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希西家病危與康復(A)

20 在那些日子,希西家病得要死了。亞摩斯的兒子以賽亞先知來見他,對他說:“耶和華這樣說:‘你要留遺命給你的家人,因為你將要死,不能再活了。’” 他卻轉臉向牆,禱告耶和華說: “唉,耶和華啊!求你記念我曾怎樣以真誠和完全的心在你面前行事為人,我所行的都是你看為善的事。”希西家就痛哭起來。 以賽亞還沒有出到中院,耶和華的話就臨到他說: “你回去對我子民的君主希西家說:‘你祖大衛的 神耶和華這樣說:我聽見了你的禱告,看見了你的眼淚。看哪,我必醫治你,第三日你要上耶和華的殿。 我必把十五年的壽命增添給你。我要拯救你和這城脫離亞述王的手,又要因我自己和我僕人大衛的緣故保護這城。’” 以賽亞說:“取一片無花果餅來。”他們就取了來,把它貼在瘡上。希西家就痊愈了。

希西家對以賽亞說:“有甚麼徵兆告訴我耶和華必醫治我,第三日我能上耶和華的殿呢?” 以賽亞說:“這就是耶和華給你的徵兆,顯明耶和華必成全他應許的這事:你要日影向前進十級或是倒退十級呢?” 10 希西家說:“日影延伸十級容易;不,我要日影倒後十級。” 11 以賽亞先知呼求耶和華,他就使日晷上的日影,就是在亞哈斯的日晷上已經下移的日影倒退了十級。

希西家展示所有寶物(B)

12 那時,巴比倫王巴拉但的兒子比羅達.巴拉但送信和禮物給希西家,因為他聽見希西家病了。 13 希西家聽了使者的話,隨後把寶庫內的一切銀子、金子、香料、貴重的油和軍器庫,以及他寶庫內一切所有的,都給他們看。無論是在他的宮中或是在全國各地的,希西家沒有一樣不給他們看的。 14 後來,以賽亞先知來到希西家王那裡,對他說:“這些人說了些甚麼?他們是從哪裡來見你的呢?”希西家說:“他們是從遙遠的巴比倫來見我的。” 15 以賽亞說:“他們在你宮中看到了甚麼呢?”希西家說:“我宮中的一切,他們都看見了。在我寶庫內的,我沒有一樣不給他們看的。”

以賽亞預言被擄(C)

16 以賽亞對希西家說:“你要聽耶和華的話: 17 ‘看哪,日子快到,那時你宮中的一切和你的祖先所積存直到今日的一切,都要被掠到巴比倫去,沒有一樣留下。’這是耶和華說的。 18 並且你的眾子中,就是由你所出,你所生的,有一部分要被擄去。他們要在巴比倫王的王宮中當太監。” 19 希西家對以賽亞說:“你所說耶和華的話很好。”他心裡說:“在我的日子有和平和安全不是很好嗎?” 20 希西家其餘的事蹟和他所有的英勇事蹟,以及他做水池和引水道,把水引入城裡的事,不是都寫在猶大列王的年代誌上嗎? 21 希西家和他的祖先一同長眠,他的兒子瑪拿西就接續他作王。

Chapter 20

End of Hezekiah’s Reign. (A)In those days, when Hezekiah was mortally ill, the prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz, came and said to him: “Thus says the Lord: Put your house in order, for you are about to die; you shall not recover.” He turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord: “Ah, Lord, remember how faithfully and wholeheartedly I conducted myself in your presence, doing what was good in your sight!” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. Before Isaiah had left the central courtyard, the word of the Lord came to him: Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people: “Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father:

I have heard your prayer;
    I have seen your tears.
    Now I am healing you.
On the third day you shall go up
    to the house of the Lord.
I will add to your life fifteen years.
    I will rescue you and this city
    from the hand of the king of Assyria;
I will be a shield to this city
    for my own sake and the sake of David my servant.”

Then Isaiah said, “Bring a poultice of figs and apply it to the boil for his recovery.” Hezekiah asked Isaiah, “What is the sign that the Lord will heal me and that I shall go up to the house of the Lord on the third day?” Isaiah replied, “This will be the sign for you from the Lord that he will carry out the word he has spoken: Shall the shadow go forward or back ten steps?” 10 “It is easy for the shadow to advance ten steps,” Hezekiah answered. “Rather, let it go back ten steps.” 11 So Isaiah the prophet invoked the Lord. He made the shadow go back the ten steps it had descended on the staircase to the terrace of Ahaz.

12 At that time, Berodach-baladan,[a] son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and gifts to Hezekiah when he heard that he had been ill. 13 Hezekiah listened to the envoys and then showed off his whole treasury: his silver, gold, spices and perfumed oil, his armory, and everything in his storerooms; there was nothing in his house or in all his realm that Hezekiah did not show them. 14 Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah and asked him: “What did these men say to you? Where did they come from?” Hezekiah replied, “They came from a distant land, from Babylon.” 15 He asked, “What did they see in your house?” Hezekiah answered, “They saw everything in my house. There is nothing in my storerooms that I did not show them.” 16 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah: “Hear the word of the Lord: 17 The time is coming when all that is in your house, everything that your ancestors have stored up until this day, shall be carried off to Babylon; nothing shall be left, says the Lord. 18 Some of your own descendants, your offspring, your progeny, shall be taken and made attendants in the palace of the king of Babylon.” 19 Hezekiah replied to Isaiah, “The word of the Lord which you have spoken is good.” For he thought, “There will be peace and stability in my lifetime.”

20 The rest of the acts of Hezekiah, with all his valor, and how he constructed the pool and conduit[b] and brought water into the city, are recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah.(B) 21 Hezekiah rested with his ancestors, and his son Manasseh succeeded him as king.

Footnotes

  1. 20:12 Berodach-baladan: this famous king’s name is more correctly recorded in Is 39:1 as “Merodach-baladan.” The Babylonian form, Marduk-apal-idinna, means “Marduk has granted a son.” Historically, any embassy from him to Hezekiah must have been aimed at establishing an anti-Assyrian strategy of cooperation.
  2. 20:20 Pool and conduit: Hezekiah’s tunnel is described in more detail in 2 Chr 32:30.

De ziekte van Hizkia

20 In diezelfde tijd werd Hizkia ernstig ziek en de profeet Jesaja ging hem opzoeken. ‘Regel uw zaken en bereid u voor op de dood,’ zei Jesaja tegen hem. ‘De Here zegt dat u niet meer beter zult worden.’ Hizkia draaide zijn gezicht naar de muur. ‘Och Here,’ bad hij, ‘ik heb toch altijd geprobeerd U met een oprecht hart te gehoorzamen en precies te doen wat U van mij verlangde!’ Hij barstte in tranen uit.

Nog voordat Jesaja het binnenplein van het paleis had verlaten, sprak de Here hem al weer toe. ‘Ga terug naar Hizkia, de leider van mijn volk, en zeg hem dat de Here, de God van zijn voorvader David, zijn gebed heeft gehoord en zijn tranen heeft gezien. Ik zal hem genezen en over drie dagen zal hij al weer op zijn en de tempel kunnen bezoeken. Ik zal hem nog vijftien jaar te leven geven en hem en zijn stad beschermen tegen de koning van Assyrië. Dit zal Ik allemaal doen omwille van Mijzelf en omwille van mijn dienaar David.’ Jesaja gaf Hizkia het advies enkele vijgen op de zweer te leggen. Op die manier werd hij genezen.

In de tussentijd had koning Hizkia aan Jesaja gevraagd: ‘Met welk teken kunt u bewijzen dat de Here mij zal genezen en dat ik over drie dagen weer naar de tempel zal kunnen gaan?’ ‘De Here zal u een bewijs geven,’ vertelde Jesaja hem. ‘Wilt u dat de schaduw van de zonnewijzer tien graden naar voren of naar achteren gaat?’ 10 ‘De schaduw gaat altijd naar voren,’ antwoordde Hizkia, ‘laat hem nu naar achteren gaan.’ 11 Jesaja vroeg de Here dit te doen en Hij zorgde ervoor dat de schaduw tien graden terugging op de zonnewijzer van Achaz.

12 Korte tijd later stuurde Berodach-Baladan, de zoon van koning Baladan van Babel, gezanten met geschenken en groeten naar Hizkia. Hij had gehoord dat hij ziek was. 13 Hizkia verwelkomde hen en liet hun al zijn schatten zien—het zilver, het goud, de specerijen, de kostbare oliën, zijn wapens—letterlijk alles! 14 Daarop ging Jesaja naar koning Hizkia en vroeg hem: ‘Wat willen deze mannen? Waar komen zij vandaan?’ ‘Uit het verre Babel,’ antwoordde Hizkia. 15 ‘Wat hebben zij allemaal gezien in uw paleis?’ wilde Jesaja verder weten. En Hizkia antwoordde: ‘Alles. Ik heb hun al mijn schatten laten zien.’ 16 Toen zei Jesaja tegen Hizkia: ‘Luister naar de woorden van de Here: 17 “Er zal een tijd komen dat alles in dit paleis naar Babel wordt meegenomen. Alle schatten van uw voorouders zullen worden weggebracht en niets zal worden achtergelaten. 18 Enkelen van uw nakomelingen zullen worden meegenomen en als hofpersoneel dienen in het paleis van de koning van Babel.” ’ 19 ‘Goed,’ vond Hizkia, ‘als dit is wat de Here wil, dan heb ik daar vrede mee.’ Bovendien dacht hij: ‘Er zal tenminste vrede en veiligheid heersen gedurende de rest van mijn leven.’

20 De rest van de geschiedenis van koning Hizkia en zijn grote daden—inclusief de vijver en de waterleiding die hij aanlegde, waarmee hij water naar de stad bracht—staan beschreven in de Kronieken van de koningen van Juda. 21 Na zijn dood volgde zijn zoon Manasse hem op.

Hezekiah’s Illness(A)

20 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.”

Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, “Remember,(B) Lord, how I have walked(C) before you faithfully(D) and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the Lord came to him: “Go back and tell Hezekiah, the ruler of my people, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard(E) your prayer and seen your tears;(F) I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the Lord. I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend(G) this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.’”

Then Isaiah said, “Prepare a poultice of figs.” They did so and applied it to the boil,(H) and he recovered.

Hezekiah had asked Isaiah, “What will be the sign that the Lord will heal me and that I will go up to the temple of the Lord on the third day from now?”

Isaiah answered, “This is the Lord’s sign(I) to you that the Lord will do what he has promised: Shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or shall it go back ten steps?”

10 “It is a simple(J) matter for the shadow to go forward ten steps,” said Hezekiah. “Rather, have it go back ten steps.”

11 Then the prophet Isaiah called on the Lord, and the Lord made the shadow go back(K) the ten steps it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.

Envoys From Babylon(L)(M)

12 At that time Marduk-Baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon sent Hezekiah letters and a gift, because he had heard of Hezekiah’s illness. 13 Hezekiah received the envoys and showed them all that was in his storehouses—the silver, the gold, the spices and the fine olive oil—his armory and everything found among his treasures. There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them.

14 Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked, “What did those men say, and where did they come from?”

“From a distant land,” Hezekiah replied. “They came from Babylon.”

15 The prophet asked, “What did they see in your palace?”

“They saw everything in my palace,” Hezekiah said. “There is nothing among my treasures that I did not show them.”

16 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord: 17 The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your predecessors have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon.(N) Nothing will be left, says the Lord. 18 And some of your descendants,(O) your own flesh and blood who will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.”(P)

19 “The word of the Lord you have spoken is good,” Hezekiah replied. For he thought, “Will there not be peace and security in my lifetime?”

20 As for the other events of Hezekiah’s reign, all his achievements and how he made the pool(Q) and the tunnel(R) by which he brought water into the city, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 21 Hezekiah rested with his ancestors. And Manasseh his son succeeded him as king.