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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 Sickness and Recovery

38 (A)In those days Hezekiah became (B)sick and was at the point of death. And (C)Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: Set your house in order, for you shall die, you shall not recover.”[a] Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, and said, “Please, O Lord, remember how (D)I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah: “Go and say to Hezekiah, Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add (E)fifteen years to your life.[b] (F)I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and will defend this city.

“This shall be the sign to you from the Lord, that the Lord will do this thing that he has promised: (G)Behold, I will make the shadow cast by the declining sun on the dial of Ahaz turn back ten steps.” So the sun turned back on the dial the ten steps by which it had declined.[c]

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 38:1 Or live; also verses 9, 21
  2. Isaiah 38:5 Hebrew to your days
  3. Isaiah 38:8 The meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain