Isaiah 38

Hezekiah fell sick to the point of death, and Isaiah told him to set his house in order. Hezekiah prayed and wept, and the LORD added fifteen years to his life and delivered Jerusalem from Assyria. Hezekiah wrote a song of thanksgiving, praising the LORD who cast all his sins behind His back.

v	King James Version	Modern English
1	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.	In those days Hezekiah became sick and was near death. Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him and said, "Thus says the LORD: Set Your house in order, for You shall die and not recover."
2	Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the LORD,	Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD:
3	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.	"Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before You in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in Your sight." And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
4	Then came the word of the LORD to Isaiah, saying,	Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah:
5	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.	"Go and say to Hezekiah: Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen Your tears. I will add fifteen years to Your life.
6	And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria: and I will defend this city.	I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria and defend this city.
7	And this shall be a sign unto thee from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that he hath spoken;	This is the sign to You from the LORD that the LORD will do this thing that He has spoken:
8	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.	I will make the shadow on the sundial of Ahaz go back ten steps." So the sun turned back ten steps on the dial by which it had gone down.
9	The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness:	A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, after he had been sick and had recovered from his sickness:
10	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, "In the middle of my days I must depart. I am consigned to the gates of hell for the rest of my years."
11	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.	I said, "I shall not see the LORD — the LORD — in the land of the living. I shall look on man no more among the inhabitants of the world."
12	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.	My dwelling has been pulled up and removed from me like a shepherd's tent. I have rolled up my life like a weaver who cuts me off from the loom; from day to night You bring me to an end.
13	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.	I kept myself calm until morning — but like a lion He breaks all my bones. From day to night You bring me to an end.
14	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.	Like a swallow or a crane I chirp; I moan like a dove. My eyes are weary from looking upward. O LORD, I am in distress; be my pledge of safety!
15	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.	What shall I say? For He has spoken to me, and He Himself has done it. I walk slowly all my years because of the bitterness of my soul.
16	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.	O Lord, by these things men live, and in all these is the life of my spirit. Restore me to health and make me live!
17	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.	In peace I had great bitterness — but in love You delivered my soul from the pit of destruction. For You have cast all my sins behind Your back.
18	For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.	For hell cannot praise You; death cannot celebrate You. Those who go down to the pit cannot hope for Your faithfulness.
19	The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth.	The living — the living — he praises You, as I do this day. The father tells the children about Your faithfulness.
20	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.	The LORD will save me, and we will sing my songs on stringed instruments all the days of our life in the house of the LORD.
21	For Isaiah had said, Let them take a lump of figs, and lay it for a plaister upon the boil, and he shall recover.	Now Isaiah had said, "Let them take a cake of figs and apply it as a poultice to the boil, and He shall recover."
22	Hezekiah also had said, What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the LORD?	Hezekiah also had said, "What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the LORD?"