Hezekiah's Sickness and Recovery

Isaiah 38

1 In a those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, "Thus says the LORD: b 'Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.' " 2 Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the LORD, 3 and said, c "Remember now, O LORD, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a 1 loyal heart, and have done what is good in Your d sight." And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

4 And the word of the LORD came to Isaiah, saying, 5 "Go and tell Hezekiah, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: "I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will add to your days fifteen years. 6 "I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria, and e I will defend this city." '

7 "And this is f the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing which He has spoken: 8 "Behold, I will bring the shadow on the sundial, which has gone down with the sun on the sundial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward." So the sun returned ten degrees on the dial by which it had gone down.

9 This is the writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick and had recovered from his sickness:

10 I said,
"In the prime of my life
I shall go to the gates of Sheol;
I am deprived of the remainder of my years." 11 I said,
"I shall not see 2 YAH,
The LORD g in the land of the living;
I shall observe man no more 3 among the inhabitants of 4 the world. 12 h My life span is gone,
Taken from me like a shepherd's tent;
I have cut off my life like a weaver.
He cuts me off from the loom;
From day until night You make an end of me. 13 I have considered until morning -
Like a lion,
So He breaks all my bones;
From day until night You make an end of me.

14 Like a crane or a swallow, so I chattered;
i I mourned like a dove;
My eyes fail from looking upward.
O 5 LORD, I am oppressed;
6 Undertake for me! 15 "What shall I say?
7 He has both spoken to me,
And He Himself has done it.
I shall walk carefully all my years
j In the bitterness of my soul.

16 O Lord, by these things men live;
And in all these things is the life of my spirit;
So You will restore me and make me live. 17 Indeed it was for my own peace
That I had great bitterness;
But You have lovingly delivered my soul from the pit of corruption,
For You have cast all my sins behind Your back. 18 For k Sheol cannot thank You,
Death cannot praise You;
Those who go down to the pit cannot hope for Your truth. 19 The living, the living man, he shall praise You,
As I do this day;
l The father shall make known Your truth to the children.

20 "The LORD was ready to save me;
Therefore we will sing my songs with stringed instruments
All the days of our life, in the house of the LORD."

21 Now m Isaiah had said, "Let them take a lump of figs, and apply it as a poultice on the boil, and he shall recover." 22 And n Hezekiah had said, "What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the LORD?"

  1. Cross References
    2 Kings 20:1 - 6
    In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, "Thus says the LORD: 'Set your house in order, for you shall die, and not live.'
    2 Kings 20:9 - 11
    Then Isaiah said, "This is the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing which He has spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees or go backward ten degrees?
    2 Chronicles 32:24
    In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death, and he prayed to the LORD; and He spoke to him and gave him a sign.
    Isaiah 38:1 - 8
    In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, "Thus says the LORD: 'Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.'
  2. Cross References
    2 Samuel 17:23
    Now when Ahithophel saw that his advice was not followed, he saddled a donkey, and arose and went home to his house, to his city. Then he put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died; and he was buried in his father's tomb.
  3. Cross References
    Nehemiah 13:14
    Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for its services!
  4. Cross References
    2 Kings 18:5
    He trusted in the LORD God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor who were before him.
    2 Kings 18:6
    For he held fast to the LORD; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the LORD had commanded Moses.
    Psalms 26:3
    For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes, And I have walked in Your truth.
  5. Cross References
    2 Kings 19:35 - 37
    And it came to pass on a certain night that the angel of the LORD went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses - all dead.
    2 Chronicles 32:21
    Then the LORD sent an angel who cut down every mighty man of valor, leader, and captain in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned shamefaced to his own land. And when he had gone into the temple of his god, some of his own offspring struck him down with the sword there.
    Isaiah 31:5
    Like birds flying about, So will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem. Defending, He will also deliver it; Passing over, He will preserve it.
    Isaiah 37:35
    'For I will defend this city, to save it For My own sake and for My servant David's sake.'"
  6. Cross References
    Judges 6:17
    Then he said to Him, "If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who talk with me.
    Judges 6:21
    Then the Angel of the LORD put out the end of the staff that was in His hand, and touched the meat and the unleavened bread; and fire rose out of the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. And the Angel of the LORD departed out of his sight.
    Judges 6:36 - 40
    So Gideon said to God, "If You will save Israel by my hand as You have said -
    2 Kings 20:8
    And Hezekiah said to Isaiah, "What is the sign that the LORD will heal me, and that I shall go up to the house of the LORD the third day?
    Isaiah 7:11
    "Ask a sign for yourself from the LORD your God; ask it either in the depth or in the height above."
  7. Cross References
    Psalms 27:13
    I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living.
    Psalms 116:9
    I will walk before the LORD In the land of the living.
  8. Cross References
    Job 7:6
    My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, And are spent without hope.
  9. Cross References
    Isaiah 59:11
    We all growl like bears, And moan sadly like doves; We look for justice, but there is none; For salvation, but it is far from us.
    Ezekiel 7:16
    Those who survive will escape and be on the mountains Like doves of the valleys, All of them mourning, Each for his iniquity.
    Nahum 2:7
    It is decreed: She shall be led away captive, She shall be brought up; And her maidservants shall lead her as with the voice of doves, Beating their breasts.
  10. Cross References
    Job 7:11
    Therefore I will not restrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
    Job 10:1
    My soul loathes my life; I will give free course to my complaint, I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
    Isaiah 38:17
    Indeed it was for my own peace That I had great bitterness; But You have lovingly delivered my soul from the pit of corruption, For You have cast all my sins behind Your back.
  11. Cross References
    Psalms 6:5
    For in death there is no remembrance of You; In the grave who will give You thanks?
    Psalms 30:9
    What profit is there in my blood, When I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it declare Your truth?
    Psalms 88:11
    Shall Your lovingkindness be declared in the grave? Or Your faithfulness in the place of destruction?
    Psalms 115:17
    The dead do not praise the LORD, Nor any who go down into silence.
    Ecclesiastes 9:10
    Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.
  12. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 4:9
    Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren.
    Deuteronomy 6:7
    You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.
    Psalms 78:3
    Which we have heard and known, And our fathers have told us.
    Psalms 78:4
    We will not hide them from their children, Telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.
  13. Cross References
    2 Kings 20:7
    Then Isaiah said, "Take a lump of figs." So they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.
  14. Cross References
    2 Kings 20:8
    And Hezekiah said to Isaiah, "What is the sign that the LORD will heal me, and that I shall go up to the house of the LORD the third day?
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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