Isaiah 38
JPS Tanakh (Jewish Publication Society, 1917)
World English Bible
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 the LORD: Set thy house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.'
1In 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.’”
2Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD,
2Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD,
3and said: 'Remember now, O LORD, I beseech Thee, how I have walked before Thee in truth and with a whole heart, and have done that which is good in Thy sight.' And Hezekiah wept sore.
3and 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.
4Then came the word of the LORD to Isaiah, saying:
4Then the LORD’s word came 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.
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.
6And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city.
6I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city.
7And this shall be the sign unto thee from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that He hath spoken:
7This shall be the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that he has spoken.
8behold, I will cause the shadow of the dial, which is gone down on the sun-dial of Ahaz, to return backward ten degrees.' So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down.
8Behold, 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.
9The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness.
9The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and had recovered of his sickness:
10I said: In the noontide of my days I shall go, even to the gates of the nether-world; I am deprived of the residue of my years.
10I said, “In the middle of my life I go into the gates of Sheol. I am deprived of the residue of my years.”
11I 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.
11I 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.
12My habitation is plucked up and 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 thrum; from day even to night wilt Thou make an end of me.
12My 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.
13The more I make myself like unto a lion until morning, the more it breaketh all my bones; from day even to night wilt Thou make an end of me.
13I waited patiently until morning. He breaks all my bones like a lion. From day even to night you will make an end of me.
14Like a swallow or a crane, so do I chatter, I do moan as a dove; mine eyes fail with looking upward. O LORD, I am oppressed, be Thou my surety.
14I chattered like a swallow or a crane. I moaned like a dove. My eyes weaken looking upward. Lord, I am oppressed. Be my security.”
15What shall I say? He hath both spoken unto me, and Himself hath done it; I shall go softly all my years for the bitterness of my soul.
15What 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.
16O Lord, by these things men live, and altogether therein is the life of my spirit; wherefore recover Thou me, and make me to live.
16Lord, men live by these things; and my spirit finds life in all of them. You restore me, and cause me to live.
17Behold, for my 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.
17Behold, 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.
18For the nether-world cannot praise Thee, death cannot celebrate Thee; they that go down into the pit cannot hope for Thy truth.
18For Sheol can’t praise you. Death can’t celebrate you. Those who go down into the pit can’t hope for your truth.
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, the living, he shall praise you, as I do today. The father shall make known your truth to the children.
20The LORD is ready to save me; therefore we will sing songs to the stringed instruments all the days of our life in the house of the LORD.
20The LORD will save me. Therefore we will sing my songs with stringed instruments all the days of our life in the LORD’s house.
21And Isaiah 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, “Let them take a cake of figs, and lay it for a poultice on the boil, and he shall recover.”
22And Hezekiah said. 'What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the LORD?'
22Hezekiah also had said, “What is the sign that I will go up to the LORD’s house?”
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