Isaiah

38 In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death,—and Isaiah the prophet son of Amoz came in unto him, and said unto him—Thus saith Yahweh, Set in order thy house, for about to die thou art and shalt not recover.

2 Then Hezekiah turned his face unto the wall,—and prayed unto Yahweh;

3 and said,—I beseech thee, O Yahweh, remember, I pray thee, how I have walked before thee in faithfulness and with an undivided heart, and that which is good in thine eyes have I done. And Hezekiah wept aloud.

4 Then came the word of Yahweh unto Isaiah, saying:

5 Go and say unto Hezekiah—Thus saith Yahweh, the God of David thy father: I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears,—Behold me! about to add unto thy days, fifteen years;

6 And out of the hand of the king of Assyria will I deliver thee, and this city; And I will throw a covering over this city.

7 And this to thee shall be the sign from Yahweh,—that Yahweh will do this thing which he hath spoken:—

8 Behold me! causing the shadow on the steps, which hath come gone down on the steps of Ahaz with the sun, to return backwards ten steps. So the sun returned ten steps, by the steps which it had come down.

9 The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick and then recovered from his sickness:—

10 I said—In the noontide of my days I must enter the gates of hades,—I am deprived of the residue of my years!

11 I said—I shall not see Yah, Yah in the land of the living, I shall discern the son of earth no longer with the dwellers in the quiet land.

12 My dwelling hath been broken up And is stripped from me like a shepherd’s tent,—I have rolled up—as a weaver—my life, From the loom doth he cut me off, From day until night [I said]—Thou wilt finish me.

13 I cried out until morning like a lion, Thus will he break all my bones! From day until night, Thou wilt finish me!

14 As a twittering swallow so do I chatter, I coo as a dove,—Mine eyes languish through looking on high, O My Lord! distress is upon me—my Surety!

15 What can I say? Since he hath promised for me Himself will perform. I will go softly all my years Because of the bitterness of my soul.

16 O My Lord! on those things do men live,—And altogether in them is the life of my spirit, When thou hast strengthened me and made me live.

17 Lo! for well-being I had bitterness—bitterness,—But thou cleaving unto my soul hast raised me from the pit of corruption, For thou hast cast behind thy back all my sins.

18 For hades cannot praise thee Nor death celebrate thee,—They who go down to the pit cannot wait for thy faithfulness.

19 The living, the living he can praise thee As I do this day,—A father to his children can make known thy faithfulness.

20 Yahweh [was willing] to save me,—Therefore on my stringed instruments will we play—All the days of our life By the house of Yahweh.

21 And Isaiah had said, Let them take a cake of figs, and let them press it over the boil that he may recover.

22 And Hezekiah had said—What is the sign—that I shall go up unto the house of Yahweh?