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

10 I said, “In the middle of my life I go into the gates of Sheol.[a]
    I am deprived of the residue of my years.”
11 I said, “I won’t see Yah,
    Yah in the land of the living.
    I will see man no more with the inhabitants of the world.
12 My dwelling is removed,
    and is carried away from me like a shepherd’s tent.
I have rolled up my life like a weaver.
    He will cut me off from the loom.
    From day even to night you will make an end of me.
13 I waited patiently until morning.
    He breaks all my bones like a lion.
    From day even to night you will make an end of me.
14 I chattered like a swallow or a crane.
    I moaned like a dove.
    My eyes weaken looking upward.
    Lord, I am oppressed.
    Be my security.”
15 What will I say?
    He has both spoken to me, and himself has done it.
    I will walk carefully all my years because of the anguish of my soul.
16 Lord, men live by these things;
    and my spirit finds life in all of them:
    you restore me, and cause me to live.
17 Behold, for peace I had great anguish,
    but you have in love for my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption;
    for you have cast all my sins behind your back.
18 For Sheol[b] can’t praise you.
    Death can’t celebrate you.
Those who go down into the pit can’t hope for your truth.
19 The living, the living, he shall praise you, as I do today.
    The father shall make known your truth to the children.
20 Yahweh will save me.
    Therefore we will sing my songs with stringed instruments all the days of our life in Yahweh’s house.

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Footnotes

  1. 38:10 Sheol is the place of the dead.
  2. 38:18 Sheol is the place of the dead.

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.(A)
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.(B)
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;(C)
13     I cry for help[a] 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[b] I clamor;
    I moan like a dove.
My eyes are weary with looking upward.
    O Lord, I am oppressed; be my security!(E)
15 But what can I say? For he has spoken to me,
    and he himself has done it.
All my sleep has fled[c]
    because of the bitterness of my soul.(F)

16 O Lord, by these things people live,
    and in all these is the life of my spirit.[d]
    Oh, 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[e] my life
    from the pit of destruction,
for you have cast all my sins
    behind your back.(G)
18 For Sheol cannot thank you;
    death cannot praise you;
those who go down to the Pit cannot hope
    for your faithfulness.(H)
19 The living, the living, they thank you,
    as I do this day;
fathers make known to children
    your faithfulness.(I)

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

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Footnotes

  1. 38.13 Cn: Meaning of Heb uncertain
  2. 38.14 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  3. 38.15 Cn Compare Syr: Heb I will walk slowly all my years
  4. 38.16 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  5. 38.17 Cn Compare Gk Vg: Heb loved
  6. 38.20 Heb my stringed instruments