Isaiah 38
Fifteen Years Added, and a Shadow Turned Back
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The Sickness of Hezekiah
38:1At that time Hezekiah became ill to the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amos came to him and said, “Thus says the Lord: Arrange your household’s affairs, for you are dying and will not live.”
38:2Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall and prayed to the Lord,
38:3saying, “Remember, Lord, how I walked before You with truth, in a true heart, and did what was pleasing before You.” Hezekiah wept greatly.
38:4The Lord’s word came to Isaiah, saying,
38:5“Go and tell Hezekiah: Thus says the Lord, God of David your father: I heard the voice of your prayer and saw your tears. Look, I am adding fifteen years to your time.
38:6I will save you from the king of the Assyrians’ hand, and I will shield this city.
38:7This is your sign from the Lord that God will do this thing:”
38:8“The shadow of the steps which the sun descended—the ten steps of your father’s house—I will turn the sun back ten steps.” The sun went up the ten steps which the shadow had descended.
The Prayer of Hezekiah in His Illness
38:9A prayer of Hezekiah king of Judea, when he became ill and rose from his illness:
38:10I said, “At the height of my days, at Hades’ gates, I will leave my remaining years behind.”
38:11I said, “I will certainly no longer see God’s salvation upon the earth; I will certainly no longer see a person
38:12from my kinship. I left the rest of my life; it went out and departed from me like someone taking down a tent he had pitched. My spirit beside me became like a weaver’s web as she approached to cut it off. On that day I was handed over
38:13until morning, as to a lion; thus he crushed my bones, for from day to night I was handed over.
38:14Like a swallow I will cry out, and like a dove I will murmur. For my eyes failed from looking toward heaven’s height, toward the Lord who rescued me
38:15and took away my soul’s pain.
38:16Lord, for concerning it a report was brought to You, and You raised my breath; comforted, I lived.
38:17For You chose my soul so that it would not perish, and cast all my sins behind me.
38:18For those in Hades will not praise You, nor will the dead bless You, nor will those in Hades hope for Your mercy.
38:19The living will bless You, as I do. For from today I will produce children who will announce Your righteousness,
38:20Lord of my salvation. I will not cease blessing You with a harp all the days of my life before God’s house.”
The Cake of Figs
38:21Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Take a cake made of figs, crush it and apply it as a poultice, and you will be healthy.”
38:22Hezekiah said, “This is the sign that I will go up to the house of the Lord God.”
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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.