Isaiah — Chapter 38

In those days Hezekiah fell dangerously ill. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came and said to him, “Thus said GOD: Set your affairs in order, for you are going to die; you will not get well.”

Thereupon Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to GOD.

“Please, O ETERNAL One,” he said, “remember how I have walked before You sincerely and wholeheartedly, and have done what is pleasing to You.” And Hezekiah wept profusely.

Then the word of GOD came to Isaiah:

“Go and tell Hezekiah: Thus said GOD, the God of your forefather David: I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears. I hereby add fifteen years to your life.

I will also rescue you and this city from the hands of the king of Assyria. I will protect this city.

And this is the sign for you from GOD that GOD will do the thing that was promised:

I am going to make the shadow on the steps, which has descended on the dialadial Heb. “steps.” A model of a dial with steps has been discovered in Egypt. of Ahaz because of the sun, recede ten steps.” And the sun[’s shadow] receded ten steps, the same steps as it had descended.

A poem by King Hezekiah of Judah when he recovered from the illness he had suffered:

bMeaning of verse uncertain in part. I had thought:I must depart in the middle of my days;I have been consigned to the gates of SheolFor the rest of my years.

I thought, I shall never see Yah,csee Yah I.e., visit God’s temple. On “Yah,” see note at 12.2. Yah in the land of the living,Or ever behold humans againAmong those who inhabit the earth.dearth Or “underworld”; cf. Rashi.

My dwelling is pulled up and removed from meLike a tent of shepherds;My life is rolled up like a webAnd cut from the thrum.Only from daybreak to nightfallWas I kept whole,

Then it was as though a lionWere breaking all my bones;I cried out until morning.(Only from daybreak to nightfallWas I kept whole.)eOnly from daybreak … all my bones … Was I kept whole Meaning of Heb. uncertain.

I piped like a swift or a swallow,I moaned like a dove,As my eyes, all worn, looked to heaven:“My Sovereign, I am in straits;Be my surety!”

What can I say? It had been promised me,fIt had been promised Meaning of Heb. uncertain. By the One who has wrought it.All my sleep had fledBecause of the bitterness of my soul.

My Sovereign, for all that and despite itMy life-breath is revived;gAll my sleep … revived Meaning of Heb. uncertain. You have restored me to health and revived me.

Truly, it was for my own goodThat I had such great bitterness:You saved my lifeFrom the pit of destruction,For You have cast behind Your backAll my offenses.

For it is not Sheol that praises You,Not [the Land of] Death that extols You;Nor do they who descend into the PitHope for Your grace.

The living, only the livingCan give thanks to YouAs I do this day;FathershFathers Heb. singular. relate to childrenYour acts of grace:

“[It has pleased] GOD to deliver us,ideliver us Meaning of Heb. uncertain. That is why we offer up musicjmusic Neginothai is a poetic form of neginoth. All the days of our livesAt the House of GOD.”

When Isaiah said, “Let them take a cake of figs and apply it to the rash, and he will recover,”

Hezekiah asked, “What will be the sign that I shall go up to the House of GOD?”