Isaiah 38
New Living Translation
Hezekiah’s Sickness and Recovery
38 About 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.’”
2 When 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.
4 Then 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, 6 and 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: 8 I will cause the sun’s shadow to move ten steps backward on the sundial[a] of Ahaz!’” So the shadow on the sundial moved backward ten steps.
Hezekiah’s Poem of Praise
9 When King Hezekiah was well again, he wrote this poem:
10 I said, “In the prime of my life,
must I now enter the place of the dead?[b]
Am I to be robbed of the rest of my years?”
11 I 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.
12 My 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.
13 I waited patiently all night,
but I was torn apart as though by lions.
Suddenly, my life was over.
14 Delirious, 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!”
15 But 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.
16 Lord, your discipline is good,
for it leads to life and health.
You restore my health
and allow me to live!
17 Yes, this anguish was good for me,
for you have rescued me from death
and forgiven all my sins.
18 For the dead[c] cannot praise you;
they cannot raise their voices in praise.
Those who go down to the grave
can no longer hope in your faithfulness.
19 Only the living can praise you as I do today.
Each generation tells of your faithfulness to the next.
20 Think 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.
21 Isaiah had said to Hezekiah’s servants, “Make an ointment from figs and spread it over the boil, and Hezekiah will recover.”
22 And Hezekiah had asked, “What sign will prove that I will go to the Temple of the Lord?”
Isaiah 38
Legacy Standard Bible
Hezekiah’s Illness and Recovery
38 (A)In those days Hezekiah became ill to the point of death. And (B)Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him and said to him, “Thus says Yahweh, ‘(C)Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.’” 2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to Yahweh 3 and said, “(D)Remember now, O Yahweh, I beseech You, how I have (E)walked before You in truth and with a (F)whole heart and (G)have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah (H)wept [a]greatly.
4 Then the word of Yahweh came to Isaiah, saying, 5 “Go and say to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says Yahweh, the God of your father David, “I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears; behold, I will add (I)fifteen years to your [b]life. 6 And I will (J)deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city.”’
7 “Now this shall be the (K)sign to you from Yahweh, that Yahweh will do this word that He has spoken: 8 Behold, I will (L)cause the shadow on the stairway, which has gone down with the sun on the stairway of Ahaz, to go back ten steps.” So the (M)sun’s shadow went back ten steps on the stairway on which it had gone down.
9 A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and [c]recovery:
10 I said, “(N)In the middle of my [d]life
I am to enter the (O)gates of Sheol;
I am to be (P)deprived of the rest of my years.”
11 I said, “I will not see Yah,
Yah (Q)in the land of the living;
I will look on man no more among the inhabitants of the world.
12 Like a shepherd’s (R)tent my dwelling is pulled up and removed from me;
As a (S)weaver I (T)rolled up my life.
He (U)cuts me off from the loom;
From (V)day until night You make an end of me.
13 I soothed my soul until morning.
(W)Like a lion—so He (X)shatters all my bones;
From (Y)day until night You make an end of me.
14 (Z)Like a swallow, like a crane, so I chirped;
I (AA)moan like a dove;
My (AB)eyes look wistfully to the heights;
O Lord, I am oppressed, be my (AC)security.
15 “(AD)What shall I say?
[e]Indeed, He has spoken to me, and He Himself has done it;
I will (AE)wander about all my years because of the (AF)bitterness of my soul.
16 O Lord, (AG)by these things men live,
And in all these is the life of my spirit;
[f](AH)O restore me to health and (AI)let me live!
17 Behold, for my own well-being I had great bitterness;
But it is You who has [g](AJ)held back my soul from the pit of [h]nothingness,
For You have (AK)cast all my sins behind Your back.
18 For (AL)Sheol cannot thank You;
Death cannot praise You;
Those who go down (AM)to the pit cannot keep watch for Your truth.
19 It is the (AN)living, the living who give thanks to You, as I do today;
A (AO)father makes known to his sons about Your truth.
20 Yahweh is here to save me;
So we will (AP)play my songs on stringed instruments
(AQ)All the days of our life (AR)at the house of Yahweh.”
21 Now (AS)Isaiah had said, “Let them take up a cake of figs and apply it to the boil, that he may live.” 22 Then Hezekiah had said, “What is the (AT)sign that I shall go up to the house of Yahweh?”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 38:3 Lit great weeping
- Isaiah 38:5 Lit days
- Isaiah 38:9 Lit he lived after his illness
- Isaiah 38:10 Lit days
- Isaiah 38:15 DSS and Targum And what shall I say for He
- Isaiah 38:16 Lit You will
- Isaiah 38:17 As in some versions; Heb loved
- Isaiah 38:17 Or destruction
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