Isaiah 38:9-20

New American Standard Bible

⁹This is a writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and ^[a]recovery:

¹⁰I 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.”
¹¹I 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.
¹²Like 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.
¹³I 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.
¹⁶Lord, ^(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!
¹⁷Behold, 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.
¹⁸For ^(Y)Sheol cannot thank You,
Death cannot praise You;
Those who go down ^(Z)to the pit cannot hope for Your faithfulness.
¹⁹It is the ^(AA)living who give thanks to You, as I do today;
A ^(AB)father tells his sons about Your faithfulness.
²⁰The 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.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

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

Isaiah 38:9-20

New International Version

⁹A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery:

¹⁰I said, “In the prime of my life^(A)
    must I go through the gates of death^(B)
    and be robbed of the rest of my years?^(C)”
¹¹I said, “I will not again see the Lord himself^(D)
    in the land of the living;^(E)
no longer will I look on my fellow man,
    or be with those who now dwell in this world.
¹²Like a shepherd’s tent^(F) my house
    has been pulled down^(G) and taken from me.
Like a weaver I have rolled^(H) up my life,
    and he has cut me off from the loom;^(I)
    day and night^(J) you made an end of me.
¹³I waited patiently^(K) till dawn,
    but like a lion he broke^(L) all my bones;^(M)
    day and night^(N) you made an end of me.
¹⁴I cried like a swift or thrush,
    I moaned like a mourning dove.^(O)
My eyes grew weak^(P) as I looked to the heavens.
    I am being threatened; Lord, come to my aid!”^(Q)

¹⁵But what can I say?^(R)
    He has spoken to me, and he himself has done this.^(S)
I will walk humbly^(T) all my years
    because of this anguish of my soul.^(U)
¹⁶Lord, by such things people live;
    and my spirit finds life in them too.
You restored me to health
    and let me live.^(V)
¹⁷Surely it was for my benefit^(W)
    that I suffered such anguish.^(X)
In your love you kept me
    from the pit^(Y) of destruction;
you have put all my sins^(Z)
    behind your back.^(AA)
¹⁸For the grave^(AB) cannot praise you,
    death cannot sing your praise;^(AC)
those who go down to the pit^(AD)
    cannot hope for your faithfulness.
¹⁹The living, the living—they praise^(AE) you,
    as I am doing today;
parents tell their children^(AF)
    about your faithfulness.