1 I n those days King Hezekiah of Judah became ill and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, came to him and said, Thus says the Lord: Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.

In those days Hezekiah became sick and was near death. Isaiah the man of God, the son of Amoz, came to him and said, “The Lord says, ‘Make those of your house ready, for you will die and not live.’”

2 T hen Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord

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

3 A nd said, Remember now, O Lord, I beseech You, how I have walked before You in faithfulness and in truth, with a whole heart, and have done what is good in Your sight. And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

and said, “O Lord, I ask you from my heart to remember now how I have walked with You in truth and with a whole heart. I have done what is good in Your eyes.” And Hezekiah cried with a bitter cry.

4 T hen came the word of the Lord to Isaiah, saying,

Then the Word of the Lord came to Isaiah, saying,

5 G o, and say to Hezekiah, Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will add to your life fifteen years.

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

6 A nd I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city.

And I will take you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria. I will fight for this city.”’”

7 A nd this will be the sign to you from the Lord that the Lord will do this thing that He has spoken:

“This is the special thing for you to see from the Lord, that the Lord will do what He has said:

8 B ehold, I will turn the shadow on the steps or degrees, which has gone down on the steps or sundial of Ahaz, backward ten steps or degrees. And the sunlight turned back ten steps on the steps on which it had gone down.

See the shadow on the steps, which has gone down with the sun on the steps of Ahaz. I will make it go back ten steps.” So the sun’s shadow went back the ten steps it had gone down.

9 T his is the writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after he had been sick and had recovered from his sickness:

This is the writing of King Hezekiah of Judah, after he had been sick and became well again:

10 I said, In the noontide and tranquillity of my days I must depart; I am to pass through the gates of Sheol (the place of the dead), deprived of the remainder of my years.

I said, “Half-way through my life I am to go through the gates of the place of the dead. The rest of my years have been kept from me.”

11 I said, I shall not see the Lord, even the Lord, in the land of the living; I shall behold man no more among the inhabitants of the world.

I said, “I will not see the Lord, the Lord in the land of the living. I will not look upon man any more among the people of the world.

12 M y dwelling is plucked up and is removed from me like a shepherd’s tent. I have rolled up my life as a weaver; cuts me free from the loom; from day to night You bring me to an end.

My house is pulled up like a shepherd’s tent and taken from me. I have rolled up my life like a cloth-maker. He cuts me off from the cloth He is making. From day to night You make an end of me.

13 I thought and quieted myself until morning. Like a lion He breaks all my bones; from day to night You bring me to an end.

I waited for help until morning. Like a lion He breaks all my bones. From day to night You make an end of me.

14 L ike a twittering swallow or a crane, so do I chirp and chatter; I moan like a dove. My eyes are weary and dim with looking upward. O Lord, I am oppressed; take my side and be my security.

I make noise like the birds. I cry like a dove. My eyes are tired from looking up. O Lord, I am having a hard time. Keep me safe.

15 B ut what can I say? For He has both spoken to me and He Himself has done it. I must go softly all my years and my sleep has fled because of the bitterness of my soul.

“But what can I say? For He has spoken to me, and He Himself has done it. I will walk with care all my years because my soul is bitter.

16 O Lord, by these things men live; and in all these is the life of my spirit. O give me back my health and make me live!

O Lord, by these things men live. And in all these is the life of my spirit. O heal me, and let me live!

17 B ehold, it was for my peace that I had intense bitterness; but You have loved back my life from the pit of corruption and nothingness, for You have cast all my sins behind Your back.

See, it was for my own well-being that I was bitter. But You have kept my soul from the grave that destroys. You have put all my sins behind Your back.

18 F or Sheol (the place of the dead) cannot confess and reach out the hand to You, death cannot praise and rejoice in You; they who go down to the pit cannot hope for Your faithfulness.

The place of the dead cannot thank You. Death cannot praise You. Those who go down to the grave cannot hope that You will be faithful.

19 T he living, the living—they shall thank and praise You, as I do this day; the father shall make known to the children Your faithfulness and Your truth.

It is the living who give thanks to You, as I do today. A father tells his sons about how faithful You are.

20 T he Lord is ready to save (deliver) me; therefore we will sing my songs with stringed instruments all the days of our lives in the house of the Lord.

The Lord will save me. And we will sing my songs with harps all the days of our life in the house of the Lord.”

21 N ow Isaiah had said, Let them take a cake of figs and lay it for a plaster upon the boil, that he may recover.

Now Isaiah had said, “Let them take a cake of figs and put it on the sore, that he may get well.”

22 H ezekiah also had said, What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the Lord?

Then Hezekiah had said, “What is the special thing to see, that I will go up to the house of the Lord?”