Hezekiah’s Illness and Recovery

1During that time,a Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. Then Amoz’s son Isaiah the prophet came to him and told him, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Put your house in order, because you are going to die. You won’t recover.’”

2Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD. 3“Please, LORD,” he said, “Remember how I have walked before you faithfully and with a true heart, and I have done what pleases you.”b And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

4Then this messagec from the LORD came to Isaiah: 5“Go tell Hezekiah, ‘This is what the LORD God of your ancestor David has to say: “I’ve heard your prayer andd I’ve seen your tears; so I will add fifteen years to your life. 6I’ll save you and this city from thee king of Assyria, and I’ll defend this city, for my own sake and for my servant David’s sake.f 7This is the LORD’s sign to you that the LORD will carry out this thing he has promised: 8Watch! I will make the shadow on the steps of the upperg dial of Ahaz that marks the sun go ten steps backwards.”’”

Then the sunlight turned back on the dial the ten steps by which it had gone down.

Hezekiah’s Prayer

9 A composition by King Hezekiah of Judah, following his illness and recovery:

10I said, “Must I leave in the prime of my life?

Must I be consigned to the controlh of Sheol?i

Bitter arej my years!”

11I said, “I won’t see the LORDk in the land of the living;

andl I’ll no longer observe human beings

among the denizens of the grave.m

12My house has been plucked up and vanishesn from me

like a shepherd’s tent;

like a weaver, I’ve taken account ofo my life,

and he cuts me off from the loom—

day and night you make an end of me.

13I’ve been swept barep until morning;

just like a lion, he breaks all my bones—

day and night you make an end of me.

14Like a swallow or a crane I chirp,

I moan like a dove.

My eyes look weakly upward.

O Lord,q I am oppressed, sor stand up for me!

15What can I say, so I tell myself,s

since he has done this to me?t

I will walk slowly all my years

because of my soul’s anguish.

16“My Lord is against them, yet they live,

and among all of them who live is his spirit.u

Now you have restored me to health,

so let me live!

17Yes, it was for my own good

that I suffered extreme anguish.v

But in love you have held backw my life

from the Pitx in which it has been confined;y

you have tossed all my sins

behind your back.

18For Sheolz cannot thank you,

death cannotaa sing your praise;

andbb those who go down to the Pitcc cannot hope

for your faithfulness.

19The living—yes the living—they thank you,

just as I am doing today;

fathers will tell their children

about your faithfulness.

20The LORD will save me,dd

and we will play my music on strings

all the days of our lives

in the LORD’s Temple.ee

21Now Isaiah had said, “Let them prepareff a poultice of figs and apply it to the boil, so that he may recover.”

22Hezekiah also had asked, “What will be the sign for me to go up to the LORD’s Temple?”gg