Hezekiah’s Illness and Recovery (2 Kings 20:1–11; 2 Chronicles 32:24–31)
1 UEB In those days Hezekiah was sick to the point of dying. So Isaiah son of Amoz, the prophet, came to him, and said to him, "Yahweh says, 'Set your house in order; for you will die, not live.'" BSB BSB: In 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.’”
2 UEB Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to Yahweh. BSB BSB: Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD,
3 UEB He said, "Please, Yahweh, call to mind how I have faithfully walked before you with my whole heart, and how I have done what was good in your sight." Then Hezekiah wept loudly. BSB BSB: saying, “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.
4 UEB Then the word of Yahweh came to Isaiah, saying, BSB BSB: And the word of the LORD came to Isaiah, saying,
5 UEB "Go and say to Hezekiah, the leader of my people, 'This is what Yahweh, the God of David your ancestor, says: I have heard your prayer, and I have seen your tears. See, I am about to add fifteen years to your life. BSB BSB: “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.
6 UEB Then I will rescue you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city. BSB BSB: And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city.
7 UEB This will be the sign to you from Yahweh, that I will do what I have promised. BSB BSB: This will be a sign to you from the LORD that He will do what He has promised:
8 UEB Look, I will cause the shadow on the stairs of Ahaz to go back ten steps.'" So the shadow went back ten steps of the stairs on which it had advanced. BSB BSB: I 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 9 UEB This was the written prayer of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick and then recovered: BSB BSB: This is a writing by Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery:
10 UEB "I said that halfway through my life I will go through the gates of Sheol; I am sent there for the rest of my years. BSB BSB: I said, “In the prime of my life I must go through the gates of Sheol and be deprived of the remainder of my years.”
11 UEB I said that I will no longer see Yahweh, Yahweh in the land of the living; I will no longer look on mankind or the inhabitants of the world. BSB BSB: I said, “I will never again see the LORD, even the LORD, in the land of the living; I will no longer look on mankind with those who dwell in this world.
12 UEB My life is removed and carried away from me like a shepherd's tent; I have rolled up my life like a weaver; you are cutting me off from the loom; between day and night you are ending my life. BSB BSB: My dwelling has been picked up and removed from me like 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.
13 UEB I cried out until the morning; like a lion he breaks all my bones. Between day and night you are ending my life. BSB BSB: I composed myself until the morning. Like a lion He breaks all my bones; from day until night You make an end of me.
14 UEB Like a swallow I chirp; I coo like a dove; my eyes grow tired with looking upward. Lord, I am oppressed; help me. BSB BSB: I 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.”
15 UEB What shall I say? He has both spoken to me, and has done it; I will walk slowly all my years because I am overcome with grief. BSB BSB: What can I say? He has spoken to me, and He Himself has done this. I will walk slowly all my years because of the anguish of my soul.
16 UEB Lord, the sufferings you send are good for me; may my life be given back to me; you have restored my life and health. BSB BSB: O Lord, by such things men live, and in all of them my spirit finds life. You have restored me to health and have let me live.
17 UEB It was for my benefit that I experienced such grief. You have rescued me from the pit of destruction; for you have thrown all my sins behind your back. BSB BSB: Surely for my own welfare I 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.
18 UEB For Sheol does not thank you; death does not praise you; those who go down into the pit do not hope in your trustworthiness. BSB BSB: For Sheol cannot thank You; Death cannot praise You. Those who descend to the Pit cannot hope for Your faithfulness.
19 UEB The living person, the living person, he is the one who gives you thanks, as I do this day; a father makes known to children your trustworthiness. BSB BSB: The living, only the living, can thank You, as I do today; fathers will tell their children about Your faithfulness.
20 UEB Yahweh is about to save me, and we will celebrate with music all the days of our lives in the house of Yahweh." BSB BSB: The LORD will save me; we will play songs on stringed instruments all the days of our lives in the house of the LORD.
21 UEB Now Isaiah had said, "Let them take a lump of figs and put it on the boil, and he will recover." BSB BSB: Now Isaiah had said, “Prepare a lump of pressed figs and apply it to the boil, and he will recover.”
22 UEB Hezekiah also had said, "What will be the sign that I should go up to the house of Yahweh?" BSB BSB: And Hezekiah had asked, “What will be the sign that I will go up to the house of the LORD?”
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.