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New King James Version

Hezekiah’s Illness

In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.”

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Hezekiah’s Life Extended

In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.’ ”

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Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord,

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Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the Lord,

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“Remember, Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

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and said, “Remember now, O Lord, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a [a]loyal heart, and have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

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Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah:

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And the word of the Lord came to Isaiah, saying,

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

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“Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will add to your days fifteen years.

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

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I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city.” ’

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“ ‘This is the Lord’s sign to you that the Lord will do what he has promised:

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And this is the sign to you from the Lord, that the Lord will do this thing which He has spoken:

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I will make the shadow cast by the sun go back the ten steps it has gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.’ ” So the sunlight went back the ten steps it had gone down.

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Behold, I will bring the shadow on the sundial, which has gone down with the sun on the sundial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward.” So the sun returned ten degrees on the dial by which it had gone down.

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A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery:

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This is the writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick and had recovered from his sickness:

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I said, “In the prime of my life
must I go through the gates of death
and be robbed of the rest of my years?”

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I said,
“In the prime of my life
I shall go to the gates of Sheol;
I am deprived of the remainder of my years.”

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I said, “I will not again see the Lord himself
in the land of the living;
no longer will I look on my fellow man,
or be with those who now dwell in this world.

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I said,
“I shall not see [b]Yah,
The Lord in the land of the living;
I shall observe man no more [c]among the inhabitants of [d]the world.

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Like a shepherd’s tent my house
has been pulled down and taken from me.
Like a weaver I have rolled up my life,
and he has cut me off from the loom;
day and night you made an end of me.

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My life span is gone,
Taken from me like a shepherd’s tent;
I have cut off my life like a weaver.
He cuts me off from the loom;
From day until night You make an end of me.

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I waited patiently till dawn,
but like a lion he broke all my bones;
day and night you made an end of me.

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I have considered until morning —
Like a lion,
So He breaks all my bones;
From day until night You make an end of me.

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I cried like a swift or thrush,
I moaned like a mourning dove.
My eyes grew weak as I looked to the heavens.
I am being threatened; Lord, come to my aid!”

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Like a crane or a swallow, so I chattered;
I mourned like a dove;
My eyes fail from looking upward.
O [e]Lord, I am oppressed;
[f]Undertake for me!

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But what can I say?
He has spoken to me, and he himself has done this.
I will walk humbly all my years
because of this anguish of my soul.

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“What shall I say?
[g]He has both spoken to me,
And He Himself has done it.
I shall walk carefully all my years
In the bitterness of my soul.

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Lord, by such things people live;
and my spirit finds life in them too.
You restored me to health
and let me live.

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O Lord, by these things men live;
And in all these things is the life of my spirit;
So You will restore me and make me live.

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Surely it was for my benefit
that I suffered such anguish.
In your love you kept me
from the pit of destruction;
you have put all my sins
behind your back.

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Indeed it was for my own peace
That I had great bitterness;
But You have lovingly delivered my soul from the pit of corruption,
For You have cast all my sins behind Your back.

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For the grave cannot praise you,
death cannot sing your praise;
those who go down to the pit
cannot hope for your faithfulness.

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For Sheol cannot thank You,
Death cannot praise You;
Those who go down to the pit cannot hope for Your truth.

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The living, the living — they praise you,
as I am doing today;
parents tell their children
about your faithfulness.

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The living, the living man, he shall praise You,
As I do this day;
The father shall make known Your truth to the children.

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The Lord will save me,
and we will sing with stringed instruments
all the days of our lives
in the temple of the Lord.

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“The Lord was ready to save me;
Therefore we will sing my songs with stringed instruments
All the days of our life, in the house of the Lord.”

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

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Now Isaiah had said, “Let them take a lump of figs, and apply it as a poultice on the boil, and he shall recover.”

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Hezekiah had asked, “What will be the sign that I will go up to the temple of the Lord?”

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And Hezekiah had said, “What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the Lord?”

Parallel

New International Version

New King James Version

Isaiah 38

Isaiah 38