Isaiah:38
nsb@Isaiah:38:1 @ 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.«
nsb@Isaiah:38:2 @ Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to Jehovah:
nsb@Isaiah:38:3 @ »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.
nsb@Isaiah:38:4 @ Then Jehovah commanded Isaiah
nsb@Isaiah:38:5 @ 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.
nsb@Isaiah:38:6 @ »I will rescue you and this city of Jerusalem from the king of Assyria, and I will continue to protect the city.«
nsb@Isaiah:38:7 @ Isaiah said:« This is your sign from Jehovah that he will do what he promises.
nsb@Isaiah:38:8 @ »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.
nsb@Isaiah:38:9 @ King Hezekiah of Judah wrote this after he was sick and became well again:
nsb@Isaiah:38:10 @ »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.
nsb@Isaiah:38:11 @ »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.
nsb@Isaiah:38:12 @ »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.
nsb@Isaiah:38:13 @ »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.
nsb@Isaiah:38:14 @ »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.
nsb@Isaiah:38:15 @ »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.
nsb@Isaiah:38:16 @ »Your words and your deeds bring life to everyone, including me. Please make me healthy and strong again.
nsb@Isaiah:38:17 @ »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.
nsb@Isaiah:38:18 @ »For the grave cannot praise you, death cannot sing your praise. Those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness.
nsb@Isaiah:38:19 @ »The living, yes the living praise you, as I am doing today! Fathers tell their children about your faithfulness.
nsb@Isaiah:38:20 @ »Jehovah will save me! We will sing with stringed instruments all the days of our lives in the Temple of Jehovah.«
nsb@Isaiah:38:21 @ Isaiah said: »Prepare a poultice of figs and apply it to the boil, and he will recover.«
nsb@Isaiah:38:22 @ Hezekiah said: »What will be the sign that I will go up to the Temple of Jehovah?«