The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

⭑ Douay-Rheims :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 38 -

(2 Kings 20:1–11; 2 Chronicles 32:24–31)

In those days Ezechias was sick even to death, and Isaias the son of Amos the prophet came unto him, and said to him: Thus saith the Lord: Take order with thy house, for thou shalt die, and not live.

And Ezechias turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the Lord,

And said: I beseech thee, O Lord, remember how I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Ezechias wept with great weeping.

And the word of the Lord came to Isaias, saying:

Go and say to Ezechias: Thus saith the Lord the God of David thy father: I have heard thy prayer, and I have seen thy tears: behold I will add to thy days fifteen years:

And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of the Assyrians, and I will protect it.

And this shall be a sign to thee from the Lord, that the Lord will do this word which he hath spoken:

Behold I will bring again the shadow of the lines, by which it is now gone down in the sun dial of Achaz with the sun, ten lines backward. And the sun returned ten lines by the degrees by which it was gone down.

Hezekiah’s Song of Thanksgiving

The writing of Ezechias king of Juda, when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness.

I said: In the midst of my days I shall go to the gates of hell: I sought for the residue of my years.

I said: I shall not see the Lord God in the land of the living. I shall behold man no more, nor the inhabitant of rest.

My generation is at an end, and it is rolled away from me, as a shepherd’s tent. My life is cut off, as by a weaver: whilst I was yet but beginning, he out me off: from morning even to night thou wilt make an end of me.

I hoped till morning, as a lion so hath he broken all my bones: from morning even to night thou wilt make an end of me.

I will cry like a young swallow, I will meditate like a dove: my eyes are weakened looking upward: Lord, I suffer violence, answer thou for me.

What shall I say, or what shall he answer for me, whereas he himself hath done it? I will recount to thee all my years in the bitterness of my soul.

O Lord, if man’s life be such, and the life of my spirit be in such things as these, thou shalt correct me, and make me to live.

Behold in peace is my bitterness most bitter: but thou best delivered my soul that it should not perish, thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.

For hell shall not confess to thee, neither shall death praise thee: nor shall they that go down into the pit, look for thy truth.

The living, the living, he shall give praise to thee, as I do this day: the father shall make thy truth known to the children.

O Lord, save me, and we will sing our psalms all the days of our life in the house of the Lord.

Now Isaias had ordered that they should take a lump of figs, and lay it as it plaster upon the wound, and that he should be healed.

And Ezechias bed said: What shall be the sign that I shall go up to the house of the Lord?

(2 Kings 20:1–11; 2 Chronicles 32:24–31)

In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, came to him, and said to him, “The LORD says, ‘Set your house in order, for you will die, and not live.’”

Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD,

and said, “Remember now, the LORD, I beg you, how I have walked before you in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in your sight.” Then Hezekiah wept bitterly.

Then the LORD’s word came to Isaiah, saying,

“Go, and tell Hezekiah, ‘The LORD, the God of David your father, says, “I have heard your prayer. I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life.

I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city.

This shall be the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that he has spoken.

Behold, I will cause the shadow on the sundial, which has gone down on the sundial of Ahaz with the sun, to return backward ten steps.”’” So the sun returned ten steps on the sundial on which it had gone down.

Hezekiah’s Song of Thanksgiving

The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and had recovered of his sickness:

I said, “In the middle of my life I go into the gates of Sheol.(a) I am deprived of the residue of my years.”

I said, “I won’t see the LORD, the LORD in the land of the living. I will see man no more with the inhabitants of the world.

My dwelling is removed, and is carried away from me like a shepherd’s tent. I have rolled up my life like a weaver. He will cut me off from the loom. From day even to night you will make an end of me.

I waited patiently until morning. He breaks all my bones like a lion. From day even to night you will make an end of me.

I chattered like a swallow or a crane. I moaned like a dove. My eyes weaken looking upward. Lord, I am oppressed. Be my security.”

What will I say? He has both spoken to me, and himself has done it. I will walk carefully all my years because of the anguish of my soul.

Lord, men live by these things; and my spirit finds life in all of them. You restore me, and cause me to live.

Behold, for peace I had great anguish, but you have in love for my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption; for you have cast all my sins behind your back.

For Sheol

(b)

can’t praise you. Death can’t celebrate you. Those who go down into the pit can’t hope for your truth.

The living, the living, he shall praise you, as I do today. The father shall make known your truth to the children.

The LORD will save me. Therefore we will sing my songs with stringed instruments all the days of our life in the LORD’s house.

Now Isaiah had said, “Let them take a cake of figs, and lay it for a poultice on the boil, and he shall recover.”

Hezekiah also had said, “What is the sign that I will go up to the LORD’s house?”

Footnotes

(a)38:10 Sheol is the place of the dead.

(b)38:18 Sheol is the place of the dead.