The Book of the Prophet Isaiah 38 Hezekiah's Illness and His Wonderful Healing

 The Book of the Prophet Isaiah 38

Hezekiah's Illness and His Wonderful Healing

1 In those days Hezekiah became sick to death. And the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz, came to him and said to him, "Thus says the Lord: Set your house in order, for you will die and not live."

2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord.

3 He said, "Oh, Lord, remember, I pray you, how I have walked before you in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done what is right in your eyes." And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

4 Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah:

5 Go and tell Hezekiah, "Thus says the Lord, the God of your father David: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; behold, I will add fifteen years to your days." 

6 And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; I will defend this city.

7 And this will be a sign to you from the Lord that the Lord will fulfill this word he has spoken:

8 Behold, I will make the shadow of the degrees, which passed with the sun by the degrees of the dial of Ahaz, go back ten degrees. So the sun went back ten degrees by the degrees it had gone.

9 The writings of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he was sick and recovered from his sickness.

10 I said, "In the quiet of my days I will go to the gates of Sheol; I have already been deprived of the rest of my years."

11 I said, "I will no longer see the Lord in the land of the living; I will never see man with the inhabitants of the world." 

12 My life is gone, and it is removed from me like a shepherd's hut. I have cut off my life like a weaver; you will cut me off like a loom; from morning to evening you will destroy me.

13 I lay still until dawn; like a lion you have broken all my bones; from morning to evening you will destroy me.

14 Like a crane or a swallow, so I chattered, and moaned like a dove. I lifted up my eyes on high: O Lord, I am in distress! Be my surety.

15 What shall I say? As you promised, so you have done: so I will pass through all my years because of the bitterness of my soul.

16 Lord, by these things one lives, and in all these things is the life of my spirit; therefore, heal me and revive me.

17 Behold, for my peace I have been in great bitterness; But you have so lovingly embraced my soul that it has not fallen into the pit of corruption, because you have cast all my sins behind your back.

18 For Sheol cannot praise you, death cannot glorify you; those who go down to the pit will not hope for your truth.

19 The living, the living, will praise you, as I do today; a father will make known your truth to his children.

20 The Lord came to save me; therefore, playing my instruments, we will praise him all the days of our life in the house of the Lord.

21 And Isaiah said, "Take a lump of figs and put it as a poultice on the wound, and it will be healed."

22 And Hezekiah said, "What will be the sign that I will go up to the house of the Lord?"