Isaiah 38:5-20

Isaiah 38:5-20

[5] Go,  and say  to Hezekiah,  Thus saith  the God  of David  thy father,  I have heard  thy prayer,  I have seen  thy tears:  behold, I will add  unto thy days  fifteen  years.  [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,  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,  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,  to the gates  of the grave:  I am deprived  of the residue  of my years.  [11] I said,  I shall not see  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  [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  [14] Like a crane  or a swallow,  so did I chatter:  I did mourn  as a dove:  mine eyes  fail  with looking upward:  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,  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.