This is a writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and [a]recovery:

10 I said, “(A)In the middle of my [b]life
I am to enter the (B)gates of Sheol;
I have been (C)deprived of the rest of my years.”
11 I said, “I will not see the Lord,
The Lord (D)in the land of the living;
I will no longer look on mankind among the inhabitants of the world.
12 Like a shepherd’s (E)tent my dwelling is pulled up and removed from me;
As a (F)weaver I (G)rolled up my life.
He (H)cuts me off from the loom;
From (I)day until night You make an end of me.
13 I composed my soul until morning.
(J)Like a lion—so He (K)breaks all my bones,
From (L)day until night You make an end of me.
14 (M)Like a swallow, like a crane, so I twitter;
I (N)moan like a dove;
My (O)eyes look wistfully to the heights;
Lord, I am oppressed, be my (P)security.

15 (Q)What shall I say?
[c]For He has spoken to me, and He Himself has done it;
I will (R)walk [d]quietly all my years because of the (S)bitterness of my soul.
16 Lord, (T)by these things people live,
And in all these is the life of my spirit;
[e](U)Restore me to health and (V)let me live!
17 Behold, for my own welfare I had great bitterness;
But You have [f](W)kept my soul from the pit of [g]nothingness,
For You have (X)hurled all my sins behind Your back.
18 For (Y)Sheol cannot thank You,
Death cannot praise You;
Those who go down (Z)to the pit cannot hope for Your faithfulness.
19 It is the (AA)living who give thanks to You, as I do today;
A (AB)father tells his sons about Your faithfulness.
20 The Lord is certain to save me;
So we will (AC)play my songs on stringed instruments
(AD)All the days of our life (AE)at the house of the Lord.”

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 38:9 Lit he lived after his illness
  2. Isaiah 38:10 Lit days
  3. Isaiah 38:15 Targum and DSS And what shall I say for He
  4. Isaiah 38:15 Or slowly
  5. Isaiah 38:16 Lit You will
  6. Isaiah 38:17 As in some ancient versions; MT loved
  7. Isaiah 38:17 Or destruction

The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness.

10 I said, In the [a]noontide of my days I shall go into the gates of Sheol:
I am deprived of the residue of my years.
11 I said, I shall not see [b]Jehovah, even [c]Jehovah in the land of the living:
I shall behold man no more [d]with the inhabitants of the world.
12 My dwelling is removed, and is carried away from me as a shepherd’s tent:
I have rolled up, like a weaver, my life; he will cut me off from the [e]loom:
From day even to night wilt thou make an end of me.
13 [f]I quieted myself until morning; as a lion, so he breaketh all my bones:
From day even to night wilt thou make an end of me.
14 Like a swallow or a crane, so did I chatter;
I did moan as a dove; mine eyes fail with looking upward:
O Lord, I am oppressed, be thou my surety.
15 What shall I say? he hath both spoken unto me, and himself hath done it:
I shall go [g]softly all my years because of the bitterness of my soul.
16 O Lord, by these things men live;
And wholly therein is the life of my spirit:
[h]Wherefore recover thou me, and make me to live.
17 Behold, it was for my peace that I had great bitterness:
But [i]thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of [j]corruption;
For thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.
18 For Sheol cannot praise thee, death cannot celebrate thee:
They that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.
19 The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day:
The father to the children shall make known thy truth.
20 Jehovah is ready to save me:
Therefore we will sing my songs with stringed instruments
All the days of our life in the house of Jehovah.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 38:10 Or, tranquility
  2. Isaiah 38:11 Hebrew Jah.
  3. Isaiah 38:11 Hebrew Jah.
  4. Isaiah 38:11 Or, when I am among them that have ceased to be
  5. Isaiah 38:12 Hebrew thrum.
  6. Isaiah 38:13 Or, I thought until morning, As a lion, so will he break etc.
  7. Isaiah 38:15 Or, as in solemn procession. See Ps. 42:4.
  8. Isaiah 38:16 Or, So wilt thou recover me
  9. Isaiah 38:17 Hebrew thou hast loved my soul from the pit.
  10. Isaiah 38:17 Or, nothingness