Isaiah 38

1In those days Hezekiah became sick to the point of death, and Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, came to him and said to him, “Thus says Yahweh: Set your house in order, for you are about to die; you shall not live.”

2Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to Yahweh,

3And he said, “Please, O Yahweh, remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept greatly.

4Then the word of Yahweh came to Isaiah, saying,

5Go and say to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look, I will add fifteen years to your days.’

6And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city.

7And this will be the sign to you from Yahweh, that Yahweh will do this thing that he has spoken:

8Behold, I will make the shadow go back ten steps, which had gone down on the steps of Ahaz by the sun. And the sun went back ten steps on the steps on which it had gone down.

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

10I said, “In the middle of my days I must go through the gates of Sheol; I am deprived of the rest of my years.”

11I said, “I will not see Yah, Yah in the land of the living; I will no longer look on man among the inhabitants of cessation.”

12My dwelling is pulled up and carried away from me like a shepherd’s tent; I have rolled up my life like a weaver; from the loom he cuts me off. From day to night you bring me to an end.

13I waited until morning; like a lion, so he breaks all my bones. From day to night you bring me to an end.

14Like a swift or a crane, so I chirp; I moan like a dove. My eyes grow weak looking upward. Lord, I am oppressed; be my pledge.

15What can I say? 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.

16Lord, by these things men live, and in all these is the life of my spirit; so restore me to health and let me live.

17Behold, for my peace I had great bitterness; but you have held my soul back from the pit of destruction, for you have cast all my sins behind your back.

18For Sheol does not thank you; death does not praise you; those who go down to the pit do not hope for your faithfulness.

19The living, the living—he gives thanks to you, as I do today; a father makes your faithfulness known to children.

20Yahweh is ready to save me; and we will play my songs on stringed instruments all the days of our lives at the house of Yahweh.

21Isaiah had said, “Let them take a cake of figs and spread it on the boil, so that he may recover.”

22And Hezekiah said, “What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of Yahweh?”