Isaiah 38:9-22 - Hezekiah's Poem Of Praise

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

10 I said, In the noontide of my days I shall go into the gates of Sheol: I am deprived of the residue of my years. 11 I said, I shall not see Jehovah, even Jehovah in the land of the living: I shall behold man no more with the inhabitants of the world. 12 My dwelling is removed, and is carried away from me as a shepherd's tent: I have rolled up, like a weaver, my life; he will cut me off from the loom: From day even to night wilt thou make an end of me. 13 I quieted myself until morning; as a lion, so he breaketh all my bones: From day even to night wilt thou make an end of me. 14 Like a swallow or a crane, so did I chatter; I did moan as a dove; mine eyes fail with looking upward: O Lord, I am oppressed, be thou my surety.

15 What shall I say? he hath both spoken unto me, and himself hath done it: I shall go softly all my years because of the bitterness of my soul. 16 O Lord, by these things men live; And wholly therein is the life of my spirit: Wherefore recover thou me, and make me to live. 17 Behold, it was for my peace that 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. 18 For Sheol cannot praise thee, death cannot celebrate thee: They that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy 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. 20 Jehovah is ready to save me: Therefore we will sing my songs with stringed instruments All the days of our life in the house of Jehovah.

21 Now Isaiah had said, Let them take a cake of figs, and lay it for a plaster upon the boil, and he shall recover. 22 Hezekiah also had said, What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of Jehovah?


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