38:1 In those days Hezekiah was stricken with a terminal illness. 1 The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz visited him and told him, “This is what the Lord says, ‘Give instructions to your household, for you are about to die; you will not get well.’” 38:2 Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, 38:3 “Please, Lord. Remember how I have served you 2 faithfully and with wholehearted devotion, 3 and how I have carried out your will.” 4 Then Hezekiah wept bitterly. 5
38:4 The Lord told Isaiah, 6 38:5 “Go and tell Hezekiah: ‘This is what the Lord God of your ancestor 7 David says: “I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look, I will add fifteen years to your life, 38:6 and rescue you and this city from the king of Assyria. I will shield this city.”’” 38:7 Isaiah replied, 8 “This is your sign from the Lord confirming that the Lord will do what he has said: 38:8 Look, I will make the shadow go back ten steps on the stairs of Ahaz.” 9 And then the shadow went back ten steps. 10
38:9 This is the prayer of King Hezekiah of Judah when he was sick and then recovered from his illness:
38:10 “I thought, 11
‘In the middle of my life 12 I must walk through the gates of Sheol,
I am deprived 13 of the rest of my years.’
38:11 “I thought,
‘I will no longer see the Lord 14 in the land of the living,
I will no longer look on humankind with the inhabitants of the world. 15
38:12 My dwelling place 16 is removed and taken away 17 from me
like a shepherd’s tent.
I rolled up my life like a weaver rolls cloth; 18
from the loom he cuts me off. 19
You turn day into night and end my life. 20
38:13 I cry out 21 until morning;
like a lion he shatters all my bones;
you turn day into night and end my life. 22
38:14 Like a swallow or a thrush I chirp,
I coo 23 like a dove;
my eyes grow tired from looking up to the sky. 24
O sovereign master, 25 I am oppressed;
help me! 26
38:15 What can I say?
He has decreed and acted. 27
I will walk slowly all my years because I am overcome with grief. 28
38:16 O sovereign master, your decrees can give men life;
may years of life be restored to me. 29
Restore my health 30 and preserve my life.’
38:17 “Look, the grief I experienced was for my benefit. 31
You delivered me 32 from the pit of oblivion. 33
For you removed all my sins from your sight. 34
38:18 Indeed 35 Sheol does not give you thanks;
death does not 36 praise you.
Those who descend into the pit do not anticipate your faithfulness.
38:19 The living person, the living person, he gives you thanks,
as I do today.
A father tells his sons about your faithfulness.
38:20 The Lord is about to deliver me, 37
and we will celebrate with music 38
for the rest of our lives in the Lord’s temple.” 39
38:21 40 Isaiah ordered, “Let them take a fig cake and apply it to the ulcerated sore and he will get well.”