[1] In those days Hezeki'ah became sick and was at the point of death. And
Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, "Thus says
the LORD: Set your house in order; for you shall die, you shall not
recover." [2] Then Hezeki'ah turned his face to the wall, and prayed to the
LORD, [3] and said, "Remember now, O LORD, I beseech thee, how I have
walked before thee in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done
what is good in thy sight." And Hezeki'ah wept bitterly. [4] Then the word
of the LORD came to Isaiah: [5] "Go and say to Hezeki'ah, Thus says the
LORD, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer, I have seen
your tears; behold, I will add fifteen years to your life. [6] I will
deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and
defend this city. [7] "This is the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD
will do this thing that he has promised: [8] Behold, I will make the shadow
cast by the declining sun on the dial of Ahaz turn back ten steps." So the
sun turned back on the dial the ten steps by which it had declined. [9] A
writing of Hezeki'ah king of Judah, after he had been sick and had
recovered from his sickness: [10] I said, In the noontide of my days I must
depart; I am consigned to the gates of Sheol for the rest of my years. [11]
I said, I shall not see the LORD in the land of the living; I shall look
upon man no more among the inhabitants of the world. [12] My dwelling is
plucked up and removed from me like a shepherd's tent; like a weaver I have
rolled up my life; he cuts me off from the loom; from day to night thou
dost bring me to an end; [13] I cry for help until morning; like a lion he
breaks all my bones; from day to night thou dost bring me to an end. [14]
Like a swallow or a crane I clamor, I moan like a dove. My eyes are weary
with looking upward. O Lord, I am oppressed; be thou my security! [15] But
what can I say? For he has spoken to me, and he himself has done it. All my
sleep has fled because of the bitterness of my soul. [16] O Lord, by these
things men live, and in all these is the life of my spirit. Oh, restore me
to health and make me live! [17] Lo, it was for my welfare that I had great
bitterness; but thou hast held back my life from the pit of destruction,
for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back. [18] For Sheol cannot thank
thee, death cannot praise thee; those who go down to the pit cannot hope
for thy faithfulness. [19] The living, the living, he thanks thee, as I do
this day; the father makes known to the children thy faithfulness. [20] The
LORD will save me, and we will sing to stringed instruments all the days of
our life, at the house of the LORD. [21] Now Isaiah had said, "Let them
take a cake of figs, and apply it to the boil, that he may recover." [22]
Hezeki'ah also had said, "What is the sign that I shall go up to the house
of the LORD?"
