Hezekiah’s Illness

20 At that time Hezekiah became very sick. He was almost dead. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to see him. Isaiah told him, “This is what the Lord says: You are going to die. So you should give your last orders to everyone. You will not get well.”

² Hezekiah turned toward the wall and prayed to the Lord. He said, ³ “Lord, please remember that I have always obeyed you. I have given myself completely to you. I have done what you said was right.” And Hezekiah cried loudly.

⁴ Before Isaiah had left the middle courtyard, the Lord spoke his word to Isaiah: ⁵ “Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people: ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your ancestor David, says: I have heard your prayer. And I have seen your tears. So I will heal you. Three days from now you will go up to the Temple of the Lord. ⁶ I will add 15 years to your life. I will save you and this city from the king of Assyria. And I will protect the city for myself and for my servant David.’”

⁷ Then Isaiah said, “Make a paste from figs.” So they made it and put it on Hezekiah’s boil. And he got well.

⁸ Hezekiah asked Isaiah, “What will be the sign that the Lord will heal me? What is the sign that I will go up to the Temple of the Lord on the third day?”

⁹ Isaiah said, “The Lord will do what he says. This is the sign from the Lord to show you: Do you want the shadow to go forward ten steps? Or do you want it to go back ten steps?”

¹⁰ Hezekiah answered, “It’s easy for the shadow to go forward ten steps. Instead, let it go back ten steps.”

¹¹ Then Isaiah the prophet called to the Lord. And the Lord brought the shadow back ten steps. It went back up the stairway of Ahaz that it had gone down.

Messengers from Babylon

¹² At that time Merodach-Baladan, son of Baladan, was king of Babylon. He sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah. He did this because he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick. ¹³ Hezekiah was happy to see the messengers. So he showed them what was in his storehouses: the silver, gold, spices and expensive perfumes. He showed them his swords and shields. He showed them all his wealth. He showed them everything in his palace and his kingdom.

¹⁴ Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah. Isaiah asked him, “What did these men say? Where did they come from?”

Hezekiah said, “They came from a faraway country. They came to me from Babylon.”

¹⁵ So Isaiah asked him, “What did they see in your palace?”

Hezekiah said, “They saw everything in my palace. I showed them all my wealth.”

¹⁶ Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Listen to the words of the Lord: ¹⁷ ‘In the future everything in your palace will be taken away to Babylon. Everything your ancestors have stored up until this day will be taken away. Nothing will be left,’ says the Lord. ¹⁸ ‘Some of your own children will be taken away. Those who will be born to you will be taken away. And they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.’”

¹⁹ Hezekiah told Isaiah, “These words from the Lord are good.” He said this because he thought, “There will be peace and security while I am king.”

²⁰ Everything else Hezekiah did is written down. All his victories and his work on the pool are written down. And his work on the tunnel to bring water into the city is recorded. They are all written in the book of the history of the kings of Judah. ²¹ Then Hezekiah died. And his son Manasseh became king in his place.