Isaiah 38

NEW JERUSALEM	Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
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 Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, "Thus says the LORD: Set your house in order; for you shall 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 and said, "Remember now, O LORD, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in thy sight." 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 and say to Hezekiah, Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, 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 deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and defend this city.
7 'Here', Isaiah replied, 'is the sign from Yahweh that he will do what he has said.	7 "This is the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that 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 Behold, I will make the shadow cast by the declining sun on the dial of Ahaz turn back ten steps." So the sun turned back on the dial the ten steps by which it had declined.
9 Canticle of Hezekiah king of Judah after his il ness and recovery.	9 A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, after he had been sick and had recovered from his sickness:
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 I said, In the noontide of my days I must depart; I am consigned to the gates of Sheol 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 not see the LORD in the land of the living; I shall look upon man no more among the inhabitants of 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 is plucked up and removed from me like a shepherd's tent; like a weaver I have rolled up my life; he cuts me off from the loom; from day to night thou dost bring me to an end;
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 for help until morning; like a lion he breaks all my bones; from day to night thou dost bring me to an end.
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 or a crane I clamor, I moan like a dove. My eyes are weary with looking upward. O Lord, I am oppressed; be thou my security!
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 But what can I say? For he has spoken to me, and he himself has done it. All my sleep has fled because of 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 O Lord, by these things men live, and in all these is the life of my spirit. Oh, restore me to health and make me live!
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 Lo, it was for my welfare that I had great bitterness; but thou hast held back my life from the pit of destruction, for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.
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 Sheol cannot thank thee, death cannot praise thee; those who go down to the pit cannot hope for thy faithfulness.
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, he thanks thee, as I do this day; the father makes known to the children thy 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 will save me, and we will sing to stringed instruments all the days of our life, at the house of the LORD.
21 'Bring a fig poultice,' Isaiah said, 'apply it to the ulcer and he wil recover.'	21 Now Isaiah had said, "Let them take a cake of figs, and apply it to the boil, that he may recover."
22 Hezekiah said, 'What is the sign to tel me that I shal be going up to the Temple of Yahweh?'	22 Hezekiah also had said, "What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the LORD?"