Isaiah 38

1 In those days was Hezekiah (Chizqiyahu) sick unto death. And Isaiah (Yeshayahu) the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, “Thus saith יהוה: ‘Set your house in order, for you shalt die, and not live.’”

2 Then Hezekiah (Chizqiyahu) turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto יהוה,

3 And said, “Remember now, O יהוה, I beseech You, how I have walked before You in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in Your sight. And Hezekiah (Chizqiyahu) wept sore.

4 Then came the word of יהוה to Isaiah (Yeshayahu), saying,

5 “Go, and say to Hezekiah (Chizqiyahu), ‘Thus saith יהוה, the God (Elohim) of Dawid your father: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears: behold, I will add unto your days fifteen years.

6 And I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria (Ashshur); and I will defend this city.”’

7 And this shall be a sign unto you from יהוה, that יהוה will do this thing that He hath spoken:

8 Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the sun dial of Achaz, ten degrees backward.” So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down.

9 The writing of Hezekiah (Chizqiyahu) king of Judah (Yehudah), when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness:

10 I said, “In the cutting off of my days, I shall go to the gates of the sheol; I am deprived of the residue of my years.”

11 I said, “I shall not see יה (Yah), יה (Yah) in the land of the living; I shall behold man no more with the inhabitants of the world.

12 Mine age is departed, and is removed from me as a shepherd’s tent; I have cut off like a weaver my life. He will cut me off with pining sickness; from day even tonight wilt You make an end of me.

13 I reckoned till morning, that, as a lion, so will he break all my bones; from day even tonight wilt You make an end of me.

14 Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter; I did mourn as a dove mine eyes fail with looking upward. O יהוה, I am oppressed; undertake for me!

15 “What shall I say? He hath both spoken unto me, and Himself hath done it. I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul.

16 O Lord (Adonai), by these things men live, and in all these things is the life of my spirit; so wilt You recover me, and make me to live.

17 Behold, for peace I had great bitterness; but You have in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption; for You have cast all my sins behind Your back.

18 For the sheol cannot praise You, death can not celebrate You; they that go down into the pit cannot hope for Your truth.

19 The living, the living, he shall praise You, as I do this day; the father to the children shall make known Your truth.

20 יהוה was ready to save me; therefore we will sing my songs to the stringed instruments all the days of our life in the house of יהוה.”

21 For Isaiah (Yeshayahu) had said, “Let them take a lump of figs, and lay it for a plaister upon the boil, and he shall recover.”

22 Hezekiah (Chizqiyahu) also had said, “What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of יהוה?”