Tanach · Prophets

Isaiah 38/ישעיהו ל״ח

אבַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֔ם חָלָ֥ה חִזְקִיָּ֖הוּ לָמ֑וּת וַיָּב֣וֹא אֵ֠לָ֠יו יְשַֽׁעְיָ֨הוּ בֶן־אָמ֜וֹץ הַנָּבִ֗יא וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֵלָ֜יו כֹּֽה־אָמַ֤ר יְהֹוָה֙ צַ֣ו לְבֵיתֶ֔ךָ כִּ֛י מֵ֥ת אַתָּ֖ה וְלֹ֥א תִֽחְיֶֽה׃

1In those days Hezekiah fell dangerously ill. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came and said to him, “Thus said GOD: Set your affairs in order, for you are going to die; you will not get well.”

בוַיַּסֵּ֧ב חִזְקִיָּ֛הוּ פָּנָ֖יו אֶל־הַקִּ֑יר וַיִּתְפַּלֵּ֖ל אֶל־יְהֹוָֽה׃

2Thereupon Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to GOD.

גוַיֹּאמַ֗ר אָנָּ֤ה יְהֹוָה֙ זְכׇר־נָ֞א אֵ֣ת אֲשֶׁ֧ר הִתְהַלַּ֣כְתִּי לְפָנֶ֗יךָ בֶּֽאֱמֶת֙ וּבְלֵ֣ב שָׁלֵ֔ם וְהַטּ֥וֹב בְּעֵינֶ֖יךָ עָשִׂ֑יתִי וַיֵּ֥בְךְּ חִזְקִיָּ֖הוּ בְּכִ֥י גָדֽוֹל׃

3“Please, O ETERNAL One,” he said, “remember how I have walked before You sincerely and wholeheartedly, and have done what is pleasing to You.” And Hezekiah wept profusely.

דוַֽיְהִי֙ דְּבַר־יְהֹוָ֔ה אֶֽל־יְשַֽׁעְיָ֖הוּ לֵאמֹֽר׃

4Then the word of GOD came to Isaiah:

ההָל֞וֹךְ וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֶל־חִזְקִיָּ֗הוּ כֹּֽה־אָמַ֤ר יְהֹוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵי֙ דָּוִ֣ד אָבִ֔יךָ שָׁמַ֙עְתִּי֙ אֶת־תְּפִלָּתֶ֔ךָ רָאִ֖יתִי אֶת־דִּמְעָתֶ֑ךָ הִנְנִי֙ יוֹסִ֣ף עַל־יָמֶ֔יךָ חֲמֵ֥שׁ עֶשְׂרֵ֖ה שָׁנָֽה׃

5“Go and tell Hezekiah: Thus said GOD, the God of your forefather David: I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears. I hereby add fifteen years to your life.

ווּמִכַּ֤ף מֶֽלֶךְ־אַשּׁוּר֙ אַצִּ֣ילְךָ֔ וְאֵ֖ת הָעִ֣יר הַזֹּ֑את וְגַנּוֹתִ֖י עַל־הָעִ֥יר הַזֹּֽאת׃

6I will also rescue you and this city from the hands of the king of Assyria. I will protect this city.

זוְזֶה־לְּךָ֥ הָא֖וֹת מֵאֵ֣ת יְהֹוָ֑ה אֲשֶׁר֙ יַעֲשֶׂ֣ה יְהֹוָ֔ה אֶת־הַדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבֵּֽר׃

7And this is the sign for you from GOD that GOD will do the thing that was promised:

חהִנְנִ֣י מֵשִׁ֣יב אֶת־צֵ֣ל הַֽמַּעֲל֡וֹת אֲשֶׁ֣ר יָרְדָה֩ בְמַעֲל֨וֹת אָחָ֥ז בַּשֶּׁ֛מֶשׁ אֲחֹרַנִּ֖ית עֶ֣שֶׂר מַעֲל֑וֹת וַתָּ֤שׇׁב הַשֶּׁ֙מֶשׁ֙ עֶ֣שֶׂר מַעֲל֔וֹת בַּֽמַּעֲל֖וֹת אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָרָֽדָה׃

8I am going to make the shadow on the steps, which has descended on the dial^a of Ahaz because of the sun, recede ten steps.” And the sun[’s shadow] receded ten steps, the same steps as it had descended.

טמִכְתָּ֖ב לְחִזְקִיָּ֣הוּ מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָ֑ה בַּחֲלֹת֕וֹ וַיְחִ֖י מֵחׇלְיֽוֹ׃

9A poem by King Hezekiah of Judah when he recovered from the illness he had suffered:

יאֲנִ֣י אָמַ֗רְתִּי בִּדְמִ֥י יָמַ֛י אֵלֵ֖כָה בְּשַׁעֲרֵ֣י שְׁא֑וֹל פֻּקַּ֖דְתִּי יֶ֥תֶר שְׁנוֹתָֽי׃

10^b I had thought:I must depart in the middle of my days;I have been consigned to the gates of SheolFor the rest of my years.

יאאָמַ֙רְתִּי֙ לֹא־אֶרְאֶ֣ה יָ֔הּ יָ֖הּ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ הַחַיִּ֑ים לֹא־אַבִּ֥יט אָדָ֛ם ע֖וֹד עִם־י֥וֹשְׁבֵי חָֽדֶל׃

11I thought, I shall never see Yah,^c Yah in the land of the living,Or ever behold humans againAmong those who inhabit the earth.^d

יבדּוֹרִ֗י נִסַּ֧ע וְנִגְלָ֛ה מִנִּ֖י כְּאֹ֣הֶל רֹעִ֑י קִפַּ֨דְתִּי כָאֹרֵ֤ג חַיַּי֙ מִדַּלָּ֣ה יְבַצְּעֵ֔נִי מִיּ֥וֹם עַד־לַ֖יְלָה תַּשְׁלִימֵֽנִי׃

12My dwelling is pulled up and removed from meLike a tent of shepherds;My life is rolled up like a webAnd cut from the thrum.Only from daybreak to nightfallWas I kept whole,

יגשִׁוִּ֤יתִי עַד־בֹּ֙קֶר֙ כָּאֲרִ֔י כֵּ֥ן יְשַׁבֵּ֖ר כׇּל־עַצְמוֹתָ֑י מִיּ֥וֹם עַד־לַ֖יְלָה תַּשְׁלִימֵֽנִי׃

13Then it was as though a lionWere breaking all my bones;I cried out until morning.(Only from daybreak to nightfallWas I kept whole.)^e

ידכְּס֤וּס עָגוּר֙ כֵּ֣ן אֲצַפְצֵ֔ף אֶהְגֶּ֖ה כַּיּוֹנָ֑ה דַּלּ֤וּ עֵינַי֙ לַמָּר֔וֹם אֲדֹנָ֖י עָֽשְׁקָה־לִּ֥י עׇרְבֵֽנִי׃

14I piped like a swift or a swallow,I moaned like a dove,As my eyes, all worn, looked to heaven:“My Sovereign, I am in straits;Be my surety!”

טומָֽה־אֲדַבֵּ֥ר וְאָֽמַר־לִ֖י וְה֣וּא עָשָׂ֑ה אֶדַּדֶּ֥ה כׇל־שְׁנוֹתַ֖י עַל־מַ֥ר נַפְשִֽׁי׃

15What can I say? It had been promised me,^f By the One who has wrought it.All my sleep had fledBecause of the bitterness of my soul.

טזאֲדֹנָ֖י עֲלֵיהֶ֣ם יִֽחְי֑וּ וּלְכׇל־בָּהֶן֙ חַיֵּ֣י רוּחִ֔י וְתַחֲלִימֵ֖נִי וְהַחֲיֵֽנִי׃

16My Sovereign, for all that and despite itMy life-breath is revived;^g You have restored me to health and revived me.

יזהִנֵּ֥ה לְשָׁל֖וֹם מַר־לִ֣י מָ֑ר וְאַתָּ֞ה חָשַׁ֤קְתָּ נַפְשִׁי֙ מִשַּׁ֣חַת בְּלִ֔י כִּ֥י הִשְׁלַ֛כְתָּ אַחֲרֵ֥י גֵוְךָ֖ כׇּל־חֲטָאָֽי׃

17Truly, it was for my own goodThat I had such great bitterness:You saved my lifeFrom the pit of destruction,For You have cast behind Your backAll my offenses.

יחכִּ֣י לֹ֥א שְׁא֛וֹל תּוֹדֶ֖ךָּ מָ֣וֶת יְהַלְלֶ֑ךָּ לֹא־יְשַׂבְּר֥וּ יוֹרְדֵי־ב֖וֹר אֶל־אֲמִתֶּֽךָ׃

18For it is not Sheol that praises You,Not [the Land of] Death that extols You;Nor do they who descend into the PitHope for Your grace.

יטחַ֥י חַ֛י ה֥וּא יוֹדֶ֖ךָ כָּמ֣וֹנִי הַיּ֑וֹם אָ֣ב לְבָנִ֔ים יוֹדִ֖יעַ אֶל־אֲמִתֶּֽךָ׃

19The living, only the livingCan give thanks to YouAs I do this day;Fathers^h relate to childrenYour acts of grace:

כיְהֹוָ֖ה לְהוֹשִׁיעֵ֑נִי וּנְגִנוֹתַ֧י נְנַגֵּ֛ן כׇּל־יְמֵ֥י חַיֵּ֖ינוּ עַל־בֵּ֥ית יְהֹוָֽה׃

20“[It has pleased] GOD to deliver us,ⁱ That is why we offer up music^j is a poetic form of neginoth. All the days of our livesAt the House of GOD.”

כאוַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְשַֽׁעְיָ֔הוּ יִשְׂא֖וּ דְּבֶ֣לֶת תְּאֵנִ֑ים וְיִמְרְח֥וּ עַֽל־הַשְּׁחִ֖ין וְיֶֽחִי׃

21When Isaiah said, “Let them take a cake of figs and apply it to the rash, and he will recover,”

כבוַיֹּ֥אמֶר חִזְקִיָּ֖הוּ מָ֣ה א֑וֹת כִּ֥י אֶעֱלֶ֖ה בֵּ֥ית יְהֹוָֽה׃

22Hezekiah asked, “What will be the sign that I shall go up to the House of GOD?”