Revised Literal Translation

Isaiah 38

1In those daysבַּיָּמִ֣יםbai.ya.MimH3117was Hezekiahחִזְקִיָּ֖הוּchiz.ki.Ya.huH2396sickחָלָ֥הcha.LahH2470unto deathלָמ֑וּתla.MutH4191.And Isaiahיְשַׁעְיָ֨הוּye.sha'.Ya.huH3470the prophetהַנָּבִ֗יאha.na.Vi'H5030the sonבֶן־ven-H1121of Amozאָמ֜וֹץ'a.MotzH531cameוַיָּב֣וֹאvai.ya.Vo'H935unto him, and saidוַיֹּ֨אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559unto him, Thus saithאָמַ֤ר'a.MarH559Yhwhיְהוָה֙Yah.wehH3068,Set thine houseלְבֵיתֶ֔ךָle.vei.Te.khaH1004in orderצַ֣וtzavH6680:for thou shalt dieמֵ֥תmetH4191,and not liveתִֽחְיֶֽה׃Tich.YehH2421.

2Then Hezekiahחִזְקִיָּ֛הוּchiz.ki.Ya.huH2396turnedוַיַּסֵּ֧בvai.ya.SevH5437his faceפָּנָ֖יוpa.NavH6440toward the wallהַקִּ֑ירha.KirH7023,and prayedוַיִּתְפַּלֵּ֖לvai.yit.pa.LelH6419unto Yhwhיְהוָֽה׃Yah.wehH3068,

3And saidוַיֹּאמַ֗רvai.yo.MarH559,Rememberזְכָר־ze.khor-H2142now, O Yhwhיְהוָה֙Yah.wehH3068,I beseechאָנָּ֤ה'a.NahH577thee, how I have walkedהִתְהַלַּ֣כְתִּיhit.ha.Lakh.tiH1980beforeלְפָנֶ֗יךָle.fa.Nei.khaH6440thee in truthבֶּֽאֱמֶת֙be.'e.MetH571and with a perfectשָׁלֵ֔םsha.LemH8003heartוּבְלֵ֣בu.ve.LevH3820,and have doneעָשִׂ֑יתִי'a.Si.tiH6213that which isgoodוְהַטּ֥וֹבve.ha.TovH2896in thy sightבְּעֵינֶ֖יךָbe.'ei.Nei.khaH5869.And Hezekiahחִזְקִיָּ֖הוּchiz.ki.Ya.huH2396weptוַיֵּ֥בְךְּ בְּכִ֥יvai.Ye.vek be.KhiH1065 H1058soreגָדֽוֹל׃ סga.DolH1419.

4Then came the wordדְּבַר־de.var-H1697of Yhwhיְהוָ֔הYah.wehH3068to Isaiahיְשַׁעְיָ֖הוּye.sha'.Ya.huH3470,sayingלֵאמֹֽר׃le.MorH559,

5Goהָל֞וֹךְha.LokhH1980,and sayוְאָמַרְתָּ֣ve.'a.mar.TaH559to Hezekiahחִזְקִיָּ֗הוּchiz.ki.Ya.huH2396,Thus saithאָמַ֤ר'a.MarH559Yhwhיְהוָה֙Yah.wehH3068,the Godאֱלֹהֵי֙'e.lo.HeiH430of Davidדָּוִ֣דda.VidH1732thy fatherאָבִ֔יךָ'a.Vi.khaH1,I have heardשָׁמַ֙עְתִּי֙sha.Ma'.tiH8085thy prayerתְּפִלָּתֶ֔ךָte.fi.la.Te.khaH8605,I have seenרָאִ֖יתִיra.'I.tiH7200thy tearsדִּמְעָתֶ֑ךָdim.'a.Te.khaH1832:behold, I will addיוֹסִ֣ףyo.SifH3254unto thy daysיָמֶ֔יךָya.Mei.khaH3117fifteenחֲמֵ֥שׁ עֶשְׂרֵ֖הcha.Mesh 'es.RehH6240 H2568yearsשָׁנָֽה׃sha.NahH8141.

6And I will deliverאַצִּ֣ילְךָ֔'a.Tzi.le.khaH5337thee and this cityהָעִ֣ירha.'IrH5892out of the handוּמִכַּ֤ףu.mi.KafH3709of the kingמֶֽלֶךְ־Me.lekh-H4428of Assyriaאַשּׁוּר֙'a.ShurH804:and I will defendוְגַנּוֹתִ֖יve.ga.no.TiH1598this cityהָעִ֥ירha.'IrH5892.

7And this shall bea signהָא֖וֹתha.'otH226unto thee from Yhwhיְהוָ֑הYah.wehH3068,that Yhwhיְהוָ֔הYah.wehH3068will doיַעֲשֶׂ֣הya.'a.SehH6213this thingהַדָּבָ֥רha.da.VarH1697that he hath spokenדִּבֵּֽר׃di.BerH1696;

8Behold, I will bring againמֵשִׁ֣יבme.ShivH7725the shadowצֵ֣לtzelH6738of the degreesהַֽמַּעֲל֡וֹתha.ma.'a.LotH4609,which is gone downיָרְדָה֩ya.re.DahH3381in the sunבַּשֶּׁ֛מֶשׁba.She.meshH8121dialבְמַעֲל֨וֹתve.ma.'a.LotH4609of Ahazאָחָ֥ז'a.ChazH271,tenעֶ֣שֶׂר'E.serH6235degreesמַעֲל֑וֹתma.'a.LotH4609backwardאֲחֹרַנִּ֖ית'a.cho.ra.NitH322.So the sunהַשֶּׁ֙מֶשׁ֙ha.She.meshH8121returnedוַתָּ֤שָׁבva.Ta.shovH7725tenעֶ֣שֶׂר'E.serH6235degreesמַעֲל֔וֹתma.'a.LotH4609,by which degreesבַּֽמַּעֲל֖וֹתba.ma.'a.LotH4609it was gone downיָרָֽדָה׃ סya.Ra.dahH3381.

9The writingמִכְתָּ֖בmikh.TavH4385of Hezekiahלְחִזְקִיָּ֣הוּle.chiz.ki.Ya.huH2396kingמֶֽלֶךְ־Me.lekh-H4428of Judahיְהוּדָ֑הye.hu.DahH3063,when he had been sickבַּחֲלֹת֕וֹba.cha.lo.ToH2470,and was recoveredוַיְחִ֖יvay.ChiH2421of his sicknessמֵחָלְיֽוֹ׃me.chal.YoH2483:

10I saidאָמַ֗רְתִּי'a.Mar.tiH559in the cutting offבִּדְמִ֥יbid.MiH1824of my daysיָמַ֛יya.MaiH3117,I shall goH3212to the gatesבְּשַׁעֲרֵ֣יbe.sha.'a.ReiH8179of the graveשְׁא֑וֹלshe.'olH7585:I am deprivedפֻּקַּ֖דְתִּיpu.Kad.tiH6485of the residueיֶ֥תֶרYe.terH3499of my yearsשְׁנוֹתָֽי׃she.no.TaiH8141.

11I saidאָמַ֙רְתִּי֙'a.Mar.tiH559,I shall not seeאֶרְאֶ֣ה'er.'EhH7200Yahיָ֔הּYahH3050, evenYahיָ֖הּyahH3050,in the landבְּאֶ֣רֶץbe.'E.retzH776of the livingהַחַיִּ֑יםha.chai.YimH2416:I shall beholdאַבִּ֥יט'a.BitH5027manאָדָ֛ם'a.DamH120no more with the inhabitantsי֥וֹשְׁבֵיYo.o.she.veiH3427of the worldחָֽדֶל׃Cha.delH2309.

12Mine ageדּוֹרִ֗יdo.RiH1755is departedנִסַּ֧עni.Sa'H5265,and is removedוְנִגְלָ֛הve.nig.LahH1540from me as a shepherd’sH7473tentכְּאֹ֣הֶלke.'O.helH168:I have cut offקִפַּ֨דְתִּיki.Pad.tiH7088like a weaverכָאֹרֵ֤גkha.'o.RegH707my lifeחַיַּי֙chai.YaiH2416:he will cut me offיְבַצְּעֵ֔נִיye.va.tze.'E.niH1214with pining sicknessמִדַּלָּ֣הmi.da.LahH1803:from dayמִיּ֥וֹםmi.YomH3117evento nightלַ֖יְלָהLay.lahH3915wilt thou make an endתַּשְׁלִימֵֽנִי׃tash.li.Me.niH7999of me.

13I reckonedשִׁוִּ֤יתִיshi.Vi.tiH7737till morningבֹּ֙קֶר֙bo.kerH1242, that,as a lionכָּֽאֲרִ֔יka.'a.RiH738,so will he breakיְשַׁבֵּ֖רye.sha.BerH7665all my bonesעַצְמוֹתָ֑יatz.mo.TaiH6106:from dayמִיּ֥וֹםmi.YomH3117evento nightלַ֖יְלָהLay.lahH3915wilt thou make an endתַּשְׁלִימֵֽנִי׃tash.li.Me.niH7999of me.

14Like a craneכְּס֤וּסke.SusH5483ora swallowעָגוּר֙'a.GurH5693,so did I chatterאֲצַפְצֵ֔ף'a.tzaf.TzefH6850:I did mournאֶהְגֶּ֖ה'eh.GehH1897as a doveכַּיּוֹנָ֑הkai.yo.NahH3123:mine eyesעֵינַי֙'ei.NaiH5869failדַּלּ֤וּda.LuH1809with lookingupwardלַמָּר֔וֹםla.ma.RomH4791:O YhwhH3068,I am oppressedעָֽשְׁקָה־'a.she.kah-H6234;undertakeעָרְבֵֽנִי׃'a.re.Ve.niH6148for me.

15What shall I sayאֲדַבֵּ֥ר'a.da.BerH1696?he hath both spokenוְאָֽמַר־ve.'a.mar-H559unto me, and himself hath doneעָשָׂ֑ה'a.SahH6213it:I shall go softlyאֶדַּדֶּ֥ה'ed.da.DehH1718all my yearsשְׁנוֹתַ֖יshe.no.TaiH8141in the bitternessמַ֥רmarH4751of my soulנַפְשִֽׁי׃naf.ShiH5315.

16O Lordאֲדֹנָ֖י'a.do.NaiH136, by these things menliveיִֽחְי֑וּyich.YuH2421, and in all these things isthe lifeחַיֵּ֣יchai.YeiH2416of my spiritרוּחִ֔יru.ChiH7307:so wilt thou recoverוְתַחֲלִימֵ֖נִיve.ta.cha.li.Me.niH2492me, and make me to liveוְהַחֲיֵֽנִי׃ve.ha.cha.Ye.niH2421.

17Behold, for peaceלְשָׁל֖וֹםle.sha.LomH7965I had great bitternessמַר־ מָ֑רmar- MarH4843 H4751:but thou hast in loveחָשַׁ֤קְתָּcha.Shak.taH2836to my soulנַפְשִׁי֙naf.ShiH5315delivered itfrom the pitמִשַּׁ֣חַתmi.Sha.chatH7845of corruptionבְּלִ֔יbe.LiH1097:for thou hast castהִשְׁלַ֛כְתָּhish.Lakh.taH7993all my sinsחֲטָאָֽי׃cha.ta.'AiH2399behindאַחֲרֵ֥י'a.cha.ReiH310thy backגֵוְךָ֖ge.ve.KhaH1460.

18For the graveשְׁא֛וֹלshe.'olH7585cannot praiseתּוֹדֶ֖ךָּto.De.kaH3034thee, deathמָ֣וֶתMa.vetH4194can notcelebrateיְהַלְלֶ֑ךָּye.ha.Le.kaH1984thee: they that go downיֽוֹרְדֵי־yor.dei-H3381into the pitב֖וֹרVorH953cannot hopeיְשַׂבְּר֥וּye.sa.be.RuH7663for thy truthאֲמִתֶּֽךָ׃'a.mi.Te.khaH571.

19The livingחַ֥יchaiH2416,the livingחַ֛יchaiH2416,he shall praiseיוֹדֶ֖ךָyo.De.khaH3034thee, as I dothis dayהַיּ֑וֹםhai.YomH3117:the fatherאָ֣ב'avH1to the childrenלְבָנִ֔יםle.va.NimH1121shall make knownיוֹדִ֖יעַyo.Di.a'H3045thy truthאֲמִתֶּֽךָ׃'a.mi.Te.khaH571.

20Yhwhיְהוָ֖הYah.wehH3068was readyto saveלְהוֹשִׁיעֵ֑נִיle.ho.shi.'E.niH3467me: therefore we will sing my songsוּנְגִנוֹתַ֧יu.ne.gi.no.TaiH5058to the stringed instrumentsנְנַגֵּ֛ןne.na.GenH5059all the daysיְמֵ֥יye.MeiH3117of our lifeחַיֵּ֖ינוּchai.Yei.nuH2416in the houseבֵּ֥יתbeitH1004of Yhwhיְהוָֽה׃Yah.wehH3068.

21For Isaiahיְשַׁעְיָ֔הוּye.sha'.Ya.huH3470had saidוַיֹּ֣אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559,Let them takeיִשְׂא֖וּyis.'UH5375a lumpדְּבֶ֣לֶתde.Ve.letH1690of figsתְּאֵנִ֑יםte.'e.NimH8384, and lay itfor a plaisterוְיִמְרְח֥וּve.yim.re.ChuH4799upon the boilהַשְּׁחִ֖יןha.she.ChinH7822,and he shall recoverוְיֶֽחִי׃ve.Ye.chiH2421.

22Hezekiahחִזְקִיָּ֖הוּchiz.ki.Ya.huH2396also had saidוַיֹּ֥אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559, What isthe signא֑וֹת'otH226that I shall go upאֶעֱלֶ֖ה'e.'e.LehH5927to the houseבֵּ֥יתbeitH1004of Yhwhיְהוָֽה׃ סYah.wehH3068?

Commentaries on Isaiah 38