Esaïe 38.22
New International Version

Maladie et guérison d’Ézéchias

¹ In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.”
² Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord,
³ “Remember, Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
⁴ Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah:
⁵ “Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life.
⁶ And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city.
⁷ “ ‘This is the Lord’s sign to you that the Lord will do what he has promised:
⁸ I will make the shadow cast by the sun go back the ten steps it has gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.’ ” So the sunlight went back the ten steps it had gone down.
⁹ A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery:

¹⁰ I said, “In the prime of my life
must I go through the gates of death
and be robbed of the rest of my years?”

¹¹ I said, “I will not again see the Lord himself
in the land of the living;
no longer will I look on my fellow man,
or be with those who now dwell in this world.

¹² Like a shepherd’s tent my house
has been pulled down and taken from me.
Like a weaver I have rolled up my life,
and he has cut me off from the loom;
day and night you made an end of me.

¹³ I waited patiently till dawn,
but like a lion he broke all my bones;
day and night you made an end of me.

¹⁴ I cried like a swift or thrush,
I moaned like a mourning dove.
My eyes grew weak as I looked to the heavens.
I am being threatened; Lord, come to my aid!”

¹⁵ But what can I say?
He has spoken to me, and he himself has done this.
I will walk humbly all my years
because of this anguish of my soul.

¹⁶ Lord, by such things people live;
and my spirit finds life in them too.
You restored me to health
and let me live.

¹⁷ Surely it was for my benefit
that I suffered such anguish.
In your love you kept me
from the pit of destruction;
you have put all my sins
behind your back.

¹⁸ For the grave cannot praise you,
death cannot sing your praise;
those who go down to the pit
cannot hope for your faithfulness.

¹⁹ The living, the living — they praise you,
as I am doing today;
parents tell their children
about your faithfulness.

²⁰ The Lord will save me,
and we will sing with stringed instruments
all the days of our lives
in the temple of the Lord.
²¹ Isaiah had said, “Prepare a poultice of figs and apply it to the boil, and he will recover.”
²² Hezekiah had asked, “What will be the sign that I will go up to the temple of the Lord?”