The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

⭑ World English Bible Catholic :: King James Version ⭑

- Chapter 38 -

(2 Kings 20:1–11; 2 Chronicles 32:24–31)

In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, came to him, and said to him, “The LORD says, ‘Set your house in order, for you will die, and not live.’”

Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD,

and said, “Remember now, the LORD, I beg you, how I have walked before you in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in your sight.” Then Hezekiah wept bitterly.

Then the LORD’s word came to Isaiah, saying,

“Go, and tell Hezekiah, ‘The LORD, the God of David your father, says, “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 I will defend this city.

This shall be the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that he has spoken.

Behold, I will cause the shadow on the sundial, which has gone down on the sundial of Ahaz with the sun, to return backward ten steps.”’” So the sun returned ten steps on the sundial on which it had gone down.

Hezekiah’s Song of Thanksgiving

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

I said, “In the middle of my life I go into the gates of Sheol.(a) I am deprived of the residue of my years.”

I said, “I won’t see the LORD, the LORD in the land of the living. I will see man no more with the inhabitants of the world.

My dwelling is removed, and is carried away from me like a shepherd’s tent. I have rolled up my life like a weaver. He will cut me off from the loom. From day even to night you will make an end of me.

I waited patiently until morning. He breaks all my bones like a lion. From day even to night you will make an end of me.

I chattered like a swallow or a crane. I moaned like a dove. My eyes weaken looking upward. Lord, I am oppressed. Be my security.”

What will I say? He has both spoken to me, and himself has done it. I will walk carefully all my years because of the anguish of my soul.

Lord, men live by these things; and my spirit finds life in all of them. You restore me, and cause me to live.

Behold, for peace I had great anguish, but you have in love for my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption; for you have cast all my sins behind your back.

For Sheol

(b)

can’t praise you. Death can’t celebrate you. Those who go down into the pit can’t hope for your truth.

The living, the living, he shall praise you, as I do today. The father shall make known your truth to the children.

The LORD will save me. Therefore we will sing my songs with stringed instruments all the days of our life in the LORD’s house.

Now Isaiah had said, “Let them take a cake of figs, and lay it for a poultice on the boil, and he shall recover.”

Hezekiah also had said, “What is the sign that I will go up to the LORD’s house?”

Footnotes

(a)38:10 Sheol is the place of the dead.

(b)38:18 Sheol is the place of the dead.

(2 Kings 20:1–11; 2 Chronicles 32:24–31)

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.(a)

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.(b)

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.(c)

Hezekiah’s Song of Thanksgiving

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.(d)

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.(e)

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.(f)

(g)

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 .

For Isaiah had said, Let them take a lump of figs, and lay it for a plaister upon the boil, and he shall recover.

Hezekiah also had said, What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the Lord ?

Footnotes

(a)38:1 Set…: Heb. Give charge concerning thy house

(b)38:3 sore: Heb. with great weeping

(d)38:12 with…: or, from the thrum

(e)38:14 undertake…: or, ease me

(f)38:17 for peace…: or, on my peace came great bitterness

(g)38:17 thou hast in…: Heb. thou hast loved my soul from the pit