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38 In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, came to him, and said to him, “Yahweh says, ‘Set your house in order, for you will die, and not live.’”

Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to Yahweh, and said, “Remember now, Yahweh, I beg you, how I have walked before you in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in your sight.” Then Hezekiah wept bitterly.

Then Yahweh’s word came to Isaiah, saying, “Go, and tell Hezekiah, ‘Yahweh, the God of David your father, says, “I have heard your prayer. I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life. I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city. This shall be the sign to you from Yahweh, that Yahweh will do this thing that he has spoken. Behold, I will cause the shadow on the sundial, which has gone down on the sundial of Ahaz with the sun, to return backward ten steps.”’” So the sun returned ten steps on the sundial on which it had gone down.

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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.’”

Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord. “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.

Then this message[c] from the Lord came to Isaiah: “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. 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] This is the Lord’s sign to you that the Lord will carry out this thing he has promised: 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.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 38:1 Lit. During those days
  2. Isaiah 38:3 Lit. done what is good in your eyes
  3. Isaiah 38:4 Lit. Then the word
  4. Isaiah 38:5 So 1QIsaa LXX; the Heb. lacks and
  5. Isaiah 38:6 Lit. the hand of the
  6. Isaiah 38:6 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX lack for my own sake and for my servant David’s sake
  7. Isaiah 38:8 So 1QIsaa; the Heb. lacks upper