Isaiah 38

bayyamim hahem khalah khizqiyyahu lamut vayyavo elayw yeshayahu ven-amots hannavi vayyomer elayw koh-amar Adonai tsav levetekha ki met attah velo tikhyeh

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.”

vayyassev khizqiyyahu panayw el-haqqir vayyitpallel el-Adonai

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

vayyomar annah Adonai zekhor-na et asher hithallakhti lefanekha be'emet uvelev shalem vehattov be'enekha asiti vayyevk khizqiyyahu bekhi gadol

“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.

vayehi devar-Adonai el-yeshayahu lemor

Then the word of GOD came to Isaiah:

halokh ve'amarta el-khizqiyyahu koh-amar Adonai elohe david avikha shamati et-tefillatekha ra'iti et-dimatekha hinni yosif al-yamekha khamesh esreh shanah

“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.

umikkaf melekh-ashur atsilekha ve'et ha'ir hazzot vegannoti al-ha'ir hazzot

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

vezeh-llekha ha'ot me'et Adonai asher ya'aseh Adonai et-haddavar hazzeh asher dibber

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

hinni meshiv et-tsel hamma'alot asher yaredah vema'alot akhaz bashemesh akhorannit eser ma'alot vattashov hashemesh eser ma'alot bamma'alot asher yaradah

I am going to make the shadow on the steps, which has descended on the dial of Ahaz because of the sun, recede ten steps.” And the sun[’s shadow] receded ten steps, the same steps as it had descended.

mikhtav lekhizqiyyahu melekh-yehudah bakhaloto vayekhi mekholyo

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

ani amarti bidmi yamay elekhah besha'are she'ol puqqadti yeter shenotay

I had thought: I must depart in the middle of my days; I have been consigned to the gates of Sheol For the rest of my years.

amarti lo-ereh yah yah be'erets hakhayyim lo-abbit adam od im-yosheve khadel

I thought, I shall never see Yah, Yah in the land of the living, Or ever behold humans again Among those who inhabit the earth.

dori nissa veniglah minni ke'ohel ro'i qippadti kha'oreg khayyay middallah yevatse'eni miyyom ad-laylah tashlimeni

My dwelling is pulled up and removed from me Like a tent of shepherds; My life is rolled up like a web And cut from the thrum. Only from daybreak to nightfall Was I kept whole,

shivviti ad-boqer ka'ari ken yeshabber kol-atsmotay miyyom ad-laylah tashlimeni

Then it was as though a lion Were breaking all my bones; I cried out until morning. (Only from daybreak to nightfall Was I kept whole.)

kesus agur ken atsaftsef ehgeh kayyonah dallu enay lammarom adonay asheqah-lli orveni

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!”

mah-adabber ve'amar-li vehu asah eddaddeh khol-shenotay al-mar nafshi

What can I say? It had been promised me, By the One who has wrought it. All my sleep had fled Because of the bitterness of my soul.

adonay alehem yikhyu ulekhol-bahen khayye rukhi vetakhalimeni vehakhayeni

My Sovereign, for all that and despite it My life-breath is revived; You have restored me to health and revived me.

hinneh leshalom mar-li mar ve'attah khashaqta nafshi mishakhat beli ki hishlakhta akhare gevekha kol-khata'ay

Truly, it was for my own good That I had such great bitterness: You saved my life From the pit of destruction, For You have cast behind Your back All my offenses.

ki lo she'ol todekka mavet yehalelekka lo-yesabberu yorede-vor el-amittekha

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

khay khay hu yodekha kamoni hayyom av levanim yodia el-amittekha

The living, only the living Can give thanks to You As I do this day; Fathers relate to children Your acts of grace:

Adonai lehoshi'eni uneginotay nenaggen kol-yeme khayyenu al-bet Adonai

“[It has pleased] GOD to deliver us, That is why we offer up music All the days of our lives At the House of GOD.”

vayyomer yeshayahu yisu develet te'enim veyimrekhu al-hashekhin veyekhi

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

vayyomer khizqiyyahu mah ot ki e'eleh bet Adonai

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