Isaiah 38

1In 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.

1During that time, Hezekiah became so sick that he was about to die. The prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz, went to him and said, 'This is what the LORD says: Put your affairs in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.'

2Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto Jehovah,

2Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall and prayed to the LORD.

3and 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.

3He said, 'Please, LORD, remember how I have walked before you faithfully and with a whole heart, doing what is good in your eyes.' And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

4Then came the word of Jehovah to Isaiah, saying,

4Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah, saying:

5Go, 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.

5'Go and tell Hezekiah: This is what the LORD, the God of your ancestor David, says: I have heard your prayer and I have seen your tears. Look, I will add fifteen years to your life.'

6And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city.

6'I will rescue you and this city from the power of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city.'

7And this shall be the sign unto thee from Jehovah, that Jehovah will do this thing that he hath spoken:

7'This is the sign from the LORD to you that the LORD will do what he has promised:'

8behold, 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.

8'Look, I will make the shadow on the stairway of Ahaz go backward ten steps.' So the sunlight went back up the ten steps it had already gone down.

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

9This is what Hezekiah king of Judah wrote after he had been sick and recovered from his illness:

10I said, In the noontide of my days I shall go into the gates of Sheol: I am deprived of the residue of my years.

10I said, 'In the middle of my life, must I go through the gates of the grave? Am I robbed of the rest of my years?'

11I 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.

11I said, 'I will not see the LORD anymore in the land of the living. I will no longer look at people or be with those who live in this world.'

12My 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.

12My house is pulled up and taken away from me like a shepherd’s tent. Like a weaver I have rolled up my life, and he cuts me off from the loom; from day until night you bring me to an end.

13I 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.

13I waited patiently until morning, but like a lion he broke all my bones; from day until night you bring me to an end.

14Like a swallowora 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.

14I chirped like a swallow or a crane; I moaned like a dove. My eyes grew tired from looking toward heaven. Lord, I am overwhelmed; come to my aid!

15What 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.

15But what can I say? He has spoken to me and he himself has done this. I will walk humbly all my years because of the bitterness of my soul.

16O Lord, by these things men live; And wholly therein is the life of my spirit: Wherefore recover thou me, and make me to live.

16Lord, people live by these things, and my spirit finds life in them. You restored my health and let me live.

17Behold, it wasformypeacethatI 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.

17Surely it was for my own benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have thrown all my sins behind your back.

18For Sheol cannot praise thee, death cannot celebrate thee: They that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.

18For the grave cannot praise you, and death cannot sing your glory; those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness.

19The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: The father to the children shall make known thy truth.

19The living—only the living praise you, as I am doing today; parents tell their children about your faithfulness.

20Jehovah isreadyto save me: Therefore we will sing my songs with stringed instruments All the days of our life in the house of Jehovah.

20The LORD is ready to save me! We will sing with stringed instruments all the days of our lives in the house of the LORD.

21Now Isaiah had said, Let them take a cake of figs, and lay it for a plaster upon the boil, and he shall recover.

21Now Isaiah had said, 'Prepare a bandage of dried figs and put it on the boil, and he will recover.'

22Hezekiah also had said, What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of Jehovah?

22Hezekiah had asked, 'What is the sign that I will be able to go up to the house of the LORD?'