2 Kings

In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.

1Around that time King Hezekiah got so sick he was going to die. Isaiah was a prophet, a man who told people what God said. Isaiah came to him and said, "The LORD says this: Get your house ready. You are going to die. You will not get well."

2Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying,

2Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall. He prayed to the LORD and said,

3I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now 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.

3"Please, LORD, remember me. I have lived my whole life trying to obey you. I have loved you with my whole heart. I have done what you say is right." Then Hezekiah cried very hard.

4And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying,

4Isaiah left, but he had not yet crossed the middle courtyard. Right then the LORD spoke to him and said,

5Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD.

5"Go back and talk to Hezekiah, the leader of my people. Tell him the LORD says this. I am the God your father David loved. I have heard you praying. I have seen your tears. I am going to make you well. In three days you will walk up to my house.

6And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.

6I will let you live fifteen more years. I will keep you and this city safe from the king of Assyria. I will guard this city for my own sake. I will guard it because I promised my servant David."

7And Isaiah said, Take a lump of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.

7Isaiah said, "Bring a lump of squashed figs." They laid the figs on the sore spot on the king's skin. Then Hezekiah got well.

8And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah, What shall be the sign that the LORD will heal me, and that I shall go up into the house of the LORD the third day?

8Hezekiah had asked Isaiah a question. He said, "How will I know the LORD is really going to heal me? How will I know I will walk up to his house in three days?"

9And Isaiah said, This sign shalt thou have of the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that he hath spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees?

9Isaiah said, "The LORD will give you a sign. It will show he will do what he said. Do you want the shadow to move ten steps forward? Or should it move ten steps back?"

10And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees.

10Hezekiah answered, "A shadow moving forward ten steps is easy. Make it go backward ten steps instead."

11And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the LORD: and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz.

11So Isaiah the prophet called out to the LORD. The LORD moved the shadow ten steps back. It went back up the stairway that King Ahaz had built.

NoteThe KJV says the shadow moved ten "degrees" on a "dial." This was a set of stairs. As the sun moved, the shadow went down the steps and showed the time.

12At that time Berodachbaladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present unto Hezekiah: for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick.

12At that time Berodach-baladan was king of Babylon. He was the son of Baladan. He had heard that Hezekiah was sick. So he sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah.

13And Hezekiah hearkened unto them, and shewed them all the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed them not.

13Hezekiah welcomed the men who brought them. He showed them everything he kept in his storerooms. He showed them the silver and the gold. He showed them the spices and the fine oil. He showed them the room where he kept his weapons. He showed them everything he owned. He did not leave one thing hidden.

14Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country, even from Babylon.

14Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah. He asked, "What did those men say? Where did they come from?" Hezekiah said, "They came from far away, from Babylon."

15And he said, What have they seen in thine house? And Hezekiah answered, All the things that are in mine house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shewed them.

15Isaiah asked, "What did they see in your house?" Hezekiah said, "They saw everything. I showed them all my treasures."

16And Isaiah said unto Hezekiah, Hear the word of the LORD.

16Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Listen to what the LORD says.

17Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store unto this day, shall be carried into Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the LORD.

17A day is coming when everything in your house will be taken to Babylon. Even the things your fathers stored up long ago will go. Nothing will be left, says the LORD.

18And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.

18Some of your own sons will be taken away too. They will be servants in the palace of the king of Babylon."

NoteThe KJV word here is "eunuchs." These were men who worked closely inside a king's palace, often in charge of his household.

19Then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah, Good is the word of the LORD which thou hast spoken. And he said, Is it not good, if peace and truth be in my days?

19Hezekiah said to Isaiah, "What the LORD says is good." He thought to himself, "At least there will be peace while I live."

20And the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and all his might, and how he made a pool, and a conduit, and brought water into the city, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

20The other things Hezekiah did are written down in another book. It tells how strong he was. It tells how he made a pool and a water tunnel. The tunnel brought water into the city. All of it is in the book of the history of the kings of Judah.

21And Hezekiah slept with his fathers: and Manasseh his son reigned in his stead.

21Then Hezekiah died like his fathers before him. His son Manasseh became king after him.