2 Kings 20
Easy-to-Read Version
Hezekiah’s Illness
20 At that time Hezekiah became sick and almost died. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to see him and told him, “The Lord says, ‘You will die soon, so you should tell your family what they should do when you die. You will not get well.’”
2 Hezekiah turned his face to the wall that faced the Temple and began praying to the Lord. 3 “Lord, remember that I have sincerely served you with all my heart. I have done what you say is good.” Then Hezekiah cried very hard.
4 Before Isaiah had left the middle courtyard, he received this message from the Lord, 5 “Go back and speak to Hezekiah, the leader of my people. Tell him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your ancestor David, says: I heard your prayer and I saw your tears, so I will heal you. On the third day you will go up to the Temple of the Lord. 6 I will add 15 years to your life. I will save you and this city from the king of Assyria. I will protect this city. I will do this for myself and because of the promise I made to my servant David.’”
7 Then Isaiah said, “Crush figs together and put them on your sore; you will get well.”
So they took the mixture of figs and put it on Hezekiah’s sore place, and he got well.
8 Hezekiah asked Isaiah, “What will be the sign that the Lord will heal me, and that I will go up to the Temple of the Lord on the third day?”
9 Isaiah said, “Which do you want? Should the shadow go forward ten steps or go back ten steps?[a] This is the sign for you from the Lord to show that the Lord will do what he said he would do.”
10 Hezekiah answered, “It is an easy thing for the shadow to go down ten steps. No, make the shadow go back ten steps.”
11 Then Isaiah prayed, and the Lord made the shadow move back ten steps. It went back up the steps that it had already been on.
Messengers From Babylon
12 At that time Merodach Baladan son of Baladan was king of Babylon. He sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah when he heard that Hezekiah had been sick. 13 Hezekiah listened to the messengers and then showed them all the valuable things he owned. He showed them the silver, the gold, the spices, the expensive perfume, and the building where he stored the weapons. He showed them everything in his treasuries, in his palace, and in his kingdom.
14 Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah and asked him, “What did these men say? Where did they come from?”
Hezekiah said, “These men came from a faraway country, from Babylon.”
15 Isaiah said, “What did they see in your palace?”
Hezekiah answered, “They saw everything I own. I showed them all my wealth.”
16 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Listen to this message from the Lord. 17 The time is coming when everything in your palace and everything your ancestors have saved until today will be carried away to Babylon. Nothing will be left! The Lord said this. 18 The Babylonians will take your sons, and your sons will become officers[b] in the palace of the king of Babylon.”
19 Then Hezekiah told Isaiah, “This message from the Lord is good.” (Hezekiah said this because he thought, “There will be real peace and security during my lifetime.”)
20 All the great things that Hezekiah did, including his work on the pool and the aqueduct to bring water into the city, are written in the book, The History of the Kings of Judah. 21 Hezekiah died and was buried with his ancestors. And his son Manasseh became the new king after him.
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 20:9 the shadow … steps This may mean the steps of a special building that Hezekiah used like a clock. When the sun shone on the steps, the shadows showed what time of the day it was.
- 2 Kings 20:18 officers Or “eunuchs.” See “eunuch” in the Word List.
2 Kings 20
English Standard Version
Hezekiah's Illness and Recovery
20 (A)In those days (B)Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, (C)‘Set your house in order, for you shall die; you shall not recover.’” 2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, saying, 3 “Now, O Lord, (D)please remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and (E)with a whole heart, (F)and have done what is good in your sight.” (G)And Hezekiah wept bitterly. 4 And before Isaiah had gone out of the middle court, the word of the Lord came to him: 5 “Turn back, and say to Hezekiah (H)the leader of my people, Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: (I)I have heard your prayer; (J)I have seen your tears. Behold, I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord, 6 and I will add fifteen years to your life. I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, (K)and I will defend this city for my own sake and for my servant David's sake.” 7 And Isaiah said, “Bring a cake of figs. And let them take and lay it on the boil, that he may recover.”
8 And Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “What shall be the sign that the Lord will heal me, and that I shall go up to the house of the Lord on the third day?” 9 And Isaiah said, “This shall be (L)the sign to you from the Lord, that the Lord will do the thing that he has promised: shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or go back ten steps?” 10 And Hezekiah answered, “It is an easy thing for the shadow (M)to lengthen ten steps. Rather let the shadow go back ten steps.” 11 And Isaiah the prophet called to the Lord, (N)and he brought the shadow back ten steps, by which it had gone down on the steps of Ahaz.
Hezekiah and the Babylonian Envoys
12 (O)At that time (P)Merodach-baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, (Q)sent envoys with letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that Hezekiah had been sick. 13 And Hezekiah welcomed them, and he showed them (R)all his treasure house, the silver, the gold, the spices, the precious oil, his armory, all that was found in his storehouses. There was nothing in his house or in all his realm that Hezekiah did not show them. 14 Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah, and said to him, “What did these men say? And from where did they come to you?” And Hezekiah said, “They have come from a far country, from Babylon.” 15 He said, “What have they seen in your house?” And Hezekiah answered, “They have seen all that is in my house; there is nothing in my storehouses that I did not show them.”
16 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord: 17 Behold, the days are coming, when (S)all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up till this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says the Lord. 18 (T)And some of your own sons, who will come from you, whom you will father, shall be taken away, (U)and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.” 19 Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, (V)“The word of the Lord that you have spoken is good.” For he thought, “Why not, if there will be peace and security in my days?”
20 (W)The rest of the deeds of Hezekiah and all his might and how he made (X)the pool and the conduit (Y)and brought water into the city, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 21 (Z)And Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and Manasseh his son reigned in his place.
Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
