Hezekiah gets sick and almost dies

(2 Chronicles 32.24-26; Isaiah 38.1-8,21,22)

1About this time, Hezekiah got sick and was almost dead. Isaiah the prophet went in and told him, “The LORD says you won't ever get well. You are going to die, so you had better start doing what needs to be done.”

2Hezekiah turned towards the wall and prayed, 3“Don't forget that I have been faithful to you, LORD. I have obeyed you with all my heart, and I do whatever you say is right.” After this, he cried hard.

4Before Isaiah got to the middle court of the palace, 5the LORD sent him back to Hezekiah with this message:

Hezekiah, you are the ruler of my people, and I am the LORD God, who was worshipped by your ancestor David. I heard you pray, and I saw you cry. I will heal you, so that three days from now you will be able to worship in my temple. 6I will let you live fifteen years more, while I protect you and your city from the king of Assyria. I will defend this city as an honour to me and to my servant David.

7Then Isaiah said to the king's servants, “Bring some mashed figs and place them on the king's open sore. He will then get well.”

8Hezekiah asked Isaiah, “Can you prove that the LORD will heal me, so that I can worship in his temple in three days?”

9Isaiah replied, “The LORD will prove to you that he will keep his promise. Will the shadow made by the setting sun on the stairway go forward ten steps or back ten steps?”20.9 Will…steps: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

10“It's normal for the sun to go forward,” Hezekiah answered. “But how can it go back?”

11Isaiah prayed, and the LORD made the shadow go back ten steps on the stairway built for King Ahaz.20.11 the shadow…Ahaz: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

The LORD is still with Hezekiah

(Isaiah 39.1-8)

12Merodach20.12 Merodach: The Hebrew text has “Berodach”, another spelling of the name. Baladan, the son of Baladan, was now king of Babylonia.20.12 Merodach Baladan…Babylonia: Ruled Babylonia 722-710 and 704-703 BC. And when he learnt that Hezekiah had been sick, he sent messengers with letters and a gift for him. 13Hezekiah welcomed20.13 welcomed: Or “listened to”. the messengers and showed them all the silver, the gold, the spices, and the fine oils that were in his storehouse. He even showed them where he kept his weapons. Nothing in his palace or in his entire kingdom was kept hidden from them.

14Isaiah asked Hezekiah, “Where did these men come from? What did they want?”

“They came all the way from Babylonia,” Hezekiah answered.

15“What did you show them?” Isaiah asked.

Hezekiah answered, “I showed them everything in my kingdom.”

16Then Isaiah told Hezekiah:

I have a message for you from the LORD. 17One day everything you and your ancestors have stored up will be taken to Babylonia. The LORD has promised that nothing will be left.20.17: 2 K 24.13; 2 Ch 36.10. 18Some of your own sons will be taken to Babylonia, where they will be disgraced and made to serve in the king's palace.20.18: 2 K 24.14,15; Dn 1.1-7.

19Hezekiah thought, “At least our nation will be at peace for a while.” So he told Isaiah, “The message you brought me from the LORD is good.”

Hezekiah dies

(2 Chronicles 32.32,33)

20Everything else Hezekiah did while he was king, including how he made the upper pool and tunnel to bring water into Jerusalem, is written in The History of the Kings of Judah. 21Hezekiah died, and his son Manasseh became king.