Chapter 20

In those days was Hezekiah sick¹ unto death.² And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came⁴ to him, and said⁴ unto him, Thus saith¹ the LORD, Set thine house in order;¹⁶ for thou shalt die,⁵ and not live.⁴

Then he turned⁵⁵ his face to the wall, and prayed¹⁰¹ unto the LORD, saying,²

I beseech thee, O LORD, remember³ now how I have walked⁹⁸ before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done¹ [that which is] good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept⁴ sore. ¹⁴¹⁹

And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out¹ into the middle court, ⁵⁸⁹² that the word of the LORD came to him, saying,²

Turn again,³ and tell¹ Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith¹ the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard¹ thy prayer, I have seen¹ thy tears: behold, I will heal⁶ thee: on the third day thou shalt go up⁴ unto the house of the LORD.

And I will add⁵² unto thy days fifteen ⁶²⁴⁰ years; and I will deliver⁵⁵ thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend¹ this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.

And Isaiah said,⁴ Take³ a lump of figs. And they took⁴ and laid⁴ [it] on the boil, and he recovered.⁴

And Hezekiah said⁴ unto Isaiah, What [shall be] the sign that the LORD will heal⁴ me, and that I shall go up¹ into the house of the LORD the third day?

And Isaiah said,⁴ This sign shalt thou have of the LORD, that the LORD will do⁴ the thing that he hath spoken:¹⁴ shall the shadow go forward¹ ten degrees, or go back⁴ ten degrees?

And Hezekiah answered,⁴ It is a light thing⁸ for the shadow to go down² ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return⁴ backward ten degrees.

And Isaiah the prophet cried⁴ unto the LORD: and he brought⁵⁵ the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down¹ in the dial of Ahaz.

At that time Berodachbaladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent¹ letters and a present unto Hezekiah: for he had heard¹ that Hezekiah had been sick.¹

And Hezekiah hearkened⁴ unto them, and shewed⁵⁵ them all the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and [all] the house of his armour, and all that was found⁸ in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed⁵² them not.

Then came⁴ Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said⁴ unto him, What said¹ these men? and from whence came⁴ they unto thee? And Hezekiah said,⁴ They are come¹ from a far country, [even] from Babylon.

And he said,⁴ What have they seen¹ in thine house? And Hezekiah answered,⁴ All [the things] that [are] in mine house have they seen:¹ there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shewed⁵² them.

And Isaiah said⁴ unto Hezekiah, Hear³ the word of the LORD.

Behold, the days come,⁶ that all that [is] in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store¹ unto this day, shall be carried⁸ into Babylon: nothing shall be left,¹¹ saith¹ the LORD.

And of thy sons that shall issue⁴ from thee, which thou shalt beget,⁵⁵ shall they take away;⁴ and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.

Then said⁴ Hezekiah unto Isaiah, Good [is] the word of the LORD which thou hast spoken.¹⁴ And he said,⁴ [Is it] not [good], if peace and truth be in my days?

And the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and all his might, and how he made¹ a pool, and a conduit, and brought⁵⁵ water into the city, [are] they not written⁷ in the book of the chronicles ³¹¹⁷ of the kings of Judah?

And Hezekiah slept⁴ with his fathers: and Manasseh his son reigned⁴ in his stead.