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Isaiah 38
International Standard Version

Hezekiah’s Illness and Recovery

38 During that time,[a] Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. Then Amoz’s son Isaiah the prophet came to him and told him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Put your house in order, because you are going to die. You won’t recover.’”

2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord. 3 “Please, Lord,” he said, “Remember how I have walked before you faithfully and with a true heart, and I have done what pleases you.”[b] And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

4 Then this message[c] from the Lord came to Isaiah: 5 “Go tell Hezekiah, ‘This is what the Lord God of your ancestor David has to say: “I’ve heard your prayer and[d] I’ve seen your tears; so I will add fifteen years to your life. 6 I’ll save you and this city from the[e] king of Assyria, and I’ll defend this city, for my own sake and for my servant David’s sake.[f] 7 This is the Lord’s sign to you that the Lord will carry out this thing he has promised: 8 Watch! I will make the shadow on the steps of the upper[g] dial of Ahaz that marks the sun go ten steps backwards.”’”

Then the sunlight turned back on the dial the ten steps by which it had gone down.

Hezekiah’s Prayer

9 A composition by King Hezekiah of Judah, following his illness and recovery:

10 I said, “Must I leave in the prime of my life?
    Must I be consigned to the control[h] of Sheol?[i]
        Bitter are[j] my years!”
11 I said, “I won’t see the Lord[k] in the land of the living;
    and[l] I’ll no longer observe human beings
        among the denizens of the grave.[m]
12 My house has been plucked up and vanishes[n] from me
    like a shepherd’s tent;
like a weaver, I’ve taken account of[o] my life,
    and he cuts me off from the loom—
        day and night you make an end of me.
13 I’ve been swept bare[p] until morning;
    just like a lion, he breaks all my bones—
        day and night you make an end of me.
14 Like a swallow or a crane I chirp,
    I moan like a dove.
My eyes look weakly upward.
    O Lord,[q] I am oppressed, so[r] stand up for me!
15 What can I say, so I tell myself,[s]
    since he has done this to me?[t]
I will walk slowly all my years
    because of my soul’s anguish.

16 “My Lord is against them, yet they live,
    and among all of them who live is his spirit.[u]
Now you have restored me to health,
    so let me live!
17 Yes, it was for my own good
    that I suffered extreme anguish.[v]
But in love you have held back[w] my life
    from the Pit[x] in which it has been confined;[y]
you have tossed all my sins
    behind your back.
18 For Sheol[z] cannot thank you,
    death cannot[aa] sing your praise;
and[ab] those who go down to the Pit[ac] cannot hope
    for your faithfulness.
19 The living—yes the living—they thank you,
    just as I am doing today;
fathers will tell their children
    about your faithfulness.
20 The Lord will save me,[ad]
    and we will play my music on strings
all the days of our lives
    in the Lord’s Temple.[ae]

21 Now Isaiah had said, “Let them prepare[af] a poultice of figs and apply it to the boil, so that he may recover.”

22 Hezekiah also had asked, “What will be the sign for me to go up to the Lord’s Temple?”[ag]

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 38:1 Lit. During those days
  2. Isaiah 38:3 Lit. done what is good in your eyes
  3. Isaiah 38:4 Lit. Then the word
  4. Isaiah 38:5 So 1QIsaa LXX; the Heb. lacks and
  5. Isaiah 38:6 Lit. the hand of the
  6. Isaiah 38:6 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX lack for my own sake and for my servant David’s sake
  7. Isaiah 38:8 So 1QIsaa; the Heb. lacks upper
  8. Isaiah 38:10 Lit. gates; i.e. the place where legal cases were adjudicated
  9. Isaiah 38:10 I.e. the realm of the afterlife
  10. Isaiah 38:10 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read the rest of
  11. Isaiah 38:11 Lit. Yah; So 1QIsaa; MT reads Yah Yah; MTmss read Lord
  12. Isaiah 38:11 So 1QIsaa; the Heb. lacks and
  13. Isaiah 38:11 Lit. cessation; or the end; So 1QIsaa MT; MTmss read the world
  14. Isaiah 38:12 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT read and has been taken away
  15. Isaiah 38:12 So 1QIsaa; MT reads have rolled up
  16. Isaiah 38:13 So 1QIsaa; or I cried for help; MT reads I was composed; cf. Targ
  17. Isaiah 38:14 So 1QIsaa MT; 1QIsab reads Lord
  18. Isaiah 38:14 So 1QIsaa; the Heb. lacks so
  19. Isaiah 38:15 So 1QIsaa; MT reads for he has spoken to me
  20. Isaiah 38:15 So 1QIsaa; MT reads and it is he who has done it
  21. Isaiah 38:16 So 1QIsaa; MT reads is the life of my spirit
  22. Isaiah 38:17 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT read bitter, bitter
  23. Isaiah 38:17 So 1QIsaa; cf. LXX; MT reads you have loved
  24. Isaiah 38:17 I.e. the realm of punishment in the afterlife
  25. Isaiah 38:17 So 1QIsaa; MT reads pit of destruction
  26. Isaiah 38:18 I.e. the realm of the afterlife
  27. Isaiah 38:18 So 1QIsaa LXX; implied in 1QIsab MT
  28. Isaiah 38:18 So 1QIsaa; the Heb. lacks and
  29. Isaiah 38:18 I.e. the realm of punishment in the afterlife
  30. Isaiah 38:20 At this point a later scribe inserted into 1QIsaa a repetition of v. 19 and the beginning of v. 20, but with some different spellings and a word missing.
  31. Isaiah 38:20 The same second scribe continued with the rest of this verse; not originally in 1QIsaa.
  32. Isaiah 38:21 So MT; LXX reads Take; 1QIsaa lacks Let them prepare
  33. Isaiah 38:22 So 1QIsab MT LXX; 1QIsaa lacks vs. 21-22; a later, third scribe, includes vs. 21-22
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Isaiah 38
New International Version

Hezekiah’s Illness(A)

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?”

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Isaiah 37
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