2 Kings

2 Kings 20 ©

1 Hezekiah, warned by Isaiah to prepare for death, upon his prayer is promised an addition of fifteen years to his life: 8 in confirmation whereof the shadow goeth ten degrees backward on the sundial of Ahaz. 12 Berodach-baladan sendeth to congratulate Hezekiah on his recovery, who ostentatiously sheweth the ambassadors his treasures. 14 Isaiah hearing this foretelleth the Babylonish captivity. 20 Hezekiah dieth: Manasseh succeedeth him.

1

IN athose 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, 1Set thine house in order; for bthou shalt die, and not live.

2

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

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I beseech thee, O LORD, dremember now how I have walked before thee in etruth and with a perfect heart, and fhave done that which is good in thy sight. gAnd Hezekiah 2wept *sore.

4

And it came to pass, h*afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle 3court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying,

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

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And I will ladd unto thy days fifteen years; and mI 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.

7

And nIsaiah said, Take a olump of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.

8

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

9

And Isaiah said, This qsign 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?

10

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

11

And Isaiah the prophet rcried unto the LORD: and she brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the 4dial of Ahaz.

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¶At tthat time 5Berodach-baladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present unto Hezekiah: for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick.

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And Hezekiah hearkened unto them, and ushewed them all the house of his 6precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious oint-ment, and all the house of his 7armour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was vnoth-ing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed them not.

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

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

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

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

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And of athy 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.

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Then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah, bGood is the word of the LORD which thou hast spoken. And he said, 8Is it not good, if peace and truth be in my days?

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¶And cthe rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and all his might, and how dhe 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?

21

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