Chapter 38

1In those days Chizkiyahu fell dangerously ill. The Navi Yeshayahu son of Amotz came and said to him, “Thus said Hashem: Set your affairs in order, for you are going to die; you will not get well.”

ba-ya-MEEM ha-HAYM kha-LAH khiz-ki-YA-hu la-MUT va-ya-VO ay-LAV y'-sha-ya-HU ven a-MOTZ ha-na-VEE va-YO-mer ay-LAV koh a-MAR a-do-NAI TZAV l'-vay-TE-kha KEE MAYT a-TAH v'-LO tikh-YEH

אבַּיָּמִים הָהֵם חָלָה חִזְקִיָּהוּ לָמוּת וַיָּבוֹא אֵלָיו יְשַׁעְיָהוּ בֶן־אָמוֹץ הַנָּבִיא וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו כֹּה־אָמַר יְהֹוָה צַו לְבֵיתֶךָ כִּי מֵת אַתָּה וְלֹא תִחְיֶה׃

2Thereupon Chizkiyahu turned his face to the wall and prayed to Hashem.

בוַיַּסֵּב חִזְקִיָּהוּ פָּנָיו אֶל־הַקִּיר וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל אֶל־יְהֹוָה׃

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

גוַיֹּאמַר אָנָּה יְהֹוָה זְכָר־נָא אֵת אֲשֶׁר הִתְהַלַּכְתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ בֶּאֱמֶת וּבְלֵב שָׁלֵם וְהַטּוֹב בְּעֵינֶיךָ עָשִׂיתִי וַיֵּבְךְּ חִזְקִיָּהוּ בְּכִי גָדוֹל׃

4Then the word of Hashem came to Yeshayahu:

דוַיְהִי דְּבַר־יְהֹוָה אֶל־יְשַׁעְיָהוּ לֵאמֹר׃

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

ההָלוֹךְ וְאָמַרְתָּ אֶל־חִזְקִיָּהוּ כֹּה־אָמַר יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי דָּוִד אָבִיךָ שָׁמַעְתִּי אֶת־תְּפִלָּתֶךָ רָאִיתִי אֶת־דִּמְעָתֶךָ הִנְנִי יוֹסִף עַל־יָמֶיךָ חֲמֵשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה׃

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

ווּמִכַּף מֶלֶךְ־אַשּׁוּר אַצִּילְךָ וְאֵת הָעִיר הַזֹּאת וְגַנּוֹתִי עַל־הָעִיר הַזֹּאת׃

7And this is the sign for you from Hashem that Hashem will do the thing that He has promised:

זוְזֶה־לְּךָ הָאוֹת מֵאֵת יְהֹוָה אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה יְהֹוָה אֶת־הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר דִּבֵּר׃

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

חהִנְנִי מֵשִׁיב אֶת־צֵל הַמַּעֲלוֹת אֲשֶׁר יָרְדָה בְמַעֲלוֹת אָחָז בַּשֶּׁמֶשׁ אֲחֹרַנִּית עֶשֶׂר מַעֲלוֹת וַתָּשָׁב הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ עֶשֶׂר מַעֲלוֹת בַּמַּעֲלוֹת אֲשֶׁר יָרָדָה׃

9A poem by King Chizkiyahu of Yehuda when he recovered from the illness he had suffered:

טמִכְתָּב לְחִזְקִיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה בַּחֲלֹתוֹ וַיְחִי מֵחָלְיוֹ׃

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

יאֲנִי אָמַרְתִּי בִּדְמִי יָמַי אֵלֵכָה בְּשַׁעֲרֵי שְׁאוֹל פֻּקַּדְתִּי יֶתֶר שְׁנוֹתָי׃

11I thought, I shall never see Yah, Yah in the land of the living, Or ever behold men again Among those who inhabit the earth.

יאאָמַרְתִּי לֹא־אֶרְאֶה יָהּ יָהּ בְּאֶרֶץ הַחַיִּים לֹא־אַבִּיט אָדָם עוֹד עִם־יוֹשְׁבֵי חָדֶל׃

12My dwelling is pulled up and removed from me Like a tent of shepherds; My life is rolled up like a web And cut from the thrum. Only from daybreak to nightfall Was I kept whole,

יבדּוֹרִי נִסַּע וְנִגְלָה מִנִּי כְּאֹהֶל רֹעִי קִפַּדְתִּי כָאֹרֵג חַיַּי מִדַּלָּה יְבַצְּעֵנִי מִיּוֹם עַד־לַיְלָה תַּשְׁלִימֵנִי׃

13Then it was as though a lion Were breaking all my bones; I cried out until morning. (Only from daybreak to nightfall Was I kept whole.)

יגשִׁוִּיתִי עַד־בֹּקֶר כָּאֲרִי כֵּן יְשַׁבֵּר כָּל־עַצְמוֹתָי מִיּוֹם עַד־לַיְלָה תַּשְׁלִימֵנִי׃

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

ידכְּסוּס עָגוּר כֵּן אֲצַפְצֵף אֶהְגֶּה כַּיּוֹנָה דַּלּוּ עֵינַי לַמָּרוֹם אֲדֹנָי עָשְׁקָה־לִּי עָרְבֵנִי׃

15What can I say? He promised me, And He it is who has wrought it. All my sleep had fled Because of the bitterness of my soul.

טומָה־אֲדַבֵּר וְאָמַר־לִי וְהוּא עָשָׂה אֶדַּדֶּה כָל־שְׁנוֹתַי עַל־מַר נַפְשִׁי׃

16My Lord, for all that and despite it My life-breath is revived; You have restored me to health and revived me.

טזאֲדֹנָי עֲלֵיהֶם יִחְיוּ וּלְכָל־בָּהֶן חַיֵּי רוּחִי וְתַחֲלִימֵנִי וְהַחֲיֵנִי׃

17Truly, it was for my own good That I had such great bitterness: You saved my life From the pit of destruction, For You have cast behind Your back All my offenses.

יזהִנֵּה לְשָׁלוֹם מַר־לִי מָר וְאַתָּה חָשַׁקְתָּ נַפְשִׁי מִשַּׁחַת בְּלִי כִּי הִשְׁלַכְתָּ אַחֲרֵי גֵוְךָ כָּל־חֲטָאָי׃

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

יחכִּי לֹא שְׁאוֹל תּוֹדֶךָּ מָוֶת יְהַלְלֶךָּ לֹא־יְשַׂבְּרוּ יוֹרְדֵי־בוֹר אֶל־אֲמִתֶּךָ׃

19The living, only the living Can give thanks to You As I do this day; Fathers relate to children Your acts of grace:

יטחַי חַי הוּא יוֹדֶךָ כָּמוֹנִי הַיּוֹם אָב לְבָנִים יוֹדִיעַ אֶל־אֲמִתֶּךָ׃

20“[It has pleased] Hashem to deliver us, That is why we offer up music All the days of our lives At the House of Hashem.”

כיְהֹוָה לְהוֹשִׁיעֵנִי וּנְגִנוֹתַי נְנַגֵּן כָּל־יְמֵי חַיֵּינוּ עַל־בֵּית יְהֹוָה׃

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

כאוַיֹּאמֶר יְשַׁעְיָהוּ יִשְׂאוּ דְּבֶלֶת תְּאֵנִים וְיִמְרְחוּ עַל־הַשְּׁחִין וְיֶחִי׃

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

כבוַיֹּאמֶר חִזְקִיָּהוּ מָה אוֹת כִּי אֶעֱלֶה בֵּית יְהֹוָה׃