Hezekiah’s Illness and Recovery

38 During 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.’”

² Then 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.

⁴ Then this message^[c] 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 and^[d] I’ve seen your tears; so I will add fifteen years to your life. ⁶ I’ll save you and this city from the^[e] king of Assyria, and I’ll defend this city, for my own sake and for my servant David’s sake.^{[f] 7} This is the Lord’s sign to you that the Lord will carry out this thing he has promised: ⁸ Watch! I will make the shadow on the steps of the upper^[g] 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.