38:1 In those days Hezekiah was stricken with a terminal illness.¹ The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz visited him and told him, “This is what the LORD says, ‘Give your household instructions, for you are about to die; you will not get well.’“ 38:2 Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, 38:3 “Please, LORD. Remember how I have served you² faithfully and with wholehearted devotion,³ and how I have carried out your will.”⁴ Then Hezekiah wept bitterly.⁵

38:4 The LORD told Isaiah,⁶ 38:5 “Go and tell Hezekiah: ‘This is what the LORD God of your ancestor David says: “I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look, I will add 15 years to your life, 38:6 and rescue you and this city from the king of Assyria. I will shield this city.”’“ 38:7 Isaiah replied,⁸ “This is your sign from the LORD confirming that the LORD will do what he has said. 38:8 Look, I will make the shadow go back ten steps on the stairs of Ahaz.”⁹ And then the shadow went back ten steps.¹⁰

38:9 This is the prayer of Hezekiah king of Judah when he was sick and then recovered from his illness:

38:10 “I thought,¹¹
‘In the middle of my life¹² I must walk through the gates of Sheol,
I am deprived¹³ of the rest of my years.’
38:11 “I thought,
‘I will no longer see the LORD¹⁴ in the land of the living,
I will no longer look upon mankind with the inhabitants of the world.¹⁵
38:12 My dwelling place¹⁶ is removed and taken away¹⁷ from me,
like a shepherd’s tent.
I rolled up my life like a weaver rolls cloth,¹⁸
from the loom he cuts me off.¹⁹
You turn day into night and end my life.²⁰
38:13 I cry out²¹ until morning,
like a lion he shatters all my bones;
you turn day into night and end my life.²²
38:14 Like a swallow or a thrush I chirp,
I coo²³ like a dove;
my eyes grow tired from looking up to the sky.²⁴
O sovereign master, I am oppressed;
help me!²⁵
38:15 What can I say?
He has decreed and acted.²⁶
I will walk slowly all my years because I am overcome with grief.²⁷
38:16 O sovereign master, your decrees can give men life,
may years of life be restored to me.²⁸
Restore my health²⁹ and preserve my life.’
38:17 Look, the grief I experienced was for my benefit.³⁰
You delivered me³¹ from the pit of oblivion.³²
For you removed all my sins from your sight.³³
38:18 Indeed³⁴ Sheol does not give you thanks,
death does not³⁵ praise you.
Those who descend into the pit do not anticipate your faithfulness.
38:19 The living one, the living one, he gives you thanks,
as I do today.
A father tells his sons about your faithfulness.
38:20 The LORD is about to deliver me,³⁶
and we will celebrate with music³⁷
for the rest of our lives in the Lord’s temple.³⁸

38:21⁷ Isaiah ordered, “Let them take a fig cake and apply it to the skin blister and he will get well.” 38:22 Hezekiah said, “What is the confirming sign that I will go up to the LORD’s temple?”