Isaiah38

King Hezekiah fell mortally ill, and the prophet Isaiah delivered a divine message that he would die. Hezekiah prayed earnestly to the LORD, reminding Him of his faithful walk, and God heard his plea. The LORD then promised to add fifteen years to Hezekiah's life and deliver Jerusalem from the Assyrians, confirming this with a miraculous sign of the sun's shadow receding ten degrees on a sundial. Following his recovery, Hezekiah composed a song of thanksgiving, praising God for his deliverance from death and the forgiveness of his sins.

Hezekiah's Illness and Prayer for Life

1
About that time was Hezekiah sicke vnto the death, and the Prophet Isaiah sonne of Amoz came vnto him, and sayd vnto him, Thus sayth the Lord, Put thine house in an order, for thou shalt dye, and not liue.
2
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed to the Lord,
3
And saide, I beseeche thee, Lord, remember nowe howe I haue walked before thee in trueth, and with a perfite heart, and haue done that which is good in thy sight: and Hezekiah wept sore.
4
Then came the worde of the Lord to Isaiah, saying,
5
Goe, and say vnto Hezekiah, Thus saith the Lord God of Dauid thy father, I haue heard thy prayer, and seene thy teares: behold, I will adde vnto thy dayes fifteene yeeres.
6
And I will deliuer thee out of the hand of the King of Asshur, and this citie: for I will defende this citie.
7
And this signe shalt thou haue of ye Lord, that ye Lord will do this thing that he hath spoken,
8
Beholde, I will bring againe the shadowe of the degrees (whereby it is gone downe in the diall of Ahaz by the sunne) ten degrees backeward: so the sunne returned by tenne degrees, by the which degrees it was gone downe.

Hezekiah's Song of Recovery

9
The writing of Hezekiah King of Iudah, when he had bene sicke, and was recouered of his sickenesse.
10
I saide in the cutting off of my dayes, I shall goe to the gates of the graue: I am depriued of the residue of my yeeres.
11
I said, I shall not see the Lord, euen the Lord in the land of the liuing: I shall see man no more among the inhabitants of the world.
12
Mine habitation is departed, and is remoued from me, like a shepheards tent: I haue cut off like a weauer my life: he will cut me off from the height: from day to night, thou wilt make an ende of me.
13
I rekoned to the morning: but he brake all my bones, like a lion: from day to night wilt thou make an ende of me.
14
Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourne as a doue: mine eies were lift vp on high: O Lord, it hath oppressed me, comfort me.
15
What shall I say? for he hath said it to me, and he hath done it: I shall walke weakely all my yeeres in the bitternesse of my soule.
16
O Lord, to them that ouerliue them, and to all that are in them, the life of my spirite shalbe knowen, that thou causedst me to sleepe and hast giuen life to me.
17
Beholde, for felicitie I had bitter griefe, but it was thy pleasure to deliuer my soule from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sinnes behinde thy backe.
18
For the graue cannot confesse thee: death cannot praise thee: they that goe downe into the pit, cannot hope for thy trueth.
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But the liuing, the liuing, he shall confesse thee, as I doe this day: the father to the children shall declare thy trueth.
20
The Lord was ready to saue me: therefore we will sing my song, all the dayes of our life in the House of the Lord.

Narrative Conclusion and Postscript

21
Then said Isaiah, Take a lumpe of drye figs and lay it vpon the boyle, and he shall recouer.
22
Also Hezekiah had said, What is ye signe, that I shall goe vp into the House of the Lord?
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