Isaiah 38:9–20

⁹Here is a song of praise that was written by Hezekiah, the king of Judah. He wrote it after he was sick and had gotten well again.

¹⁰I said, “I’m enjoying the best years of my life.

Must I now go through the gates of death?

Will the rest of my years be taken away from me?”

¹¹I said, “Lord, I’ll never see you again

while I’m still alive.

I’ll never see people anymore.

I’ll never again be with those who live in this world.

¹²My body is like a shepherd’s tent.

It has been pulled down and carried off.

My life is like a piece of cloth that I’ve rolled up.

You have cut it off from the loom.

In a short period of time you have brought my life to an end.

¹³I waited patiently until sunrise.

But like a lion you broke all of my bones.

In a short period of time you have brought my life to an end.

¹⁴I cried softly like a weak little bird.

I groaned like a sad dove.

My eyes grew tired as I looked up toward heaven.

Lord, I’m in trouble. Please come and help me!

¹⁵“But what can I say?

You have promised to heal me.

And you yourself have done it.

Once I was proud and bitter.

But now I will live the rest of my life free of pride.

¹⁶Lord, 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.

¹⁷I’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.

¹⁸People 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.

¹⁹It 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.”