38 At that time, Hezekiah became very ill. He nearly died. Then Amoz's son, Isaiah the prophet, went to Hezekiah. He said to Hezekiah, ‘This is what the Lord says: “You will soon die. You will not get better. So you must tell your family what to do after your death.” ’
2 Then Hezekiah turned his face towards the wall and he prayed to the Lord . 3 He prayed, ‘ Lord , please remember that I have served you well. I have always obeyed you. You could trust me to do the things that you told me to do.’ Hezekiah wept very much.
4 Then the Lord said to Isaiah, 5 ‘Go and say this to Hezekiah: “This is what the Lord says, the God that your ancestor David worshipped. I have heard your prayer and I have seen your tears. So I will let you live for 15 more years. 6 I will rescue you and this city from the power of the king of Assyria. I will keep Jerusalem safe.” ’
7 Isaiah said, ‘The Lord will do what he has promised to do for you. This is how you will know that it will really happen. 8 You can see the sun's shadow when it falls on the stairs that King Ahaz built. The Lord will cause the shadow to go back ten steps on these stairs.’ Then the shadow did go back ten steps!
9 When Hezekiah became better from his disease, he wrote this song:
10 I thought that I might die in the middle of my life.
I thought that I would go into the deep hole of death,
before I had lived all the years of my life.
11 I thought, ‘I will not see the Lord again,
while I live in this world.
I will no longer see the people who live in the world.
I will no longer live among them.’
12 My home here has gone,
as easily as they pull down a shepherd's tent.
God has cut off my life,
like a piece of cloth that they have just made.
They cut it off and they roll it up.
As quickly as day becomes night,
God brings my life to an end.
13 I waited until morning would come.
It seemed like God was breaking all my bones,
like a lion does.
As quickly as day becomes night,
God brings my life to an end.
14 I cry like a swallow.
I make a sad noise like a dove.
My eyes are weak as I look up to heaven for help.
Lord God, save me from my trouble!
15 I do not know what I can say.
The Lord has told me what must happen.
He has done what he decided to do.
I will live quietly for the rest of my life,
because I am very sad and upset.
16 Lord God, your promises give life to people.
May they give life to my spirit.
Please make me well again and let me live.
17 Yes, it was good for me to have this trouble.
You rescued me from the deep hole of death.
You removed my sins,
and you put them behind your back.
18 Dead people in their graves cannot praise you.
They cannot sing to thank you.
People who go down into the deep hole of death
cannot trust you to help them.
19 It is those people who are alive that can thank you.
And I am doing it today.
Fathers tell their children that they can trust you.
20 The Lord will now save me from death.
We will sing to thank the Lord in his temple.
We will sing with happy music every day of our lives.
21 Now Isaiah had said this: ‘Take some figs to make a medicine and put it on Hezekiah's boil. Then he will get better.’ 22 Hezekiah had asked, ‘What will show me that I will be able to go up to the Lord 's temple?’ [ a ]
38 At that time Hezekiah became sick and almost died. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to see him and told him, “The Lord told me to tell you this: ‘You will die soon. So you should tell your family what they should do when you die. You will not get well.’”
2 Hezekiah turned toward the wall that faced the Temple and began praying to the Lord . 3 “ Lord , remember that I have faithfully served you with all my heart. I have done what you say is good.” Then Hezekiah cried very hard.
4 Then Isaiah received this message from the Lord : 5 “Go to Hezekiah and tell him that the Lord , the God of your ancestor David, says, ‘I heard your prayer, and I saw your tears. I will add 15 years to your life. 6 I will save you and this city from the king of Assyria. I will protect this city.’”
21 [ a ] Then Isaiah told Hezekiah, “Crush figs together and put them on your sore. Then you will get well.”
22 Hezekiah asked Isaiah, “What is the sign that proves I will get well and go to the Lord ’s Temple?”
7 This is the sign from the Lord to show you that he will do what he says: 8 “Look, I am causing the shadow that is on the steps of Ahaz [ b ] to move back ten steps. The sun’s shadow will go back up the ten steps that it has already been on.”
9 This is the letter from Hezekiah when he became well:
10 I thought I would live a full life.
But now, in the middle of my life, the time has come for me to die.
11 So I said, “I will not see the Lord Yah [ c ] in the land of the living again.
I will not see the people living on earth.
12 My home, my shepherd’s tent, is being pulled down and taken from me.
I am finished like the cloth someone rolls up and cuts from the loom.
You ended my life in such a short time.
13 All night I cried as loud as a lion,
but my hopes were crushed like a lion eating bones.
You finished my life in such a short time.
14 I cried like a bird
and moaned like a dove.
My eyes became tired,
but I continued looking to the heavens.
Lord, I am so depressed.
Promise to help me.”
15 What can I say?
He told me what would happen,
and he will make it happen.
I have had these troubles in my soul,
so now I will be humble all my life.
16 Lord, use this hard time to make my spirit live again.
Help my spirit become strong and healthy.
Help me become well!
Help me live again!
17 Look, my troubles are gone!
I now have peace.
You love me very much.
You did not let me rot in the grave.
You took my sins
and threw them away.
18 The dead cannot praise you.
People in Sheol cannot sing praises to you.
Those who have died and gone below
are not trusting in your faithfulness.
19 People who are alive, people like me,
are the ones who will praise you.
Fathers should tell their children about how faithful you are.
20 So I say, “The Lord saved me.
So we will sing and play songs in the Lord ’s Temple all our lives.”
38 In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord , Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live.
2 Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the Lord ,
3 And said, Remember now, O Lord , 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 the Lord to Isaiah, saying,
5 Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the Lord , 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 a sign unto thee from the Lord , that the Lord will do this thing that he hath spoken;
8 Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the sun dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees 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 cutting off of my days, I shall go to the gates of the grave: I am deprived of the residue of my years.
11 I said, I shall not see the Lord , even the Lord , in the land of the living: I shall behold man no more with the inhabitants of the world.
12 Mine age is departed, and is removed from me as a shepherd's tent: I have cut off like a weaver my life: he will cut me off with pining sickness: from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me.
13 I reckoned till morning, that, as a lion, so will he break all my bones: from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me.
14 Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove: mine eyes fail with looking upward: O Lord , I am oppressed; undertake for me.
15 What shall I say? he hath both spoken unto me, and himself hath done it: I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul.
16 O Lord , by these things men live, and in all these things is the life of my spirit: so wilt thou recover me, and make me to live.
17 Behold, for peace 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 the grave cannot praise thee, death can not 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 The Lord was ready to save me: therefore we will sing my songs to the stringed instruments all the days of our life in the house of the Lord .
21 For Isaiah had said, Let them take a lump of figs, and lay it for a plaister 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 the Lord ?
38 ( A ) In those days Hezekiah became [ a ] mortally ill. And ( B ) Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, came to him and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘ ( C ) Set your house in order, for you are going to die and not live.’” 2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord , 3 and said, “ ( D ) Please, Lord , just remember how I have ( E ) walked before You ( F ) wholeheartedly and in truth, and ( G ) have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah ( H ) wept [ b ] profusely.
4 Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah, saying, 5 “Go and say to Hezekiah, ‘This is what the Lord , the God of your father David says: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will add ( I ) fifteen years to your [ c ] life. 6 And I will ( J ) save you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will protect this city.”’
7 “And this shall be the ( K ) sign to you from the Lord , that the Lord will perform this word that He has spoken: 8 Behold, I will ( L ) make the shadow on the stairway, which has gone down with the sun on the stairway of Ahaz, go back ten steps.” So the ( M ) sun’s shadow went back ten steps on the stairway on which it had gone down.
9 This is a writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and [ d ] recovery:
10 I said, “ ( N ) In the middle of my [ e ] life
I am to enter the ( O ) gates of Sheol;
I have been ( P ) deprived of the rest of my years.”
11 I said, “I will not see the Lord ,
The Lord ( Q ) in the land of the living;
I will no longer look on mankind among the inhabitants of the world.
12 Like a shepherd’s ( R ) tent my dwelling is pulled up and removed from me;
As a ( S ) weaver I ( T ) rolled up my life.
He ( U ) cuts me off from the loom;
From ( V ) day until night You make an end of me.
13 I composed my soul until morning.
( W ) Like a lion—so He ( X ) breaks all my bones,
From ( Y ) day until night You make an end of me.
14 ( Z ) Like a swallow, like a crane, so I twitter;
I ( AA ) moan like a dove;
My ( AB ) eyes look wistfully to the heights;
Lord, I am oppressed, be my ( AC ) security.
15 “ ( AD ) What shall I say?
[ f ] For He has spoken to me, and He Himself has done it;
I will ( AE ) walk [ g ] quietly all my years because of the ( AF ) bitterness of my soul.
16 Lord, ( AG ) by these things people live,
And in all these is the life of my spirit;
[ h ] ( AH ) Restore me to health and ( AI ) let me live!
17 Behold, for my own welfare I had great bitterness;
But You have [ i ] ( AJ ) kept my soul from the pit of [ j ] nothingness,
For You have ( AK ) hurled all my sins behind Your back.
18 For ( AL ) Sheol cannot thank You,
Death cannot praise You;
Those who go down ( AM ) to the pit cannot hope for Your faithfulness.
19 It is the ( AN ) living who give thanks to You, as I do today;
A ( AO ) father tells his sons about Your faithfulness.
20 The Lord is certain to save me;
So we will ( AP ) play my songs on stringed instruments
( AQ ) All the days of our life ( AR ) at the house of the Lord .”
21 Now ( AS ) Isaiah had said, “Have them take a cake of figs and apply it to the boil, so that he may recover.” 22 Then Hezekiah had said, “What is the ( AT ) sign that I will go up to the house of the Lord ?”
38 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz ( B ) went to him and said, “This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, ( C ) because you are going to die; you will not recover.” ( D )
2 Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord , 3 “Remember, Lord , how I have walked ( E ) before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion ( F ) and have done what is good in your eyes. ( G ) ” And Hezekiah wept ( H ) bitterly.
4 Then the word ( I ) of the Lord came to Isaiah: 5 “Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘This is what the Lord , the God of your father David, ( J ) says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; ( K ) I will add fifteen years ( L ) to your life. 6 And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend ( M ) this city.
7 “‘This is the Lord ’s sign ( N ) to you that the Lord will do what he has promised: 8 I will make the shadow cast by the sun go back the ten steps it has gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.’” So the sunlight went back the ten steps it had gone down. ( O )
9 A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery:
10 I said, “In the prime of my life ( P )
must I go through the gates of death ( Q )
and be robbed of the rest of my years? ( R ) ”
11 I said, “I will not again see the Lord himself ( S )
in the land of the living; ( T )
no longer will I look on my fellow man,
or be with those who now dwell in this world.
12 Like a shepherd’s tent ( U ) my house
has been pulled down ( V ) and taken from me.
Like a weaver I have rolled ( W ) up my life,
and he has cut me off from the loom; ( X )
day and night ( Y ) you made an end of me.
13 I waited patiently ( Z ) till dawn,
but like a lion he broke ( AA ) all my bones; ( AB )
day and night ( AC ) you made an end of me.
14 I cried like a swift or thrush,
I moaned like a mourning dove. ( AD )
My eyes grew weak ( AE ) as I looked to the heavens.
I am being threatened; Lord, come to my aid!” ( AF )
15 But what can I say? ( AG )
He has spoken to me, and he himself has done this. ( AH )
I will walk humbly ( AI ) all my years
because of this anguish of my soul. ( AJ )
16 Lord, by such things people live;
and my spirit finds life in them too.
You restored me to health
and let me live. ( AK )
17 Surely it was for my benefit ( AL )
that I suffered such anguish. ( AM )
In your love you kept me
from the pit ( AN ) of destruction;
you have put all my sins ( AO )
behind your back. ( AP )
18 For the grave ( AQ ) cannot praise you,
death cannot sing your praise; ( AR )
those who go down to the pit ( AS )
cannot hope for your faithfulness.
19 The living, the living—they praise ( AT ) you,
as I am doing today;
parents tell their children ( AU )
about your faithfulness.
20 The Lord will save me,
and we will sing ( AV ) with stringed instruments ( AW )
all the days of our lives ( AX )
in the temple ( AY ) of the Lord .
21 Isaiah had said, “Prepare a poultice of figs and apply it to the boil, and he will recover.”
22 Hezekiah had asked, “What will be the sign ( AZ ) that I will go up to the temple of the Lord ?”
