Isaiah

Prophecies about judgment and salvation, promising hope and a savior.

Chapter 38

1 In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live.

*In that time, Hezekiah was very ill. Then, Isaiah the prophet, son of Amoz, visited him and said, "The Lord says, organize your life because you will die and won't live anymore."

2 Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the LORD,

*Then Hezekiah faced the wall and prayed to God.

3 And said, Remember now, O LORD, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.

*He asked, "Lord, please remember my sincere devotion and obedience to you, and the good things I've done according to your will." Hezekiah cried a lot.

4 Then came the word of the LORD to Isaiah, saying,

*Then, God spoke to Isaiah, saying,

5 Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years.

*Go tell Hezekiah, The Lord says, "I heard your prayer and saw your tears. So, I'll give you 15 more years."

6 And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria: and I will defend this city.

*I will save you and this city from the king of Assyria, and protect this city.

7 And this shall be a sign unto thee from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that he hath spoken;

*This means: And this will show you that God will do what he has promised.

8 Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the sun dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down.

*Look, I will make the sun's shadow on the sundial go back ten degrees, like it did under King Ahaz. So, the sun moved back ten degrees from where it had originally gone down.

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

*Hezekiah's message from his time as king of Judah when he was sick and then got better.

10 I said in the cutting off of my days, I shall go to the gates of the grave: I am deprived of the residue of my years.

*I said when my life ends, I will reach the entrance of death: I can't have the remaining time of my life.

11 I said, I shall not see the LORD, even the LORD, in the land of the living: I shall behold man no more with the inhabitants of the world.

*I said, I won't see God in this life - not even in the land where people live. I won't look at any more people with the people who live on Earth.

12 Mine age is departed, and is removed from me as a shepherd’s tent: I have cut off like a weaver my life: he will cut me off with pining sickness: from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me.

*My age has passed, far away like a shepherd's tent: I've ended my life like a weaver: sickness will end me: from morning till night, you will end my life.

13 I reckoned till morning, that, as a lion, so will he break all my bones: from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me.

*I thought until morning, that just like a lion, he will crush all my bones; from the moment the day begins until it ends, you will destroy me completely.

14 Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove: mine eyes fail with looking upward: O LORD, I am oppressed; undertake for me.

*Like a crane or swallow, I talked. I mourned like a dove. My eyes hurt from looking up. Oh Lord, I'm in trouble. Please help me.

15 What shall I say? he hath both spoken unto me, and himself hath done it: I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul.

*What should I say? He told me directly and did it himself. I will gently live my life with sadness in my heart.

16 O LORD, by these things men live, and in all these things is the life of my spirit: so wilt thou recover me, and make me to live.

*Dear GOD, people need these things to survive, and these are what keep my soul alive. Please bring me back and help me thrive again.

17 Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.

*Look, I was very upset about peace: but you have saved my soul with love from a place of badness: because you have thrown away all my wrongs far away from you.

18 For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.

*The grave can't honor you; death can't party for you; those who descend into the pit have no expectation of your truth.

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

*The living people will praise you, as I am doing now. Fathers will teach their children about your truth.

20 The LORD was ready to save me: therefore we will sing my songs to the stringed instruments all the days of our life in the house of the LORD.

*God was prepared to rescue me, so we'll sing praises on musical instruments every day in God's house.

21 For Isaiah had said, Let them take a lump of figs, and lay it for a plaister upon the boil, and he shall recover.

*Isaiah said, Use figs to cover the sore, and it will heal.

22 Hezekiah also had said, What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the LORD?

*Hezekiah asked, "What proof will show that I can go to God's house?"

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