Isaiah 38:1–20

In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: Set your house in order, for you shall die, you shall not recover.” Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, and said, “Please, O Lord, remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah: “Go and say to Hezekiah, Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life. I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and will defend this city.

“This shall be the sign to you from the Lord, that the Lord will do this thing that he has promised: Behold, I will make the shadow cast by the declining sun on the dial of Ahaz turn back ten steps.” So the sun turned back on the dial the ten steps by which it had declined.

A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, after he had been sick and had recovered from his sickness:

I said, In the middle of my days

I must depart;

I am consigned to the gates of Sheol

for the rest of my years.

I said, I shall not see the Lord,

the Lord in the land of the living;

I shall look on man no more

among the inhabitants of the world.

My dwelling is plucked up and removed from me

like a shepherd’s tent;

like a weaver I have rolled up my life;

he cuts me off from the loom;

from day to night you bring me to an end;

I calmed myself until morning;

like a lion he breaks all my bones;

from day to night you bring me to an end.

Like a swallow or a crane I chirp;

I moan like a dove.

My eyes are weary with looking upward.

O Lord, I am oppressed; be my pledge of safety!

What shall I say? For he has spoken to me,

and he himself has done it.

I walk slowly all my years

because of the bitterness of my soul.

O Lord, by these things men live,

and in all these is the life of my spirit.

Oh restore me to health and make me live!

Behold, it was for my welfare

that I had great bitterness;

but in love you have delivered my life

from the pit of destruction,

for you have cast all my sins

behind your back.

For Sheol does not thank you;

death does not praise you;

those who go down to the pit do not hope

for your faithfulness.

The living, the living, he thanks you,

as I do this day;

the father makes known to the children

your faithfulness.

The Lord will save me,

and we will play my music on stringed instruments

all the days of our lives,

at the house of the Lord.

In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.”

Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, “Remember, Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah: “Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city.

“ ‘This is the Lord’s sign to you that the Lord will do what he has promised: 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.

A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery:

I said, “In the prime of my life

must I go through the gates of death

and be robbed of the rest of my years?”

I said, “I will not again see the Lord himself

in the land of the living;

no longer will I look on my fellow man,

or be with those who now dwell in this world.

Like a shepherd’s tent my house

has been pulled down and taken from me.

Like a weaver I have rolled up my life,

and he has cut me off from the loom;

day and night you made an end of me.

I waited patiently till dawn,

but like a lion he broke all my bones;

day and night you made an end of me.

I cried like a swift or thrush,

I moaned like a mourning dove.

My eyes grew weak as I looked to the heavens.

I am being threatened; Lord, come to my aid!”

But what can I say?

He has spoken to me, and he himself has done this.

I will walk humbly all my years

because of this anguish of my soul.

Lord, by such things people live;

and my spirit finds life in them too.

You restored me to health

and let me live.

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.

For the grave cannot praise you,

death cannot sing your praise;

those who go down to the pit

cannot hope for your faithfulness.

The living, the living—they praise you,

as I am doing today;

parents tell their children

about your faithfulness.

The Lord will save me,

and we will sing with stringed instruments

all the days of our lives

in the temple of the Lord.

In those days Hezekiah became terminally ill. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Set your house in order, for you are about to die; you will not recover.’ ”

Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord. He said, “Please, Lord, remember how I have walked before you faithfully and wholeheartedly, and have done what pleases you.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah: “Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘This is what the Lord God of your ancestor David says: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look, I am going to add fifteen years to your life. And I will rescue you and this city from the grasp of the king of Assyria; I will defend this city. This is the sign to you from the Lord that he will do what he has promised: I am going to make the sun’s shadow that goes down on the stairway of Ahaz go back by ten steps.’ ” So the sun’s shadow went back the ten steps it had descended.

A poem by King Hezekiah of Judah after he had been sick and had recovered from his illness:

I said: In the prime of my life

I must go to the gates of Sheol;

I am deprived of the rest of my years.

I said: I will never see the Lord,

the Lord in the land of the living;

I will not look on humanity any longer

with the inhabitants of what is passing away.

My dwelling is plucked up and removed from me

like a shepherd’s tent.

I have rolled up my life like a weaver;

he cuts me off from the loom.

By nightfall you make an end of me.

I thought until the morning:

He will break all my bones like a lion.

By nightfall you make an end of me.

I chirp like a swallow or a crane;

I moan like a dove.

My eyes grow weak looking upward.

Lord, I am oppressed; support me.

What can I say?

He has spoken to me,

and he himself has done it.

I walk along slowly all my years

because of the bitterness of my soul.

Lord, by such things people live,

and in every one of them my spirit finds life;

you have restored me to health

and let me live.

Indeed, it was for my own well-being

that I had such intense bitterness;

but your love has delivered me

from the Pit of destruction,

for you have thrown all my sins behind your back.

For Sheol cannot thank you;

Death cannot praise you.

Those who go down to the Pit

cannot hope for your faithfulness.

The living, only the living can thank you,

as I do today;

a father will make your faithfulness known to children.

The Lord is ready to save me;

we will play stringed instruments

all the days of our lives

at the house of the Lord.

About that time Hezekiah became deathly ill, and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to visit him. He gave the king this message: “This is what the Lord says: ‘Set your affairs in order, for you are going to die. You will not recover from this illness.’ ”

When Hezekiah heard this, he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, “Remember, O Lord, how I have always been faithful to you and have served you single-mindedly, always doing what pleases you.” Then he broke down and wept bitterly.

Then this message came to Isaiah from the Lord: “Go back to Hezekiah and tell him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your ancestor David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will add fifteen years to your life, and I will rescue you and this city from the king of Assyria. Yes, I will defend this city.

“ ‘And this is the sign from the Lord to prove that he will do as he promised: I will cause the sun’s shadow to move ten steps backward on the sundial of Ahaz!’ ” So the shadow on the sundial moved backward ten steps.

When King Hezekiah was well again, he wrote this poem:

I said, “In the prime of my life,

must I now enter the place of the dead?

Am I to be robbed of the rest of my years?”

I said, “Never again will I see the Lord God

while still in the land of the living.

Never again will I see my friends

or be with those who live in this world.

My life has been blown away

like a shepherd’s tent in a storm.

It has been cut short,

as when a weaver cuts cloth from a loom.

Suddenly, my life was over.

I waited patiently all night,

but I was torn apart as though by lions.

Suddenly, my life was over.

Delirious, I chattered like a swallow or a crane,

and then I moaned like a mourning dove.

My eyes grew tired of looking to heaven for help.

I am in trouble, Lord. Help me!”

But what could I say?

For he himself sent this sickness.

Now I will walk humbly throughout my years

because of this anguish I have felt.

Lord, your discipline is good,

for it leads to life and health.

You restore my health

and allow me to live!

Yes, this anguish was good for me,

for you have rescued me from death

and forgiven all my sins.

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.

Only the living can praise you as I do today.

Each generation tells of your faithfulness to the next.

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.

In those days, Hezekiah became sick to death, and Isaiah son of Amoz, the prophet, came to him and said to him, “Thus says Yahweh: ‘Order your house, for you are about to die, and you shall not recover.’ ” Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to Yahweh, and he said, “O Yahweh, please remember how I have walked before your presence in faithfulness with a whole heart, and I have done the good in your eyes!” And Hezekiah wept with great weeping.

Then the word of Yahweh came to Isaiah, saying, “Go and say to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says Yahweh, the God of David your ancestor: “I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look, I am going to add fifteen years to your days. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city.” ’

And this is the sign to you from Yahweh, that Yahweh will do this thing that he has spoken: Look! I will cause the shadow of the steps, which it had gone down on the steps of Ahaz with the sun, to turn backwards ten steps.” And the sun turned back ten steps on the steps which it had gone down.

A writing of Hezekiah, king of Judah, when he was sick and had recovered from his sickness:

I was the one who said, “I must go in the quiet of my days;

I am summoned through the gates of Sheol for the rest of my years.”

I said, “I shall not see Yah! Yah in the land of the living!

I shall no more look at humankind among the inhabitants of the world.

My dwelling place is pulled up and removed from me like the tent of my shepherd;

I have rolled up my life like a weaver.

He cuts me off from the thrum;

from day to night you bring me to an end.

I lie down until morning;

like a lion, so he breaks all my bones;

from day to night you bring me to an end.

Like a horse or a crane, so I chirp;

I moan like a dove.

My eyes are weak toward the height.

Lord, I have oppression; lend me support!

What can I say? For he has spoken to me,

and he himself has done it.

I will walk slowly all my years because of the bitterness of my soul.

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!

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.

For Sheol cannot praise you; death cannot praise you.

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

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

a father will make your faithfulness known to children.

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

In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live. Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the Lord, And said, Remember now, O Lord, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore. Then came the word of the Lord to Isaiah, saying, 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. And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria: and I will defend this city. And this shall be a sign unto thee from the Lord, that the Lord will do this thing that he hath spoken; Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the sun dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down.

The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness:

I said in the cutting off of my days, I shall go to the gates of the grave:

I am deprived of the residue of my years.

I 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.

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 to night wilt thou make an end of me.

I reckoned till morning, that, as a lion, so will he break all my bones:

From day even to night wilt thou make an end of me.

Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter:

I did mourn as a dove:

Mine eyes fail with looking upward:

O Lord, I am oppressed; undertake for me.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

The father to the children shall make known thy truth.

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.