Isaiah 38:9-20
New American Standard Bible
9 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.”
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
English Standard Version
9 A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, after he had been sick and had recovered from his sickness:
10 I said, (A)In the middle[a] 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 (B)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
(C)like a shepherd's tent;
(D)like a weaver (E)I have rolled up my life;
(F)he cuts me off from the loom;
(G)from day to night you bring me to an end;
13 (H)I calmed myself[b] until morning;
like a lion (I)he breaks all my bones;
from day to night you bring me to an end.
14 Like (J)a swallow or a crane I chirp;
(K)I moan like a dove.
(L)My eyes are weary with looking upward.
O Lord, I am oppressed; (M)be my pledge of safety!
15 What shall I say? For he has spoken to me,
and he himself has done it.
(N)I walk slowly all my years
because of the bitterness of my soul.
16 (O)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 (P)Behold, it was for my welfare
that I had great bitterness;
(Q)but in love you have delivered my life
from the pit of destruction,
(R)for you have cast all my sins
behind your back.
18 (S)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;
(T)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,
(U)at the house of the Lord.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 38:10 Or In the quiet
- Isaiah 38:13 Or (with Targum) I cried for help
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
