Isaiah 38:14

38:14 Like a swallow or a thrush I chirp,

I coo ¹  like a dove;

my eyes grow tired from looking up to the sky. ² 

O sovereign master, ³  I am oppressed;

help me! ⁴ 

[38:14]  ¹ tn Or “moan” (ASV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); KJV, CEV “mourn.”

[38:14]  ² tn Heb “my eyes become weak, toward the height.”

[38:14]  ³ tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in v. 16 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[38:14]  ⁴ tn Heb “stand surety for me.” Hezekiah seems to be picturing himself as a debtor who is being exploited; he asks that the Lord might relieve his debt and deliver him from the oppressive creditor.