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Hezekiah’s Illness

38 In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah 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.’ Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed to the Lord: ‘Remember now, O Lord, I implore you, how I have walked before you in faithfulness 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 your ancestor David: I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life. I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and defend this city.

‘This is the sign to you from the Lord, that the Lord will do this thing that he has promised: See, 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.[a]

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

10 I said: In the noontide 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
    in the land of the living;
I shall look upon mortals no more
    among the inhabitants of the world.
12 My dwelling is plucked up and removed from me
    like a shepherd’s tent;
like a weaver I have rolled up my life;
    he cuts me off from the loom;
from day to night you bring me to an end;[b]
13     I cry for help[c] until morning;
like a lion he breaks all my bones;
    from day to night you bring me to an end.[d]

14 Like a swallow or a crane[e] I clamour,
    I moan like a dove.
My eyes are weary with looking upwards.
    O Lord, I am oppressed; be my security!
15 But what can I say? For he has spoken to me,
    and he himself has done it.
All my sleep has fled[f]
    because of the bitterness of my soul.

16 O Lord, by these things people live,
    and in all these is the life of my spirit.[g]
    O restore me to health and make me live!
17 Surely it was for my welfare
    that I had great bitterness;
but you have held back[h] my life
    from the pit of destruction,
for you have cast all my sins
    behind your back.
18 For Sheol cannot thank you,
    death cannot praise you;
those who go down to the Pit cannot hope
    for your faithfulness.
19 The living, the living, they thank you,
    as I do this day;
fathers make known to children
    your faithfulness.

20 The Lord will save me,
    and we will sing to stringed instruments[i]
all the days of our lives,
    at the house of the Lord.

21 Now Isaiah had said, ‘Let them take a lump of figs, and apply it to the boil, so 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 38:8 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  2. Isaiah 38:12 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  3. Isaiah 38:13 Cn: Meaning of Heb uncertain
  4. Isaiah 38:13 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  5. Isaiah 38:14 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  6. Isaiah 38:15 Cn Compare Syr: Heb I will walk slowly all my years
  7. Isaiah 38:16 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  8. Isaiah 38:17 Cn Compare Gk Vg: Heb loved
  9. Isaiah 38:20 Heb my stringed instruments

38 Around this time Hizkiyahu became ill to the point of death. Yesha‘yahu the prophet, the son of Amotz, came and said to him, “Here is what Adonai says: ‘Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not live.’” Hizkiyahu turned his face toward the wall and prayed to Adonai: “I plead with you, Adonai, remember now how I have lived before you truly and wholeheartedly, and how I have done what you see as good.” And he cried bitter tears.

Then the word of Adonai came to Yesha‘yahu: “Go and tell Hizkiyahu that this is what Adonai, the God of David your ancestor, says: ‘I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; therefore I will add fifteen years to your life. Also I will rescue you and this city from the power of the king of Ashur; I will defend this city. The sign for you from Adonai that Adonai will do what he said is that I will cause the shadow of the sundial, which has started going down on the sundial of Achaz, to go backward ten intervals.’” So the sun went back ten intervals of the distance it had already gone down.

After Hizkiyahu king of Y’hudah had been ill and had recovered, he wrote the following:

10 “I once said: ‘In the prime of life
I am going off to the gates of Sh’ol.
I am being deprived of living out
the full span of my life.’
11 “I said, ‘I will never again see Yah,
Yah in the land of the living;
I will look on human beings no more
or be with those who live in this world.
12 My home is uprooted and taken away
from me like a shepherd’s tent.
Like a weaver, I have rolled up my life;
he cuts me off from the loom.
Between day and night you could finish me off.
13 I try to be strong like a lion till morning,
but still my illness breaks all my bones —
between day and night you could finish me off.
14 I make little chattering sounds like a swallow,
I moan aloud like a dove,
My eyes are weary with looking upward.
Adonai, I am overwhelmed; guarantee my life!’

15 “What is there that I can say?
He has spoken to me and acted!
I will go humbly all my years,
remembering how bitter I was.
16 Adonai, by these things people live;
in all these is the life of my spirit.
You’re restoring my health and giving me life —
17 though instead of peace, I felt very bitter.
You desired my life and preserved it
from the nothingness pit;
for you threw all my sins behind your back.

18 “Sh’ol cannot thank you, death cannot praise you;
those descending to the pit cannot hope for your truth.
19 The living, the living — they can thank you,
as I do today;
fathers will make their children know
about your faithfulness.
20 Adonai is ready to save me;
hence we will make our stringed instruments sound
all the days of our life
in the house of Adonai.”

21 Then Yesha‘yahu said, “Have them take a fig-plaster and apply it to the inflammation, and he will recover.” 22 Hizkiyahu asked, “What sign will there be that I will be able to go up to the house of Adonai?”

Kudwala kwa Hezekiya

38 Nthawi imeneyo Mfumu Hezekiya anadwala ndipo anali pafupi kufa. Mneneri Yesaya mwana wa Amozi anapita kukamuona ndipo anati “Yehova akuti: Konza bwino nyumba yako, pakuti ukufa; suchira.”

Hezekiya anatembenuka nayangʼana kukhoma, napemphera kwa Yehova kuti, “Inu Yehova, kumbukirani momwe ndayendera pamaso panu mokhulupirika ndi modzipereka ndipo ndakhala ndikuchita zabwino pamaso panu.” Ndipo Hezekiya analira mosweka mtima.

Ndipo Yehova analamula Yesaya kuti: “Pita kwa Hezekiya ndipo ukamuwuze kuti, ‘Yehova, Mulungu wa kholo lake Davide akuti: Ndamva pemphero lako ndipo misozi yako ndayiona; ndidzakuwonjezera zaka 15 pa moyo wako. Ndipo ndidzakupulumutsa, iwe pamodzi ndi mzindawu mʼdzanja la mfumu ya ku Asiriya, Ine ndidzawuteteza mzindawu.

“ ‘Ichi ndi chizindikiro cha Yehova kwa iwe kutsimikiza kuti Yehova adzachita zimene walonjeza: Chithunzithunzi chimene dzuwa likuchititsa pa makwerero a Ahazi ndidzachibweza mʼmbuyo makwerero khumi.’ ” Ndipo chithunzithunzi chinabwerera mʼmbuyo makwerero khumi.

Ndakatulo ya Hezekiya mfumu ya ku Yuda imene analemba atadwala ndi kuchira:

10 Ine ndinaganiza kuti
    ndidzapita ku dziko la akufa
    pamene moyo ukukoma.
11 Ndinaganiza kuti, “Sindidzaonanso Yehova,
    mʼdziko la anthu amoyo,
sindidzaonanso mtundu wa anthu
    kapena kukhala pamodzi ndi amene amakhala pa dziko lapansi lino.
12 Nyumba yanga yasasuka
    ndipo yachotsedwa.
Ngati tenti ya mʼbusa mwapindapinda moyo wanga,
    ngati munthu wowomba nsalu;
    kuyambira usana mpaka usiku mwakhala mukundisiya.
13 Ndinkalira kupempha chithandizo usiku wonse mpaka mmawa;
    koma Inu Yehova munaphwanya mafupa anga ngati mkango,
    ndipo mwakhala mukundisiya.
14 Ndinkalira ngati namzeze kapena chumba,
    ndinkabuwula ngati nkhunda yodandaula.
Maso anga anatopa nʼkuyangʼana mlengalenga.
    Inu Ambuye, ine ndili mʼmavuto bwerani mudzandithandize!”

15 Koma ine ndinganene chiyani?
    Yehova wayankhula nane, ndipo Iye ndiye wachita zimenezi.
Chifukwa cha kuwawa kwa mtima wanga,
    ine ndidzayenda modzichepetsa masiku amoyo wanga onse.
16 Ambuye, masiku anga ali mʼmanja mwanu.
    Mzimu wanga upeza moyo mwa Inu.
Munandichiritsa ndi
    kundikhalitsa ndi moyo.
17 Ndithudi, ine ndinamva zowawa zotere
    kuti ndikhale ndi moyo;
Inu munandisunga
    kuti ndisapite ku dzenje la chiwonongeko
chifukwa mwakhululukira
    machimo anga onse.
18 Pakuti akumanda sangathe kukutamandani,
    akufa sangayimbe nyimbo yokutamandani.
Iwo amene akutsikira ku dzenje
    sangakukhulupirireni.
19 Amoyo, amoyo okha ndiwo amakutamandani,
    monga mmene ndikuchitira ine lero lino;
abambo amawuza ana awo za
    kukhulupirika kwanu.

20 Yehova watipulumutsa.
    Tiyeni tiyimbe ndi zoyimbira za zingwe
masiku onse a moyo wathu
    mʼNyumba ya Yehova.

21 Yesaya anati, “Anthu atenge mʼbulu wankhunyu ndipo apake pa chithupsacho ndipo Hezekiya adzachira.”

22 Hezekiya nʼkuti atafunsa kuti, “Kodi chizindikiro chako nʼchiyani chotsimikiza kuti ndidzapita ku Nyumba ya Yehova?”

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?”