VERSE STUDY • KJV

Isaiah 38:9-20

⁹ The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness: ¹⁰ I said in the cutting off of my days, I shall go to the gates of the grave: I am deprived of the residue of my years. ¹¹ I said, I shall not see the LORD, [even] the LORD, in the land of the living: I shall behold man no more with the inhabitants of the world. ¹² Mine age is departed, and is removed from me as a shepherd’s tent: I have cut off like a weaver my life: he will cut me off with pining sickness: from day [even] to night wilt thou make an end of me. ¹³ I reckoned till morning, [that], as a lion, so will he break all my bones: from day [even] to night wilt thou make an end of me. ¹⁴ Like a crane [or] a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove: mine eyes fail [with looking] upward: O LORD, I am oppressed; undertake for me. ¹⁵ What shall I say? he hath both spoken unto me, and himself hath done [it]: I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul. ¹⁶ O Lord, by these [things men] live, and in all these [things is] the life of my spirit: so wilt thou recover me, and make me to live. ¹⁷ Behold, for peace 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 the grave cannot praise thee, death can [not] 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 The LORD [was ready] to save me: therefore we will sing my songs to the stringed instruments all the days of our life in the house of the LORD.

Read it in 5 translations

KJV King James Version

⁹ The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness: ¹⁰ I said in the cutting off of my days, I shall go to the gates of the grave: I am deprived of the residue of my years. ¹¹ I said, I shall not see the LORD, [even] the LORD, in the land of the living: I shall behold man no more with the inhabitants of the world. ¹² Mine age is departed, and is removed from me as a shepherd’s tent: I have cut off like a weaver my life: he will cut me off with pining sickness: from day [even] to night wilt thou make an end of me. ¹³ I reckoned till morning, [that], as a lion, so will he break all my bones: from day [even] to night wilt thou make an end of me. ¹⁴ Like a crane [or] a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove: mine eyes fail [with looking] upward: O LORD, I am oppressed; undertake for me. ¹⁵ What shall I say? he hath both spoken unto me, and himself hath done [it]: I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul. ¹⁶ O Lord, by these [things men] live, and in all these [things is] the life of my spirit: so wilt thou recover me, and make me to live. ¹⁷ Behold, for peace 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 the grave cannot praise thee, death can [not] 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 The LORD [was ready] to save me: therefore we will sing my songs to the stringed instruments all the days of our life in the house of the LORD.

BSB Berean Standard Bible

⁹ This is a writing by Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery: ¹⁰ I said, “In the prime of my life I must go through the gates of Sheol and be deprived of the remainder of my years.” ¹¹ I said, “I will never again see the LORD, even the LORD, in the land of the living; I will no longer look on mankind with those who dwell in this world. ¹² My dwelling has been picked up and removed from me like a shepherd’s tent. I have rolled up my life like a weaver; He cuts me off from the loom; from day until night You make an end of me. ¹³ I composed myself until the morning. Like a lion He breaks all my bones; from day until night You make an end of me. ¹⁴ I chirp like a swallow or crane; I moan like a dove. My eyes grow weak as I look upward. O Lord, I am oppressed; be my security.” ¹⁵ What can I say? He has spoken to me, and He Himself has done this. I will walk slowly all my years because of the anguish of my soul. ¹⁶ O Lord, by such things men live, and in all of them my spirit finds life. You have restored me to health and have let me live. ¹⁷ Surely for my own welfare I had such great anguish; but Your love has delivered me from the pit of oblivion, for You have cast all my sins behind Your back. ¹⁸ For Sheol cannot thank You; Death cannot praise You. Those who descend to the Pit cannot hope for Your faithfulness. ¹⁹ The living, only the living, can thank You, as I do today; fathers will tell their children about Your faithfulness. ²⁰ The LORD will save me; we will play songs on stringed instruments all the days of our lives in the house of the LORD.

WEB World English Bible

⁹ The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and had recovered of his sickness. ¹⁰ I said, “In the middle of my life I go into the gates of Sheol. I am deprived of the residue of my years.” ¹¹ I said, “I won’t see Yah, Yah in the land of the living. I will see man no more with the inhabitants of the world. ¹² My dwelling is removed, and is carried away from me like 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 you will make an end of me. ¹³ I waited patiently until morning. He breaks all my bones like a lion. From day even to night you will make an end of me. ¹⁴ I chattered like a swallow or a crane. I moaned like a dove. My eyes weaken looking upward. Lord, I am oppressed. Be my security.” ¹⁵ What will I say? He has both spoken to me, and himself has done it. I will walk carefully all my years because of the anguish of my soul. ¹⁶ Lord, men live by these things; and my spirit finds life in all of them: you restore me, and cause me to live. ¹⁷ Behold, for peace I had great anguish, but you have in love for my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption; for you have cast all my sins behind your back. ¹⁸ For Sheol can’t praise you. Death can’t celebrate you. Those who go down into the pit can’t hope for your truth. ¹⁹ The living, the living, he shall praise you, as I do this day. The father shall make known your truth to the children. ²⁰ Yahweh will save me. Therefore we will sing my songs with stringed instruments all the days of our life in the house of Yahweh.

ASV American Standard Version

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.

YLT Young’s Literal Translation

⁹ A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah concerning his being sick, when he reviveth from his sickness: ¹⁰ ‘I—I said in the cutting off of my days, I go in to the gates of Sheol, I have numbered the remnant of mine years. ¹¹ I said, I do not see Jah—Jah! In the land of the living, I do not behold man any more, With the inhabitants of the world. ¹² My sojourning hath departed, And been removed from me as a shepherd’s tent, I have drawn together, as a weaver, my life, By weakness it cutteth me off, From day unto night Thou dost end me. ¹³ I have set Him till morning as a lion, So doth He break all my bones, From day unto night Thou dost end me. ¹⁴ As a crane—a swallow—so I chatter, I mourn as a dove, Drawn up have been mine eyes on high, O Jehovah, oppression is on me, be my surety. ¹⁵ —What do I say? seeing He said to me, And He Himself hath wrought, I go softly all my years for the bitterness of my soul. ¹⁶ Lord, by these do men live, And by all in them is the life of my spirit, And Thou savest me, make me also to live, ¹⁷ Lo, to peace He changed for me bitterness, And Thou hast delighted in my soul without corruption, For Thou hast cast behind Thy back all my sins. ¹⁸ For Sheol doth not confess Thee, Death doth not praise Thee, Those going down to the pit hope not for Thy truth. ¹⁹ The living, the living, he doth confess Thee. ²⁰ Like myself to-day—a father to sons Doth make known of Thy faithfulness, O Jehovah—to save me: And my songs we sing all days of our lives In the house of Jehovah.’

Surrounding context — Isaiah 38

6 And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria: and I will defend this city.

7 And this [shall be] a sign unto thee from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that he hath spoken;

8 Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the sun dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down.

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

10 I said in the cutting off of my days, I shall go to the gates of the grave: I am deprived of the residue of my years.

11 I said, I shall not see the LORD, [even] the LORD, in the land of the living: I shall behold man no more with the inhabitants of the world.

12 Mine age is departed, and is removed from me as a shepherd’s tent: I have cut off like a weaver my life: he will cut me off with pining sickness: from day [even] to night wilt thou make an end of me.

13 I reckoned till morning, [that], as a lion, so will he break all my bones: from day [even] to night wilt thou make an end of me.

14 Like a crane [or] a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove: mine eyes fail [with looking] upward: O LORD, I am oppressed; undertake for me.

15 What shall I say? he hath both spoken unto me, and himself hath done [it]: I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul.

16 O Lord, by these [things men] live, and in all these [things is] the life of my spirit: so wilt thou recover me, and make me to live.

17 Behold, for peace 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 the grave cannot praise thee, death can [not] 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 The LORD [was ready] to save me: therefore we will sing my songs to the stringed instruments all the days of our life in the house of the LORD.

21 For Isaiah had said, Let them take a lump of figs, and lay [it] for a plaister 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 the LORD?

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