to an end;
13     (O)I calmed myself[e] until morning;
like a lion (P)he breaks all my bones;
    from day to night you bring me to an end.

14 Like (Q)a swallow or a crane I chirp;
    (R)I moan like a dove.
(S)My eyes are weary with looking upward.
    O Lord, I am oppressed; (T)be my pledge of safety!
15 What shall I say? For he has spoken to me,
    and he himself has done it.
(U)I walk slowly all my years
    because of the bitterness of my soul.

16 (V)O Lord, by these things men live,
    and in all these is the life of my spirit.
    Oh restore me to health and make me live!
17 (W)Behold, it was for my welfare
    that I had great bitterness;
(X)but in love you have delivered my life
    from the pit of destruction,
(Y)for you have cast all my sins
    behind your back.
18 (Z)For Sheol does not thank you;
    death does not praise you;
those who go down to the pit do not hope
    for your faithfulness.
19 The living, the living, he thanks you,
    as I do this day;
(AA)the father makes known to the children
    your faithfulness.

20 The Lord will save me,
    and we will play my music on stringed instruments
all the days of our lives,
    (AB)at the house of the Lord.

21 (AC)Now Isaiah had said, “Let them take a cake of figs and apply it to the boil, that he may recover.” 22 Hezekiah also had said, “What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the Lord?”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 38:1 Or live; also verses 9, 21
  2. Isaiah 38:5 Hebrew to your days
  3. Isaiah 38:8 The meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain
  4. Isaiah 38:10 Or In the quiet
  5. Isaiah 38:13 Or (with Targum) I cried for help