New Living Translation

Darby Bible Translation

Hezekiah’s Sickness and Recovery

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.’”

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Hezekiah's Illness and Recovery

In those days Hezekiah was sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, Thus saith Jehovah: Set thy house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.

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When Hezekiah heard this, he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD,

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And Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed to Jehovah,

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“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.

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and said, Ah, Jehovah, remember, 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 much.

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Then this message came to Isaiah from the LORD:

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And the word of Jehovah came to Isaiah, saying,

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“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,

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Go and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of David thy father: I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add to thy days fifteen years.

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and I will rescue you and this city from the king of Assyria. Yes, I will defend this city.

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And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city.

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“‘And this is the sign from the LORD to prove that he will do as he promised:

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And this [shall be] the sign to thee from Jehovah, that Jehovah will do this thing that he hath spoken:

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I will cause the sun’s shadow to move ten steps backward on the sundiala of Ahaz!’” So the shadow on the sundial moved backward ten steps.

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behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees which hath gone down with the sun on the dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned on the dial ten degrees, by which it had gone down.

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Hezekiah’s Poem of Praise

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

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Hezekiah's Song of Thanksgiving

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

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I said, “In the prime of my life,
must I now enter the place of the dead?b
Am I to be robbed of the rest of my years?”

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I said, In the meridian of my days I shall go to the gates of Sheol: I am deprived of the rest of my years.

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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.

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I said, I shall not see Jah, Jah in the land of the living. With those who dwell where all has ceased to be, I shall behold man no more.

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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.

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Mine age is departed, and is removed from me as a shepherd's tent. I have cut off like a weaver my life. He separateth me from the thrum: -- from day to night thou wilt make an end of me.

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I waited patiently all night,
but I was torn apart as though by lions.
Suddenly, my life was over.

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I kept still until the morning; ... as a lion, so doth he break all my bones. From day to night thou wilt make an end of me.

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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!”

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Like a swallow [or] a crane, so did I chatter; I mourned as a dove; mine eyes failed [with looking] upward: Lord, I am oppressed; undertake for me.

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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.

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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.

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Lord, your discipline is good,
for it leads to life and health.
You restore my health
and allow me to live!

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Lord, by these things [men] live, and in all these things is the life of my spirit; and thou hast recovered me, and made me to live.

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Yes, this anguish was good for me,
for you have rescued me from death
and forgiven all my sins.

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Behold, instead of peace I had bitterness upon bitterness; but thou hast in love delivered my soul from the pit of destruction; for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.

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For the deadc cannot praise you;
they cannot raise their voices in praise.
Those who go down to the grave
can no longer hope in your faithfulness.

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For not Sheol shall praise thee, nor death celebrate thee; they that go down into the pit do not hope for thy truth.

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Only the living can praise you as I do today.
Each generation tells of your faithfulness to the next.

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The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth.

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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.

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Jehovah was [purposed] to save me. -- And we will play upon my stringed instruments all the days of our life, in the house of Jehovah.

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Isaiah had said to Hezekiah’s servants, “Make an ointment from figs and spread it over the boil, and Hezekiah will recover.”

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Now Isaiah had said, Let them take a cake of figs, and lay it for a plaster upon the boil, and he shall recover.

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And Hezekiah had asked, “What sign will prove that I will go to the Temple of the LORD?”

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And Hezekiah had said, What is the sign that I shall go up into the house of Jehovah?

Parallel

New Living Translation

Darby Bible Translation

Isaiah 38

Isaiah 38