Isaiah 38:16–20

16 Lord, by such things people live;

and my spirit finds life in them too.

You restored me to health

and let me live.

17 Surely it was for my benefit

that I suffered such anguish.

In your love you kept me

from the pit of destruction;

you have put all my sins

behind your back.

18 For the grave cannot praise you,

death cannot sing your praise;

those who go down to the pit

cannot hope for your faithfulness.

19 The living, the living—they praise you,

as I am doing today;

parents tell their children

about your faithfulness.

20 The Lord will save me,

and we will sing with stringed instruments

all the days of our lives

in the temple of the Lord.

16 O Lord, by these things men live,

And in all these things is the life of my spirit:

So wilt thou recover me, and make me to live.

17 Behold, for 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.

18 For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee:

They that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.

19 The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day:

The father to the children shall make known thy truth.

20 The Lord 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 the Lord.

16 Lord, your discipline is good,

for it leads to life and health.

You restore my health

and allow me to live!

17 Yes, this anguish was good for me,

for you have rescued me from death

and forgiven all my sins.

18 For the dead cannot praise you;

they cannot raise their voices in praise.

Those who go down to the grave

can no longer hope in your faithfulness.

19 Only the living can praise you as I do today.

Each generation tells of your faithfulness to the next.

20 Think of it—the Lord is ready to heal me!

I will sing his praises with instruments

every day of my life

in the Temple of the Lord.

16 O Lord, by these things men live;

And in all these things is the life of my spirit;

So You will restore me and make me live.

17 Indeed it was for my own peace

That I had great bitterness;

But You have lovingly delivered my soul from the pit of corruption,

For You have cast all my sins behind Your back.

18 For Sheol cannot thank You,

Death cannot praise You;

Those who go down to the pit cannot hope for Your truth.

19 The living, the living man, he shall praise You,

As I do this day;

The father shall make known Your truth to the children.

20 “The Lord was ready to save me;

Therefore we will sing my songs with stringed instruments

All the days of our life, in the house of the Lord.”

16 Lord, because of you, people live.

Because of you, my spirit also lives;

you made me well and let me live.

17 It was for my own good

that I had such troubles.

Because you love me very much,

you did not let me die

but threw my sins

far away.

18 People in the place of the dead cannot praise you;

those who have died cannot sing praises to you;

those who die don’t trust you

to help them.

19 The people who are alive are the ones who praise you.

They praise you as I praise you today.

A father should tell his children

that you provide help.

20 The Lord saved me,

so we will play songs on stringed instruments

in the Temple of the Lord

all the days of our lives.

16 O Lord, by these things men live;

And wholly therein is the life of my spirit:

Wherefore recover thou me, and make me to live.

17 Behold, it was for my peace that 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.

18 For Sheol cannot praise thee, death cannot celebrate thee:

They that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.

19 The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day:

The father to the children shall make known thy truth.

20 Jehovah is ready to save me:

Therefore we will sing my songs with stringed instruments

All the days of our life in the house of Jehovah.

16 Lord, by these things men live, and in all these things is the life of my spirit; and thou hast recovered me, and made me to live. 17 Behold, instead of peace I had bitterness upon bitterness; but thou hast in love delivered my soul from the pit of destruction; for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back. 18 For not Sheol shall praise thee, nor death celebrate thee; they that go down into the pit do not hope for thy truth. 19 The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth. 20 Jehovah was purposed to save me. —And we will play upon my stringed instruments all the days of our life, in the house of Jehovah.

16 Lord, people live in spite of such things, 

and I have the will to live in spite of them. 

You give me health and keep me alive. 

17 Now my bitter experience turns into peace. 

You have saved me and kept me from the rotting pit. 

You have thrown all my sins behind you. 

18 Sheol doesn’t thank you! 

Death doesn’t praise you! 

Those who go down to the pit cannot expect you to be faithful. 

19 Those who are living praise you as I do today. 

Fathers make your faithfulness known to their children. 

20 The Lord is going to rescue me, 

so let us play stringed instruments. 

We live our lives in the Lord’s temple. 

16 Lord, because of these promises people live,

and in all of them is the life of my spirit as well;

You have restored me to health

and let me live.

17 Indeed, it was for my own welfare

that I had such great bitterness;

but Your love has delivered me

from the Pit of destruction,

for You have thrown all my sins behind Your back.

18 For Sheol cannot thank You;

Death cannot praise You.

Those who go down to the Pit

cannot hope for Your faithfulness.

19 The living, only the living can thank You,

as I do today;

a father will make Your faithfulness known to children.

20 The Lord will save me;

we will play stringed instruments

all the days of our lives

at the house of the Lord.

16 O Lord, by these things people live,

and in all these is the life of my spirit.

Oh, restore me to health and make me live!

17 Surely it was for my welfare

that I had great bitterness,

but you have held back my life

from the pit of destruction,

for you have cast all my sins

behind your back.

18 For Sheol cannot thank you;

death cannot praise you;

those who go down to the Pit cannot hope

for your faithfulness.

19 The living, the living, they thank you,

as I do this day;

fathers make known to children

your faithfulness.

20 The Lord will save me,

and we will sing to stringed instruments

all the days of our lives,

at the house of the Lord.

16 Lord, they live by them, and the life of my spirit belongs to all among them.

And restore me to health and keep me alive!

17 Look! Bitterness was bitter to me for peace.

And you were the one who loved my life from the pit of destruction,

for you have cast all my sins behind your back.

18 For Sheol cannot praise you; death cannot praise you.

Those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness.

19 The living, the living one praises you like me today;

a father will make your faithfulness known to children.

20 Yahweh, save me, and we will play my music on stringed instruments all the days of our lives at the temple of Yahweh.”

16 Lord, people find the will to live because you keep your promises.

And my spirit also finds life in your promises.

You brought me back to health.

You let me live.

17 I’m sure it was for my benefit

that I suffered such great pain.

You love me. You kept me

from going down into the pit of death.

You have put all of my sins

behind your back.

18 People in the grave can’t praise you.

Dead people can’t sing praise to you.

Those who go down to the grave

can’t hope for you to be faithful to them.

19 It is those who are alive who praise you.

And that’s what I’m doing today.

Fathers tell their children

about how faithful you are.

20 “You will save me.

So we will sing and play music on stringed instruments.

We will sing all the days of our lives

in your temple.”

16 “O Lord, by these things men live,

And in all these is the life of my spirit;

O restore me to health and let me live!

17 “Lo, for my own welfare I had great bitterness;

It is You who has kept my soul from the pit of nothingness,

For You have cast all my sins behind Your back.

18 “For Sheol cannot thank You,

Death cannot praise You;

Those who go down to the pit cannot hope for Your faithfulness.

19 “It is the living who give thanks to You, as I do today;

A father tells his sons about Your faithfulness.

20 “The Lord will surely save me;

So we will play my songs on stringed instruments

All the days of our life at the house of the Lord.”