Isaiah 38

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
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."	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 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed to the LORD,	2 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 faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in thy sight." And Hezekiah wept bitterly.	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 the LORD came to Isaiah:	4 Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah:
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.	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 will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and defend this city.	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 "This is the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that he has promised:	7 (Isaiah answered:) "This will be the sign for you from the LORD that he will do what he has promised:
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.	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 A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, after he had been sick and had recovered from his sickness:	9 The song of Hezekiah, king of Judah, after he had been sick and had recovered from his illness:
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.	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 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.	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 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;	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 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.	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 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!	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 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.	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 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!	16 Those live whom the LORD protects; yours. . . the life of my spirit. You have given me health and life;
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.	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 thank thee, death cannot praise thee; those who go down to the pit cannot hope for thy faithfulness.	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, he thanks thee, as I do this day; the father makes known to the children thy faithfulness.	19 The living, the living give you thanks, as I do today. Fathers declare to their sons, O God, your faithfulness.
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.	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 Now Isaiah had said, "Let them take a cake of figs, and apply it to the boil, that he may recover."	21 Isaiah then ordered a poultice of figs to be taken and applied to the boil, that he might recover.
22 Hezekiah also had said, "What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the LORD?"	22 Then Hezekiah asked, "What is the sign that I shall go up to the temple of the LORD?"