Kings IV 20

1 In those days was Ezekias sick [even] to death. And the prophet Esaias the son of Amos came in to him, and said to him, Thus says the Lord, Give charge to your household; [for] you shall die, and not live.

About this time Hezekiah fell very sick and was about to die. The prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz, went to him and said, “This is what the Lord says: Put your affairs in order, because you are going to die. You won't recover.”

2 And Ezekias turned to the wall, and prayed to the Lord, saying,

When Hezekiah heard this, he went to pray privately to the Lord, saying

3 Lord, remember, I pray you, how I have walked before you in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in your eyes. And Ezekias wept with a great weeping.

“Please remember Lord how I have followed you faithfully with all my heart. I have done what is good in your sight.” Then Hezekiah cried and cried.

4 And Esaias was in the middle court, and the word of the Lord came to him, saying,

Before Isaiah had left the middle courtyard, the Lord spoke to him, saying,

5 Turn back, and you shall say to Ezekias the ruler of my people, Thus says the Lord God of your father David, I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears: behold, I will heal you: on the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord.

“Go back in and tell Hezekiah, the ruler of my people, This is what the Lord, the God of your forefather David, says: I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears. Look! I am going to heal you. In three days time you will go to the Lord's Temple.

6 And I will add to your days fifteen years; and I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of the Assyrians, and I will defend this city for my own sake, and for my servant's David sake.

I will add fifteen years to your life. I will save you and this city from the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.”

7 And he said, Let them take a cake of figs, and lay it upon the ulcer, and he shall be well.

Then Isaiah said, “Prepare a dressing from figs.” Hezekiah's servants did so and put it on the skin sores, and Hezekiah got better.

8 And Ezekias said to Esaias, What [is] the sign that the Lord will heal me, and I shall go up to the house of the Lord on the third day?

Hezekiah had previously asked Isaiah, “What is the sign to confirm that the Lord is going heal me and that I will go to the Lord's Temple in three days time?”

9 And Esaias said, This [is] the sign from the Lord, that the Lord will perform the word which he has spoken, the shadow [of the dial] shall advance ten degrees: [or] if it should go back ten degrees [this would also be the sign].

Isaiah replied, “This is the sign from the Lord to you that the Lord will do what he promised: Do you want the shadow to go forward ten steps, or back ten steps?”

10 And Ezekias said, [It is] a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return ten degrees backward on the dial.

“It's easy enough for the shadow to go forward ten steps, but not to go back ten steps,” Hezekiah answered.

11 And Esaias the prophet cried to the Lord: and the shadow returned back ten degrees on the dial.

So Isaiah the prophet asked the Lord, and he moved the shadow back the ten steps it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.

12 At that time Marodach Baladan, son of Baladan king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Ezekias, because he had heard that Ezekias was sick.

At the same time Merodach-baladan, son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah, because he had heard that Hezekiah was sick.

13 And Ezekias rejoiced at them, and showed all the house of his spices, the silver and the gold, the spices, and the fine oil, and the armory, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing which Ezekias did not show them in his house, and in all his dominion.

Hezekiah welcomed the visitors and showed them everything in his treasury—all the silver, the gold, the spices, and the expensive oils. He also showed them his armory and all that he had in his storehouses. In fact there wasn't anything in his palace or in the whole of his kingdom that Hezekiah didn't show them.

14 And Esaias the prophet went in to king Ezekias, and said to him, What said these men? and whence came they to you? And Ezekias said, they came to me from a distant land, [even] from Babylon.

Then the prophet Isaiah went to King Hezekiah and asked him, “Where did those men come from, and what did they tell you?” “They came from a long way away, from Babylon,” Hezekiah replied.

15 And he said, What saw they in your house? And he said, They saw all things that [are] in my house: there was nothing in my house which I showed not to them; yes, all that was in my treasures also.

“What did they see in your palace?” Isaiah asked. “They saw everything in my palace,” replied Hezekiah. “There wasn't anything in all my storehouses I didn't show them.”

16 And Esaias said to Ezekias, Hear the word of the Lord:

Isaiah told Hezekiah, “Listen to what the Lord says:

17 Behold, the days come, that all things that are in your house shall be taken, and all that your fathers have treasured up until this day, to Babylon; and there shall not fail a word, which the Lord has spoken.

You can be certain that the time is coming when everything in your palace, and everything that your forefathers have saved up until now, will be taken away to Babylon. There will be nothing left, says the Lord.

18 And as for your sons which shall come forth of you, which you shall beget, [the enemy] shall take them, and they shall be eunuchs in the house of the king of Babylon.

Some of your sons, your own offspring, will be taken to serve as eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.”

19 And Ezekias said to Esaias, Good [is] the word of the Lord which he has spoken: [only] let there be peace in my days.

Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The message from the Lord that you have told me is fine.” For he said to himself, “Why not, if there'll be peace and safety in my lifetime.”

20 And the rest of the acts of Ezekias, and all his might, and all that he made, the fountain and the aqueduct, and [how] he brought water into the city, [are] not these things written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Juda?

The rest of what happened in Hezekiah's reign, all he did, and how he made the pool and the tunnel to bring water into the city, are recorded in the Book of Chronicles of the Kings of Judah.

21 And Ezekias slept with his fathers: and Manasses his son reigned in his stead.

Hezekiah died, and his son Manasseh succeeded him as king.