Isaiah 38:1–39:8

Hezekiah’s Illness—2 Kings 20:1–11; 2 Chronicles 32:24

¹In those days Hezekiah became sick and was about to die. The prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz, came to him and said, “This is what the Lord says: Give final instructions to your household, because you’re about to die. You won’t get well.” 

²Hezekiah turned to the wall and prayed to the Lord. ³“Please, Lord, remember how I’ve lived faithfully and sincerely in your presence. I’ve done what you consider right.” And he cried bitterly. 

⁴Then the Lord spoke his word to Isaiah, ⁵“Go and say to Hezekiah, ‘This is what the Lord God of your ancestor David says: I’ve heard your prayer. I’ve seen your tears. I’m going to give you 15 more years to live. ⁶I’ll rescue you and defend this city from the control of the king of Assyria.’ ” 

²¹Then Isaiah said, “Take a fig cake, and place it over the boil so that the king will get well.” 

²²Hezekiah asked, “What is the sign that I’ll go to the Lord’s temple?”^a

⁷⸤Isaiah said,⸥ “This is your sign from the Lord that he will do what he promises. ⁸The sun made a shadow that went down the stairway of Ahaz’s upper palace. I’m going to make the shadow go back ten steps.” So the sun on the stairway went back up the ten steps it had gone down. 

⁹King Hezekiah of Judah wrote this after he was sick and became well again: 

¹⁰I thought that in the prime of my life 

I would go down to the gates of Sheol 

and be robbed of the rest of my life. 

¹¹I thought that I wouldn’t see the Lord in this world. 

Even with all the people in the world, 

I thought I would never see another person. 

¹²My life was over. 

You rolled it up like a shepherd’s tent. 

You rolled up my life like a weaver. 

You cut me off from the loom. 

You ended my life in one day. 

¹³I cried out until morning 

as if a lion had crushed all my bones. 

You ended my life in one day. 

¹⁴I chirped like swallows and cranes. 

I cooed like doves. 

My eyes were tired from looking up to heaven. 

I’ve suffered miserably, O Lord! 

Please help me! 

¹⁵What can I say now that he has spoken to me? 

He has done this. 

I will be careful the rest of my life because of my bitter experience. 

¹⁶Lord, people live in spite of such things, 

and I have the will to live in spite of them. 

You give me health and keep me alive. 

¹⁷Now my bitter experience turns into peace. 

You have saved me and kept me from the rotting pit. 

You have thrown all my sins behind you. 

¹⁸Sheol doesn’t thank you! 

Death doesn’t praise you! 

Those who go down to the pit cannot expect you to be faithful. 

¹⁹Those who are living praise you as I do today. 

Fathers make your faithfulness known to their children. 

²⁰The Lord is going to rescue me, 

so let us play stringed instruments. 

We live our lives in the Lord’s temple. 

39TH CHAPTER

Hezekiah Shows the Babylonians His Treasures—2 Kings 20:12–19; 2 Chronicles 32:31–33

¹At that time Baladan’s son, King Merodach Baladan of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah. He had heard that Hezekiah had been sick and had recovered. ²Hezekiah was so happy with them that he showed the messengers his warehouse: the silver, gold, balsam, fine olive oil, his entire armory, and everything in his treasury. Hezekiah showed them everything in his palace and every corner of his kingdom. 

³Then the prophet Isaiah came to King Hezekiah and asked, “What did these men say? And where did they come from?” 

Hezekiah answered, “They came to me from the distant country of Babylon.” 

⁴Isaiah asked, “What did they see in your palace?” 

Hezekiah answered, “They saw everything in my palace, and I showed them everything in my treasury.” 

⁵Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord of Armies! ⁶The Lord says, ‘The days are going to come when everything in your palace, everything your ancestors have stored up to this day, will be taken away to Babylon. Nothing will be left. ⁷Some of your own descendants will be taken away. They will become officials in the palace of the king of Babylon.’ ” 

⁸Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The Lord’s word that you have spoken is good.” He added, “Just let there be peace and security as long as I live.”