Isaiah, 38

1. About then, Hezekiah fell ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came and said to him, 'Yahweh says this, "Put your affairs in order, for you are going to die, you will not live." '

1. In those days Hezeki'ah became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, "Thus says the LORD: Set your house in order; for you shall die, you shall not recover."

2. Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and addressed this prayer to Yahweh,

2. Then Hezeki'ah turned his face to the wall, and prayed to the LORD,

3. 'Ah, Yahweh, remember, I beg you, that I have behaved faithfully and with sincerity of heart in your presence and done what you regard as right.' And Hezekiah shed many tears.

3. and said, "Remember now, O LORD, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in thy sight." And Hezeki'ah wept bitterly.

4. Then the word of Yahweh came to Isaiah,

4. Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah:

5. 'Go and say to Hezekiah, "Yahweh, the God of your ancestor David, says this: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I shall cure you: in three days' time you will go up to the Temple of Yahweh. I shall add fifteen years to your life.

5. "Go and say to Hezeki'ah, Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will add fifteen years to your life.

6. I shall save you and this city from the king of Assyria's clutches and defend this city for my sake and my servant David's sake." '

6. I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and defend this city.

7. 'Here', Isaiah replied, 'is the sign from Yahweh that he will do what he has said.

7. "This is the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that he has promised:

8. Look, I shall make the shadow cast by the declining sun on the steps -- the steps to Ahaz's roof-room-go back ten steps.' And the sun went back the ten steps by which it had declined.

8. Behold, I will make the shadow cast by the declining sun on the dial of Ahaz turn back ten steps." So the sun turned back on the dial the ten steps by which it had declined.

9. Canticle of Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery.

9. A writing of Hezeki'ah king of Judah, after he had been sick and had recovered from his sickness:

10. I thought: In the noon of my life I am to depart. At the gates of Sheol I shall be held for the rest of my days.

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.

11. I thought: I shall never see Yahweh again in the land of the living, I shall never see again a single one of those who live on earth.

11. I said, I shall not see the LORD in the land of the living; I shall look upon man no more among the inhabitants of the world.

12. My home has been pulled up, and thrown away like a shepherd's tent; like a weaver, I have rolled up my life, he has cut me from the loom. From dawn to dark, you have been making an end of me;

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 thou dost bring me to an end;

13. till daybreak, I cried for help; like a lion, he has crushed all my bones, from dawn to dark, you have been making an end of me.

13. I cry for help until morning; like a lion he breaks all my bones; from day to night thou dost bring me to an end.

14. I twitter like a swallow, I moan like a dove, my eyes have grown dim from looking up. Lord, I am overwhelmed, come to my help.

14. Like a swallow or a crane I clamor, I moan like a dove. My eyes are weary with looking upward. O Lord, I am oppressed; be thou my security!

15. How can I speak and what can I say to him? He is the one to act. I must eke out the rest of my years in bitterness of soul.

15. But what can I say? For he has spoken to me, and he himself has done it. All my sleep has fled because of the bitterness of my soul.

16. The Lord is over them; they live, and everything in them lives by his spirit. You will cure me. Restore me to life.

16. 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. At once, my bitterness turns to well-being. For you have preserved my soul from the pit of nothingness, you have thrust all my sins behind you.

17. Lo, it was for my welfare that I had great bitterness; but thou hast held back my life from the pit of destruction, for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.

18. For Sheol cannot praise you, nor Death celebrate you; those who go down to the pit can hope no longer in your constancy.

18. For Sheol cannot thank thee, death cannot praise thee; those who go down to the pit cannot hope for thy faithfulness.

19. The living, the living are the ones who praise you, as I do today. Fathers tell their sons about your constancy.

19. The living, the living, he thanks thee, as I do this day; the father makes known to the children thy faithfulness.

20. Yahweh, come to my help and we will make our harps resound all the days of our life in the Temple of Yahweh.

20. The LORD will save me, and we will sing to stringed instruments all the days of our life, at the house of the LORD.

21. 'Bring a fig poultice,' Isaiah said, 'apply it to the ulcer and he will recover.'

21. Now Isaiah had said, "Let them take a cake of figs, and apply it to the boil, that he may recover."

22. Hezekiah said, 'What is the sign to tell me that I shall be going up to the Temple of Yahweh?'

22. Hezeki'ah also had said, "What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the LORD?"