Isaiah

Hezekiah’s Illness and Recovery

1In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came to him and said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Put your house in order, for you are about to die; you will not recover.’”

2Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD,

3saying, “Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before You faithfully and with wholehearted devotion; I have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

4And the word of the LORD came to Isaiah, saying,

5“Go and tell Hezekiah that this is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: ‘I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life.

6And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city.

7This will be a sign to you from the LORD that He will do what He has promised:

8I will make the sun’s shadow that falls on the stairway of Ahaz go back ten steps.’” So the sunlight went back the ten steps it had descended.

Hezekiah’s Song of Thanksgiving

9This is a writing by Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery:

10I said, “In the primeof my lifeI must go through the gates of Sheol and be deprived of the remainder of my years.”

11I said, “I will never again see the LORD,even the LORD, in the land of the living;I will no longer look on mankindwith those who dwell in this world.

12My dwelling has been picked up and removed from melike a shepherd’s tent.I have rolled up my life like a weaver;He cuts me off from the loom; from day until night You make an end of me.

13I composed myselfuntil the morning.Like a lion He breaks all my bones; from day until night You make an end of me.

14I chirp like a swallow or crane;I moan like a dove.My eyes grow weak as I look upward.O Lord, I am oppressed; be my security.”

15What can I say?He has spoken to me, and He Himself has done this.I will walk slowly all my yearsbecause of the anguish of my soul.

16O Lord, by such things men live,and in all of them my spirit finds life.You have restored me to healthand have let me live.

17Surely for my own welfareI had such great anguish;but Your love has delivered me from the pit of oblivion,for You have cast all my sins behind Your back.

18For Sheol cannot thank You;Death cannot praise You.Those who descend to the Pitcannot hope for Your faithfulness.

19The living, only the living, can thank You,as I do today;fathers will tell their childrenabout Your faithfulness.

20The LORD will save me;we will play songs on stringed instrumentsall the days of our livesin the house of the LORD.

21Now Isaiah had said, “Prepare a lump of pressed figs and apply it to the boil, and he will recover.”

22And Hezekiah had asked, “What will be the sign that I will go up to the house of the LORD?”

1In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, came to him, and said to him, “The LORDsays, ‘Set your house in order, for you will die, and not live.’”

2Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD,

3and said, “Remember now, LORD, 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.

4Then the LORD’s word came to Isaiah, saying,

5“Go, and tell Hezekiah, ‘The LORD, 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.

6I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city.

7This shall be the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that he has spoken.

8Behold, 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.

9The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and had recovered of his sickness:

10I said, “In the middle of my life I go into the gates of Sheol.I am deprived of the residue of my years.”

11I said, “I won’t see the LORD,the LORDin the land of the living. I will see man no more with the inhabitants of the world.

12My dwelling is removed,and is carried away from me like a shepherd’s tent.I have rolled up my life like a weaver.He will cut me off from the loom. From day even to night you will make an end of me.

13I waited patiently until morning.He breaks all my bones like a lion. From day even to night you will make an end of me.

14I chattered like a swallow or a crane.I moaned like a dove. My eyes weaken looking upward. Lord, I am oppressed. Be my security.”

15What will I say?He has both spoken to me, and himself has done it. I will walk carefully all my years because of the anguish of my soul.

16Lord, men live by these things;and my spirit finds life in all of them. You restore me, and cause me to live.

17Behold, for peace I had great anguish,but you have in love for my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption; for you have cast all my sins behind your back.

18For Sheolcan’t praise you.Death can’t celebrate you.Those who go down into the pit can’t hope for your truth.

19The living, the living, he shall praise you, as I do today.The father shall make known your truth to the children.

20The LORD will save me.Therefore we will sing my songs with stringed instruments all the days of our life in the LORD’s house.

21Now Isaiah had said, “Let them take a cake of figs, and lay it for a poultice on the boil, and he shall recover.”

22Hezekiah also had said, “What is the sign that I will go up to the LORD’s house?”