Isaiah 38
The Voice
38 Meanwhile, back in Judah, Hezekiah became very sick and was about to die. Learning of it, Isaiah, Amoz’s son, went to visit him.
These are sad times for Judah and Isaiah. Although Isaiah has served as a court prophet for several of Judah’s kings, he and King Hezekiah have gotten to know one another particularly well over the years. Now the aging king is about to die. On many occasions Hezekiah seeks Isaiah’s counsel and takes it seriously. Even if he doesn’t always do exactly as he should, it is clear that he is genuinely concerned about the welfare of his subjects. With Isaiah’s help and perhaps a bit of his pestering, Hezekiah comes to understand that Judah’s national welfare is not separate from his and his people’s personal relationships with God.
Isaiah: Here is what the Eternal One has to say:
Eternal One: Get your affairs in order. You are going to die. You are not going to recover from this.
2 Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and started praying.
Hezekiah: 3 Eternal One, I beg you to remember how I have followed the path You set before me, and how I did so with all my heart. Remember how I have done what You wanted with sincerity of purpose every step of the way.
Then Hezekiah broke down and wept. He wept and wept. 4 Then a different word from the Eternal came upon the prophet Isaiah.
Eternal One: 5 Go and tell Hezekiah that the Eternal, the God of your ancestor David, says: “I have heard your prayer, and I have seen your tears. I’ve decided to add another 15 years to your life. 6 Not only that, but I will also rescue you and this city and not allow you to fall under the control of the Assyrian king. I Myself will protect this city, Jerusalem. 7 You’ll know that I, the Eternal One, will keep My promise by this sign: 8 I will make the sun’s shadow—which has climbed these steps of Ahaz’s stairway—go backward 10 steps.”
And the shadow on the stairway moved backward 10 steps. 9 When Hezekiah, king of Judah, recovered from his illness, he composed a poem.
10 Hezekiah: I thought for sure in the prime of my life
that I’d been brought to the gates of death,
that I’d miss out on the rest of my years.
11 I thought: That’s it. I will never again see the Eternal in the land of the living.
I will never again enjoy the company of those alive in this world.
12 My time on earth is folded up and packed away like a shepherd’s tent.
It’s as if a weaver has snipped me off from the loom and rolled me up.
From day to night You bring my life to an end.
13 I stay calm until morning arrives,
then like a lion He breaks all my bones.
From day to night You bring my life to an end.
14 Oh, how I argue and mourn for my passing life!
Like a swallow or a crane I twitter;
like a lonesome dove I moan.
My eyes become bleary from looking up to the heavens for help.
I cry, “O Lord, way up high, I am oppressed; come and help me!”
15 But what can I say? God has spoken to me.
Things are as He made them.
So I am determined to go slowly, make the most of my years,
even though I am bitter to the core.
16 But I so wanted to live! So I prayed, “Lord, by these things, people live
and my spirit is grounded in the same.
So heal me, let me live!”
17 Paradoxically, my bitter experience was pushing me toward wholeness.
For You, God, have put behind all my shortcomings and wrongdoings.
You have rescued me from death.
You pulled me from a black hole of nothingness and held me close to You.
18 And so I join the living in giving thanks to You.
After all, thankful voices never rise from the land of the dead.
After all, the songs of praise never soar from death’s dark realm.
Those who go down into the pit—that great black nothingness—
Hezekiah becomes confident that God will restore his health and bring him back from the edge of death. Ironically, many years earlier his father Ahaz refused to ask for a sign even though God insisted that he do so. The son, it seems, has learned a valuable lesson; so he asks for a sign because he wants to know when he will be well enough to return to God’s house and offer thanks to Him among the rest of his citizens. Unfortunately, with some people, it is only in the bitterness of disease and in death’s dark shadow that a person learns to embrace life and live it to the fullest. Hezekiah’s near-death experience embitters his soul, but it also moves him toward wholeness. What Hezekiah does not know is that the Babylonians have their eyes set on dominating the rest of the world. For years, the Assyrians and Babylonians have coexisted, but the Babylonians are not content to remain a regional power. As they build their empire—annexing lands, conquering peoples, gaining strength—they begin to take an interest in little Judah. Hezekiah doesn’t account for how his actions might affect his nation. He simply isn’t that shrewd.
They can’t even begin to hope for Your faithfulness.
19 But ah, the living! And I am among them today,
giving praise and thanks to You for life,
The old telling the young about the loyalty of Your love.
20 The Eternal will rescue me,
and we will break out the stringed instruments.
We will sing and make music for the rest of our lives,
right here in the house of the Eternal.
21 Isaiah instructed the physicians to apply a compress of squashed figs to the boil on Hezekiah’s skin to help him recover.
Hezekiah: 22 When will I know that I am well enough to go to the Eternal’s house? Is there a sign I should look for?
Isaiah 38
New King James Version
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.’ ”
2 Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the Lord, 3 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.
4 And the word of the Lord came to Isaiah, saying, 5 “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. 6 I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria, and (F)I will defend this city.” ’ 7 And this is (G)the sign to you from the Lord, that the Lord will do this thing which He has spoken: 8 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.
9 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
- Isaiah 38:3 whole or peaceful
- Isaiah 38:11 Heb. Yah, Yah
- Isaiah 38:11 LXX omits among the inhabitants of the world
- Isaiah 38:11 So with some Heb. mss.; MT, Vg. rest; Tg. land
- Isaiah 38:14 So with Bg.; MT, DSS Lord
- Isaiah 38:14 Be my surety
- Isaiah 38:15 So with MT, Vg.; DSS, Tg. And shall I say to Him; LXX omits first half of this verse
Isaías 38
Nueva Biblia de las Américas
Enfermedad y curación de Ezequías
38 (A)En aquellos días Ezequías cayó enfermo de muerte(B). Y vino a él el profeta Isaías, hijo de Amoz(C), y le dijo: «Así dice el Señor: “Pon tu casa en orden, porque vas a morir(D) y no vivirás”». 2 Entonces Ezequías volvió su rostro hacia la pared y oró al Señor: 3 «Te ruego, oh Señor, que te acuerdes(E) ahora de cómo yo he andado delante de Ti en verdad(F) y con corazón íntegro(G), y he hecho lo bueno ante Tus ojos(H)». Y Ezequías lloró amargamente[a](I).
4 Entonces la palabra del Señor vino a Isaías: 5 «Ve y dile a Ezequías: “Así dice el Señor, Dios de tu padre David: ‘He escuchado tu oración y he visto tus lágrimas; voy a añadir quince años(J) a tus días. 6 Y te libraré a ti y a esta ciudad de la mano[b] del rey de Asiria, y defenderé esta ciudad(K)’”». 7 Esta será para ti la señal(L) del Señor, de que el Señor hará lo que ha dicho: 8 «Haré que la sombra que ha descendido con el sol en las gradas de Acaz, vuelva atrás diez grados[c](M)». Y la sombra del sol retrocedió diez grados[d] en las gradas por las que había descendido(N).
9 Este es el escrito de Ezequías, rey de Judá, cuando enfermó y sanó[e] de su enfermedad:
10 Yo dije: «A la mitad de mis días(O)
He de entrar por las puertas del Seol[f](P);
Se me priva del resto de mis años(Q)».
11 Dije: «No veré más al Señor,
Al Señor en la tierra de los vivientes(R).
No veré más hombre alguno entre los habitantes del mundo.
12 -»Como tienda de pastor, mi morada es arrancada y alejada de mí(S);
Como un tejedor(T) enrollé mi vida(U).
Del telar, Él me cortó(V);
Del día a la noche acabas conmigo(W).
13 -»Sosegué mi alma hasta la mañana.
Como león(X), Él rompe todos mis huesos(Y);
Del día a la noche, acabas conmigo(Z).
14 -»Como una golondrina, como una grulla(AA), así me quejo[g],
Gimo como una paloma(AB).
Mis ojos miran ansiosamente a las alturas(AC).
Oh Señor, estoy oprimido, sé Tú mi ayudador(AD).
15 ¶»¿Qué diré?
Pues[h] Él me ha hablado y Él mismo lo ha hecho(AE).
Andaré errante(AF) todos mis años a causa de la amargura de mi alma(AG).
16 -»Oh Señor, por estas cosas[i] viven los hombres(AH),
Y en todas ellas está la vida de mi espíritu.
Restabléceme la salud(AI) y haz[j] que viva(AJ).
17 -»Por causa de mi bienestar tuve gran amargura.
Eres Tú quien ha guardado[k] mi alma del abismo de la nada[l](AK),
Porque echaste tras Tus espaldas todos mis pecados(AL).
18 -»Pues el Seol no te expresa gratitud,
Ni la muerte te alaba.
Los que descienden a la fosa no pueden esperar Tu fidelidad(AM).
19 -»El que vive, el que vive es el que te da gracias, como yo lo hago hoy(AN).
El padre cuenta a sus hijos Tu fidelidad(AO).
20 -»El Señor me salvará;
Y tocaremos mis canciones en instrumentos de cuerda(AP)
Todos los días de nuestra vida(AQ) en la casa del Señor(AR)».
21 Isaías había dicho: «Que tomen una masa de higos y la pongan en la llaga[m] para que se recupere(AS)». 22 Entonces Ezequías había preguntado: «¿Cuál será la señal de que subiré a la casa del Señor(AT)?».
Footnotes
- 38:3 Lit. gran llanto.
- 38:6 Lit. palma.
- 38:8 O gradas.
- 38:8 O gradas.
- 38:9 Lit. vivió después.
- 38:10 I.e. región de los muertos.
- 38:14 Lit. así chirrío.
- 38:15 El Targum y los M.M.M. dicen: ¿Y hablaré porque.
- 38:16 Lit. por ellos.
- 38:16 Lit. Y me restablecerás y harás.
- 38:17 Así en algunas versiones antiguas; en heb. amado.
- 38:17 O destrucción.
- 38:21 O el tumor ulcerado.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Nueva Biblia de las Américas™ NBLA™ Copyright © 2005 por The Lockman Foundation
