2 Kings 20

Hezekiah Becomes Deathly Ill

1In those days Hezekiah became sick to the point of death. Isaiah the prophet son of Amoz came to him and said to him, “Thus says the LORD: Put your house in order, for you shall die and not live.” 2Then he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, saying, 3“Please, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept with great weeping.

The LORD Adds Fifteen Years

4And it happened before Isaiah had gone out of the middle courtyard that the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 5“Return and say to Hezekiah, ruler of my people: Thus says the LORD, the God of David your ancestor: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look, I am healing you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the LORD. 6I will add fifteen years to your days. From the hand of the king of Assyria I will rescue you and this city, and I will defend this city for my own sake and for the sake of David my servant.” 7Isaiah said, “Take a cake of figs.” They took it and placed it upon the boil, and he recovered.

The Shadow Goes Backward

8Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “What is the sign that the LORD will heal me and that I will go up to the house of the LORD on the third day?” 9Isaiah said, “This shall be the sign for you from the LORD that the LORD will do the thing that he has spoken: Shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or shall it go backward ten steps?” 10Hezekiah said, “It is easy for the shadow to lengthen ten steps. No, let the shadow go backward ten steps.” 11Isaiah the prophet called to the LORD, and he made the shadow go backward ten steps by the steps of Ahaz, by which it had gone down.

Envoys Come from Babylon

12At that time Berodach-Baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah, for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick. 13Hezekiah listened to them and showed them all his treasure house—the silver, gold, spices, precious oil, his armory, and all that was found in his treasuries. There was nothing in his house or in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them.

Isaiah Announces Future Exile to Babylon

14Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah and said to him, “What did these men say, and from where did they come to you?” Hezekiah said, “They came from a distant land, from Babylon.” 15He said, “What did they see in your house?” Hezekiah said, “They saw everything that is in my house. There is nothing among my treasuries that I did not show them.” 16Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the LORD: 17Look, days are coming when all that is in your house and what your ancestors have stored up until this day will be carried to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the LORD. 18And some of your sons who will come from you, whom you will father, will be taken, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.” 19Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the LORD that you have spoken is good.” For he said, “Will there not be peace and faithfulness in my days?”

Hezekiah Dies

20Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah and all his might, and how he made the pool and the conduit and brought water into the city, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 21Hezekiah lay down with his ancestors. Manasseh his son became king in his place.