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Hezekiah’s Illness

38 In those days, Hezekiah became sick to death, and Isaiah son of Amoz, the prophet, came to him and said to him, “Thus says Yahweh: ‘Order your house, for you are about to die, and you shall not recover.’” Then[a] Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to Yahweh, and he said, “O Yahweh, please remember how[b] I have walked before your presence[c] in faithfulness with a whole heart, and I have done the good in your eyes!” And Hezekiah wept with great weeping.

Then[d] the word of Yahweh came[e] to Isaiah, saying, “Go and say to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says Yahweh, the God of David your ancestor:[f] “I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look, I am going to[g] add fifteen years to your days. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city.”’

And this is the sign to you from Yahweh, that Yahweh will do this thing that he has spoken: Look! I will cause the shadow of the steps, which it had gone down on the steps of Ahaz with the sun, to turn backwards ten steps.” And the sun turned back ten steps on the steps which it had gone down.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 38:2 Or “And”
  2. Isaiah 38:3 Or “that”
  3. Isaiah 38:3 Literally “face”
  4. Isaiah 38:4 Or “And”
  5. Isaiah 38:4 Or “was”
  6. Isaiah 38:5 Or “father”
  7. Isaiah 38:5 Literally, “Behold me; he will add,” but in this context it makes better sense to change the “he” to “I”; most translations follow this emendation

Hezekiah’s illness

38 At about that time Hezekiah became deathly sick. The prophet Isaiah, Amoz’s son, came to him and said: “The Lord God says this: Put your affairs in order because you are about to die. You won’t survive this.”

Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord: “Please, Lord, remember how I’ve walked before you in truth and sincerity. I’ve done what you consider to be good.” Then Hezekiah cried and cried.

Then the Lord’s word came to Isaiah: “Go and say to Hezekiah: The Lord, the God of your ancestor David, says this: I have heard your prayer and have seen your tears. I will add fifteen years to your life. I will rescue you and this city from the power of the Assyrian king. I will defend this city. This will be your sign from the Lord that he will do what he promised: once the shadow cast by the sun descends on the steps of Ahaz, I will make it back up ten steps.” And the sun went back ten of the steps that it had already descended.

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