New Living Translation

New King James Version

Hezekiah’s Sickness and Recovery

About that time Hezekiah became deathly ill, and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to visit him. He gave the king this message: “This is what the LORD says: ‘Set your affairs in order, for you are going to die. You will not recover from this illness.’”

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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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When Hezekiah heard this, he 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, O LORD, how I have always been faithful to you and have served you single-mindedly, always doing what pleases you.” Then he broke down and 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 this message came to Isaiah from the LORD:

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

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“Go back to Hezekiah and tell him, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of your ancestor 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 rescue you and this city from the king of Assyria. Yes, 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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“‘And this is the sign from the LORD to prove that he will do as he 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 cause the sun’s shadow to move ten steps backward on the sundiala of Ahaz!’” So the shadow on the sundial moved backward ten steps.

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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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Hezekiah’s Poem of Praise

When King Hezekiah was well again, he wrote this poem:

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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 now enter the place of the dead?b
Am I to 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, “Never again will I see the LORD God
while still in the land of the living.
Never again will I see my friends
or be with those who live 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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My life has been blown away
like a shepherd’s tent in a storm.
It has been cut short,
as when a weaver cuts cloth from a loom.
Suddenly, my life was over.

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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 all night,
but I was torn apart as though by lions.
Suddenly, my life was over.

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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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Delirious, I chattered like a swallow or a crane,
and then I moaned like a mourning dove.
My eyes grew tired of looking to heaven for help.
I am in trouble, Lord. Help me!”

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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 could I say?
For he himself sent this sickness.
Now I will walk humbly throughout my years
because of this anguish I have felt.

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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, your discipline is good,
for it leads to life and health.
You restore my health
and allow me to 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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Yes, this anguish was good for me,
for you have rescued me from death
and forgiven all my sins.

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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 deadc cannot praise you;
they cannot raise their voices in praise.
Those who go down to the grave
can no longer hope in 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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Only the living can praise you as I do today.
Each generation tells of your faithfulness to the next.

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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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Think of it — the LORD is ready to heal me!
I will sing his praises with instruments
every day of my life
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 to Hezekiah’s servants, “Make an ointment from figs and spread it over the boil, and Hezekiah 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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And Hezekiah had asked, “What sign will prove that I will go 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 Living Translation

New King James Version

Isaiah 38

Isaiah 38