Study Desk

This is a writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and ^(F1)recovery:

I said, "^(C1)In the middle of my ^(F1)life I am to enter the ^(C2)gates of Sheol; I have been ^(C3)deprived of the rest of my years."

I said, "I will not see the LORD, The LORD ^(C1)in the land of the living; I will no longer look on mankind among the inhabitants of the world.

-"Like a shepherd's ^(C1)tent my dwelling is pulled up and removed from me; As a ^(C2)weaver I ^(C3)rolled up my life. He ^(C4)cuts me off from the loom; From ^(C5)day until night You make an end of me.

-"I composed my soul until morning. ^(C1)Like a lion—so He ^(C2)breaks all my bones, From ^(C3)day until night You make an end of me.

-"^(C1)Like a swallow, like a crane, so I twitter; I ^(C2)moan like a dove; My ^(C3)eyes look wistfully to the heights; Lord, I am oppressed, be my ^(C4)security.

"^(C1)What shall I say? ^(F1)For He has spoken to me, and He Himself has done it; I will ^(C2)walk ^(F2)quietly all my years because of the ^(C3)bitterness of my soul.

-"Lord, ^(C1)by these things people live, And in all these is the life of my spirit; ^(F1)(C2)Restore me to health and ^(C3)let me live!

-"Behold, for my own welfare I had great bitterness; But You have ^(F1)(C1)kept my soul from the pit of ^(F2)nothingness, For You have ^(C2)hurled all my sins behind Your back.

-"For ^(C1)Sheol cannot thank You, Death cannot praise You; Those who go down ^(C2)to the pit cannot hope for Your faithfulness.

-"It is the ^(C1)living who give thanks to You, as I do today; A ^(C2)father tells his sons about Your faithfulness.

-"The LORD is certain to save me; So we will ^(C1)play my songs on stringed instruments ^(C2)All the days of our life ^(C3)at the house of the LORD."