1 I n those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt 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 toward the wall, and prayed unto 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 thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.

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 saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days 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 thee 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 shall be a sign unto thee from the Lord, that the Lord will do this thing that he hath 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 bring again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the sun dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was 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 he writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and was recovered of 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 cutting off of my days, I shall go to the gates of the grave: I am deprived of the residue 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 with 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 ine age is departed, and is removed from me as a shepherd's tent: I have cut off like a weaver my life: he will cut me off with pining sickness: from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me.

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 reckoned till morning, that, as a lion, so will he break all my bones: from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me.

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 crane or a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove: mine eyes fail with looking upward: O Lord, I am oppressed; undertake for me.

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 W hat shall I say? he hath both spoken unto me, and himself hath done it: I shall go softly all my years in 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 things is the life of my spirit: so wilt thou recover me, and make me to 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, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy 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 the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.

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, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known thy 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 was ready to save me: therefore we will sing my songs to the stringed instruments all the days of our life 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 F or Isaiah had said, Let them take a lump of figs, and lay it for a plaister upon the boil, and he shall 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?”