Isaiah:38

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* King Hezekiah became sick and almost died . The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to see him . Isaiah said to him : »Jehovah tells you : ‘You are to put everything in order because you will not recover . Get ready to die .« ’ * Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to Jehovah : * »Remember , Jehovah , that I have served you faithfully and loyally . I have always tried to do what you wanted me to .« Then he cried bitterly . * Then Jehovah commanded Isaiah * to go back to Hezekiah and say to him : »I Jehovah , the God of your ancestor David , have heard your prayer and seen your tears . I will add fifteen more years to your life . * »I will rescue you and this city of Jerusalem from the king of Assyria , and I will continue to protect the city .« * Isaiah said :« This is your sign from Jehovah that he will do what he promises . * »The sun made a shadow that went down the stairway of the upper palace of Ahaz . ‘I am going to make the shadow go back ten steps .’« So the sun on the stairway went back up the ten steps it had gone down . * King Hezekiah of Judah wrote this after he was sick and became well again : * »I thought that in the prime of my life I would go down to the gates of the grave and be robbed of the rest of my life . * »I thought that I would not see Jehovah in this world . Even with all the people in the world , I thought I would never see another person . * »My life was over . You rolled it up like a shepherd 's tent . You rolled up my life like a weaver . You cut me off from the loom . You ended my life in one day . * »Until morning came , I thought you would crush my bones just like a hungry lion ; both night and day you make an end of me . * »I cry like a swallow . I mourn like a dove . My eyes are red from looking to you , Jehovah . I am terribly abused . Please come and help me . * »There is nothing I can say in answer to you . For you are the one who has done this to me . My life has turned sour . I will limp until I die . * »Your words and your deeds bring life to everyone , including me . Please make me healthy and strong again . * »Yes , it was for my benefit that I suffered such distress . In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction . You have put all my sins behind your back . * »For the grave cannot praise you , death cannot sing your praise . Those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness . * »The living , yes the living praise you , as I am doing today ! Fathers tell their children about your faithfulness . * »Jehovah will save me ! We will sing with stringed instruments all the days of our lives in the Temple of Jehovah .« * Isaiah said : »Prepare a poultice of figs and apply it to the boil , and he will recover .« * Hezekiah said : »What will be the sign that I will go up to the Temple of Jehovah ?«

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