Isaiah 38

1 In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith Jehovah, Set thy house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto Jehovah,3 and said, Remember now, O Jehovah, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.4 Then came the word of Jehovah to Isaiah, saying,5 Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years.6 And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city.7 And this shall be the sign unto thee from Jehovah, that Jehovah will do this thing that he hath spoken:8 behold, I will cause the shadow on the steps, which is gone down on the dial of Ahaz with the sun, to return backward ten steps. So the sun returned ten steps on the dial whereon it was gone down.

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

10 I said, In the 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 Jehovah, even Jehovah in the land of the living: I shall behold man no more 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 loom: From day even to night wilt thou make an end of me.

13 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 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: Wherefore recover thou me, and make me to live.

17 Behold, it was for my peace that I had great bitterness: But thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of 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.

21 Now Isaiah had said, Let them take a cake of figs, and lay it for a plaster upon the boil, and he shall recover.22 Hezekiah also had said, What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of Jehovah?

ISAIAH 38

Hezekiah Gets Sick //and Almost Dies

(2 Kings 20.1-11; 2 Chronicles 32.24-26)

1 About this time, Hezekiah got sick and was almost dead. So I went in and told him, “The [Lord] says you won't ever get well. You are going to die, and so you had better start doing what needs to be done.”
2 Hezekiah turned toward the wall and prayed,

3 “Don't forget that I have been faithful to you, [Lord]. I have obeyed you with all my heart, and I do whatever you say is right.” After this, he cried hard.
4 Then the [Lord] sent me

5 with this message for Hezekiah:
I am the [Lord] God, who was worshiped by your ancestor David. I heard you pray, and I saw you cry. I will let you live 15 more years,

6 while I protect you and your city from the king of Assyria.
7 Now I will prove to you that I will keep my promise.

8 Do you see the shadow made by the setting sun on the stairway built for King Ahaz? I will make the shadow go back ten steps.
Then the shadow went back ten steps.t

King Hezekiah's Song //of Praise

9 This is what Hezekiah wrote after he got well:

10 I thought I would die
during my best years
and stay as a prisoner forever
in the world of the dead.

11 I thought I would never again
see you, my [Lord],
or any of the people
who live on this earth.

12 My life was taken from me
like the tent that a shepherd
pulls up and moves.
You cut me off like thread
from a weaver's loom;
you make a wreck of me
day and night.

13 Until morning came, I thought
you would crush my bones
just like a hungry lion;
both night and day
you make a wreck of me.t

14 I cry like a swallow;
I mourn like a dove.
My eyes are red
from looking to you, [Lord].
I am in terrible trouble.
Please come and help me.t

15 There's nothing I can say
in answer to you,
since you are the one
who has done this to me.t
My life has turned sour;
I will limp until I die.

16 Your words and your deeds
bring life to everyone,
including me.t
Please make me healthy
and strong again.

17 It was for my own good
that I had such hard times.
But your love protected me
from doom in the deep pit, t
and you turned your eyes
away from my sins.

18  t No one in the world of the dead
can thank you or praise you;
none of those in the deep pit
can hope for you
to show them
how faithful you are.

19 Only the living can thank you,
as I am doing today.
Each generation tells the next
about your faithfulness.t

20 You, [Lord], will save me,
and every day that we live
we will sing in your temple
to the music
of stringed instruments.

Isaiah's Advice to Hezekiah