Isaiah 38

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 About then, Hezekiah fel il and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came andsaid to him, 'Yahweh says this, "Put your affairs in order, for you are going to die, you wil not live." '	1 In those days, when Hezekiah was mortally ill, the prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz, came and said to him: "Thus says the LORD: Put your house in order, for you are about to die; you shall not recover."
2 Hezekiah turned his face to the wal and addressed this prayer to Yahweh,	2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD:
3 'Ah, Yahweh, remember, I beg you, that I have behaved faithful y and with sincerity of heart in yourpresence and done what you regard as right.' And Hezekiah shed many tears.	3 "O LORD, remember how faithfully and wholeheartedly I conducted myself in your presence, doing what was pleasing to you!" And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
4 Then the word of Yahweh came to Isaiah,	4 Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah:
5 'Go and say to Hezekiah, "Yahweh, the God of your ancestor David, says this: I have heard your prayerand seen your tears. I shal cure you: in three days' time you will go up to the Temple of Yahweh. I shal addfifteen years to your life.	5 "Go, tell Hezekiah: Thus says the LORD, the God of your father David: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will heal you: in three days you shall go up to the LORD'S temple; I will add fifteen years to your life.
6 I shal save you and this city from the king of Assyria's clutches and defend this city for my sake and myservant David's sake." '	6 I will rescue you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; I will be a shield to this city."
7 'Here', Isaiah replied, 'is the sign from Yahweh that he will do what he has said.	7 (Isaiah answered:) "This will be the sign for you from the LORD that he will do what he has promised:
8 Look, I shall make the shadow cast by the declining sun on the steps -- the steps to Ahaz's roof-room-go back ten steps.' And the sun went back the ten steps by which it had declined.	8 See, I will make the shadow cast by the sun on the stairway to the terrace of Ahaz go back the ten steps it has advanced." So the sun came back the ten steps it had advanced.
9 Canticle of Hezekiah king of Judah after his il ness and recovery.	9 The song of Hezekiah, king of Judah, after he had been sick and had recovered from his illness:
10 I thought: In the noon of my life I am to depart. At the gates of Sheol I shall be held for the rest of mydays.	10 Once I said, "In the noontime of life I must depart! To the gates of the nether world I shall be consigned for the rest of my years."
11 I thought: I shal never see Yahweh again in the land of the living, I shal never see again a single oneof those who live on earth.	11 I said, "I shall see the LORD no more in the land of the living. No longer shall I behold my fellow men among those who dwell in the world."
12 My home has been pul ed up, and thrown away like a shepherd's tent; like a weaver, I have rol ed upmy life, he has cut me from the loom. From dawn to dark, you have been making an end of me;	12 My dwelling, like a shepherd's tent, is struck down and borne away from me; You have folded up my life, like a weaver who severs the last thread. Day and night you give me over to torment;
13 til daybreak, I cried for help; like a lion, he has crushed al my bones, from dawn to dark, you havebeen making an end of me.	13 I cry out until the dawn. Like a lion he breaks all my bones; (day and night you give me over to torment).
14 I twitter like a swal ow, I moan like a dove, my eyes have grown dim from looking up. Lord, I amoverwhelmed, come to my help.	14 Like a swallow I utter shrill cries; I moan like a dove. My eyes grow weak, gazing heavenward: O Lord, I am in straits; be my surety!
15 How can I speak and what can I say to him? He is the one to act. I must eke out the rest of my yearsin bitterness of soul.	15 What am I to say or tell him? He has done it! I shall go on through all my years despite the bitterness of my soul.
16 The Lord is over them; they live, and everything in them lives by his spirit. You wil cure me. Restoreme to life.	16 Those live whom the LORD protects; yours. . . the life of my spirit. You have given me health and life;
17 At once, my bitterness turns to wel -being. For you have preserved my soul from the pit ofnothingness, you have thrust al my sins behind you.	17 thus is my bitterness transformed into peace. You have preserved my life from the pit of destruction, When you cast behind your back all my sins.
18 For Sheol cannot praise you, nor Death celebrate you; those who go down to the pit can hope nolonger in your constancy.	18 For it is not the nether world that gives you thanks, nor death that praises you; Neither do those who go down into the pit await your kindness.
19 The living, the living are the ones who praise you, as I do today. Fathers tel their sons about yourconstancy.	19 The living, the living give you thanks, as I do today. Fathers declare to their sons, O God, your faithfulness.
20 Yahweh, come to my help and we will make our harps resound al the days of our life in the Temple ofYahweh.	20 The LORD is our savior; we shall sing to stringed instruments In the house of the LORD all the days of our life.
21 'Bring a fig poultice,' Isaiah said, 'apply it to the ulcer and he wil recover.'	21 Isaiah then ordered a poultice of figs to be taken and applied to the boil, that he might recover.
22 Hezekiah said, 'What is the sign to tel me that I shal be going up to the Temple of Yahweh?'	22 Then Hezekiah asked, "What is the sign that I shall go up to the temple of the LORD?"