38
1 In
those days
Hezekiah was sick
and near death.
Isaiah the prophet,
the son of Amoz,
came to him,
and said to him,
“The LORD
says, ‘Set your
house in order,
for you will
die, and not
live.’ ”
2 Then
Hezekiah turned
his face to
the wall and
prayed to the
LORD,
3 and said, “Remember
now, LORD, I
beg you, how
I have walked
before you in truth
and with a
perfect heart, and
have done that
which is good
in your sight.”
Then Hezekiah wept
bitterly.
4 Then
the LORD’s word
came to Isaiah,
saying,
5 “Go,
and tell Hezekiah,
‘The LORD, the
God of David
your father, says, “I
have heard your
prayer. I have
seen your tears.
Behold, I will
add fifteen years
to your life.
6 I
will deliver you
and this city
out of the
hand of the
king of Assyria,
and I will
defend this city.
7 This
shall be the sign
to you from
the LORD, that
the LORD will
do this thing
that he has
spoken.
8 Behold,
I will cause
the shadow on
the sundial, which has
gone down on
the sundial of Ahaz
with the sun,
to return backward
ten steps.” ’ ” So
the sun returned
ten steps on
the sundial on which
it had gone
down.
9 The
writing of
Hezekiah king of
Judah, when he
had been sick,
and had recovered
of his sickness:
10 I said, “In
the middle of
my life I
go into the
gates of
Sheol.
I am deprived
of the residue
of my years.”
11 I said, “I
won’t see the
LORD,
the LORD
in the land of
the living.
I will see
man no more
with the
inhabitants of the
world.
12 My
dwelling is
removed,
and is carried
away from me
like a shepherd’s
tent.
I have rolled
up my life
like a weaver.
He will cut
me off from
the loom.
From day even
to night you
will make an
end of me.
13 I waited
patiently until morning.
He breaks all
my bones like
a lion.
From day even
to night you
will make an
end of me.
14 I chattered
like a swallow
or a crane.
I moaned like a
dove.
My eyes weaken looking
upward.
Lord, I am oppressed.
Be my security.”
15 What
will I say?
He has both
spoken to me,
and himself has
done it.
I will walk
carefully all my
years because of
the anguish of my
soul.
16 Lord, men
live by these
things;
and my
spirit finds life
in all of
them.
You restore me,
and cause me to
live.
17 Behold,
for peace I
had great anguish,
but you have
in love for
my soul delivered
it from the
pit of corruption;
for you have
cast all my
sins behind your
back.
18 For
Sheol
can’t praise you.
Death can’t
celebrate you.
Those who go
down into the
pit can’t hope
for your truth.
19 The
living, the living,
he shall praise
you, as I do
today.
The father shall
make known
your truth to the
children.
20 The
LORD will save
me.
Therefore we
will sing my songs
with stringed
instruments all
the days of
our life in
the LORD’s house.
21 Now
Isaiah had said, “Let
them take a
cake of figs,
and lay it for
a poultice on the
boil, and he
shall recover.”
22 Hezekiah
also had said, “What
is the sign that
I will go
up to the
LORD’s house?”