以賽亞書38:9-22

38:9 猶大王希西家患病已經痊癒，就作詩說：
38:10 我說：正在我中年（或譯：晌午）之日必進入陰間的門；我餘剩的年歲不得享受。
38:11 我說：我必不得見耶和華，就是在活人之地不見耶和華；我與世上的居民不再見面。
38:12 我的住處被遷去離開我，好像牧人的帳棚一樣；我將性命捲起，像織布的捲布一樣。耶和華必將我從機頭剪斷，從早到晚，他要使我完結。
38:13 我使自己安靜直到天亮；他像獅子折斷我一切的骨頭，從早到晚，他要使我完結。
38:14 我像燕子呢喃，像白鶴鳴叫，又像鴿子哀鳴；我因仰觀，眼睛困倦。耶和華啊，我受欺壓，求你為我作保。
38:15 我可說甚麼呢？他應許我的，也給我成就了。我因心裡的苦楚，在一生的年日必悄悄而行。
38:16 主啊，人得存活乃在乎此。我靈存活也全在此。所以求你使我痊癒，仍然存活。
38:17 看哪，我受大苦，本為使我得平安；你因愛我的靈魂（或譯：生命）便救我脫離敗壞的坑，因為你將我一切的罪扔在你的背後。
38:18 原來，陰間不能稱謝你，死亡不能頌揚你；下坑的人不能盼望你的誠實。
38:19 只有活人，活人必稱謝你，像我今日稱謝你一樣。為父的，必使兒女知道你的誠實。
38:20 耶和華肯救我，所以，我們要一生一世在耶和華殿中用絲弦的樂器唱我的詩歌。
38:21 以賽亞說：「當取一塊無花果餅來，貼在瘡上，王必痊癒。」
38:22 希西家問說：「我能上耶和華的殿，有甚麼兆頭呢？」

⁹ A writing of King Hezekiah of Judah, after he had been sick and had recovered from his sickness:

10

I said: In the noontide of my days

I must depart;

I am consigned to the gates of Sheol

for the rest of my years.

11

I said, I shall not see the Lord

in the land of the living;

I shall look upon mortals no more

among the inhabitants of the world.

12

My dwelling is plucked up and removed from me

like a shepherd’s tent;

like a weaver I have rolled up my life;

he cuts me off from the loom;

from day to night you bring me to an end;

13

I cry for help until morning;

like a lion he breaks all my bones;

from day to night you bring me to an end.

 

14

Like a swallow or a crane I clamor,

I moan like a dove.

My eyes are weary with looking upward.

O Lord, I am oppressed; be my security!

15

But what can I say? For he has spoken to me,

and he himself has done it.

All my sleep has fled

because of the bitterness of my soul.

16

O Lord, by these things people live,

and in all these is the life of my spirit.

Oh, restore me to health and make me live!

17

Surely it was for my welfare

that I had great bitterness;

but you have held back my life

from the pit of destruction,

for you have cast all my sins

behind your back.

18

For Sheol cannot thank you,

death cannot praise you;

those who go down to the Pit cannot hope

for your faithfulness.

19

The living, the living, they thank you,

as I do this day;

fathers make known to children

your faithfulness.

20

The Lord will save me,

and we will sing to stringed instruments

all the days of our lives,

at the house of the Lord.

²¹ Now Isaiah had said, “Let them take a lump of figs, and apply it to the boil, so that he may recover.” ²²Hezekiah also had said, “What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the Lord?”

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    猶大王希西家有遺傳到他的祖先大衛的特質，敬畏上帝又會做詩歌。患病已經痊癒就作詩，來讚美上帝並紀念上帝的拯救。

    從他的詩句當中，我們體會到他的病可能是十分嚴重，導致他本來已經失去活命的盼望，不再相信上帝會醫治他的病。然而上帝竟然醫治了，這是讓他有復活的感受，於是讚美上帝！

    其實，成為基督徒，我們也會經歷到這樣的復活經驗，正如有句名言所說：「山窮水盡疑無路，柳暗花明又一村！」

    是的，上帝會為我們開前面的道路，只要我們仰望祂，正如箴言所說：「你要專心仰賴耶和華，不可倚靠自己的聰明，在你一切所行的事上都要認定他，他必指引你的路。」(3:5-6)