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

38 Nang mga araw na yaon ay may sakit na ikamamatay si Ezechias. At si Isaias na propeta na anak ni Amoz ay naparoon sa kaniya, at nagsabi sa kaniya, Ganito ang sabi ng Panginoon, Ayusin mo ang iyong sangbahayan; sapagka't ikaw ay mamamatay, at hindi mabubuhay.

Nang magkagayo'y ipinihit ni Ezechias ang kaniyang mukha sa panig, at nanalangin sa Panginoon,

At nagsabi, Idinadalangin ko sa iyo; Oh Panginoon, na iyong alalahanin, kung paanong ako'y lumakad sa harap mo sa katotohanan, at may dalisay na puso, at gumawa ng mabuti sa iyong paningin. At si Ezechias ay umiyak ng di kawasa.

Nang magkagayo'y dumating ang salita ng Panginoon kay Isaias, na nagsasabi,

Ikaw ay yumaon, at sabihin mo kay Ezechias, Ganito ang sabi ng Panginoon, ng Dios ni David na iyong magulang, Aking dininig ang iyong panalangin, aking nakita ang iyong mga luha: narito, aking idaragdag sa iyong mga kaarawan ang labing limang taon.

At aking ililigtas ikaw at ang bayang ito sa kamay ng hari sa Asiria: at aking ipagsasanggalang ang bayang ito.

At ito ang magiging pinaka tanda sa iyo na mula sa Panginoon, na gagawin ng Panginoon ang bagay na ito na kaniyang sinalita,

Narito, aking ipauurong ang anino sa mga baytang, ng sangpung baytang, na aninong pinababa sa mga baytang ni Ahaz sa pamamagitan ng araw, Sa gayo'y umurong ang araw ng sangpung baytang sa mga baytang na binabaan.

Ang sulat ni Ezechias na hari sa Juda, nang siya'y magkasakit, at gumaling sa kaniyang sakit.

10 Aking sinabi, Sa katanghalian ng aking mga kaarawan ay papasok ako sa mga pintuan ng Sheol: Ako'y nabawahan sa nalalabi ng aking mga taon.

11 Aking sinabi, hindi ko makikita ang Panginoon, ang Panginoon sa lupain ng buhay: Hindi ko na makikita pa ang tao, na kasama ng mga nananahan sa sanglibutan.

12 Ang tirahan ko'y inaalis, at dinadala na gaya ng tolda ng pastor: Aking pinupulon ang aking buhay, na gaya ng pagpupulon ng manghahabi; kaniyang ihihiwalay ako sa habihan: Mula sa araw hanggang sa kinagabihan ay tatapusin mo ako.

13 Ako'y tumigil hanggang sa kinaumagahan; katulad ng leon, gayon niya binabali ang lahat kong mga buto: Mula sa araw hanggang sa kinagabihan ay tatapusin mo ako.

14 Gaya ng langaylangayan o ng tagak, humihibik ako; Ako'y tumangis na parang kalapati: ang aking mga mata ay nangangalumata sa pagtingala; Oh Panginoon, ako'y napipighati, ikaw nawa'y maging tangulan sa akin.

15 Anong aking sasabihin? siya'y nagsalita sa akin, at kaniya namang ginawa: Ako'y yayaong marahan lahat kong taon, dahil sa paghihirap ng aking kaluluwa.

16 Oh Panginoon, sa pamamagitan ng mga bagay na ito, nabubuhay ang mga tao; At buong nasa ilalim niyan ang buhay ng aking diwa: Kaya't pagalingin mo ako, at ako'y iyong buhayin.

17 Narito, sa aking ikapapayapa ay nagtamo ako ng malaking paghihirap: Nguni't ikaw, sa pagibig mo sa aking kaluluwa ay iyong iniligtas sa hukay ng kabulukan; Sapagka't iyong itinapon ang lahat ng aking mga kasalanan sa iyong likuran.

18 Sapagka't hindi ka maaring purihin ng Sheol, hindi ka maaring ipagdiwang ng kamatayan! Silang nagsisibaba sa hukay ay hindi makaaasa sa iyong katotohanan.

19 Ang buhay, ang buhay, siya'y pupuri sa iyo, gaya ng ginagawa ko sa araw na ito: Ang ama sa mga anak ay magpapatalastas ng iyong katotohanan.

20 Ang Panginoon ay handa upang iligtas ako: Kaya't aming aawitin ang aming mga awit sa mga panugtog na kawad, Lahat ng kaarawan ng aming buhay sa bahay ng Panginoon.

21 Sinabi nga ni Isaias, Magsikuha sila ng isang binilong igos, at ilagay na pinakatapal sa bukol, at siya'y gagaling.

22 Sinabi rin ni Ezechias, Ano ang tanda na ako'y sasampa sa bahay ng Panginoon?

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 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