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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 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