Lièwángjìxià 20

1 Nàshí , Xīxījiā bìng dé yào sǐ . yà mó sī de érzi xiānzhī Yǐsaìyà qù jiàn tā , duì tā shuō , Yēhéhuá rúcǐ shuō , nǐ dāng liú yí méng yǔ nǐde jiā , yīnwei nǐ bì sǐ , bùnéng huó le .

2 Xīxījiā jiù zhuǎn liǎn chaó qiáng , dǎogào Yēhéhuá shuō ,

3 Yēhéhuá a , qiú nǐ jìniàn wǒ zaì nǐ miànqián zĕnyàng cún wánquán de xīn , àn chéngshí xíngshì , yòu zuò nǐ yǎn zhōng suǒ kàn wéi shàn de . Xīxījiā jiù tòngkū le .

4 Yǐsaìyà chūlai , hái méiyǒu dào zhōng yuàn ( yuàn huò zuò chéng ) , Yēhéhuá de huà jiù líndào tā , shuō ,

5 Nǐ huí qù gàosu wǒ mín de jūn Xīxījiā shuō , Yēhéhuá nǐ zǔ Dàwèi de shén rúcǐ shuō , wǒ tīngjian le nǐde dǎogào , kànjian le nǐde yǎnleì , wǒ bì yīzhì nǐ . dào dì sān rì , nǐ bì shàng dào Yēhéhuá de diàn .

6 Wǒ Bìjiā zēng nǐ shí wǔ nián de shòushu , bìngqiĕ wǒ yào jiù nǐ hé zhè chéng tuōlí Yàshù wáng de shǒu . wǒ wèi zìjǐ hé wǒ púrén Dàwèi de yuángù , bì bǎohù zhè chéng .

7 Yǐsaìyà shuō , dāng qǔ yī kuaì wúhuāguǒ bǐng lái . rén jiù qǔ le lái , tiē zaì chuāng shàng , wáng biàn quányù le .

8 Xīxījiā wèn Yǐsaìyà shuō , Yēhéhuá bì yīzhì wǒ , dào dì sān rì , wǒ néng shàng Yēhéhuá de diàn , yǒu shénme zhào tóu ne .

9 Yǐsaìyà shuō , Yēhéhuá bì chéngjiù tā suǒ shuō de . zhè shì tā gĕi nǐde zhào tóu , nǐ yào rì yǐng xiàng qián jìn shí dù ne . shì yào wǎng hòu tuì shí dù ne .

10 Xīxījiā huídá shuō , rì yǐng xiàng qián jìn shí dù róngyi , wǒ yào rì yǐng wǎng hòu tuì shí dù .

11 Xiānzhī Yǐsaìyà qiúgào Yēhéhuá , Yēhéhuá jiù shǐ Yàhāsī de rì guǐ xiàng qián jìn de rì yǐng , wǎng hòu tuì le shí dù .

12 Nàshí , Bābǐlún wáng Bālā dàn de érzi bǐ luó dá Bālā dàn tīngjian Xīxījiā bìng ér quányù , jiù sòng shūxìn hé lǐwù gĕi tā .

13 Xīxījiā tīng cóng shǐzhĕ de huà , jiù bǎ tā bǎo kù de jīnzi , yínzi , xiāngliào , guìzhòng de gāo yóu , hé tā wǔ kù de yīqiè jūn qì , bìng tā suǒyǒude cáibǎo , dōu gĕi tāmen kàn . tā jiā zhōng hé tā quán guó zhī neì , Xīxījiā méiyǒu yíyàng bù gĕi tāmen kàn de .

14 Yúshì xiānzhī Yǐsaìyà lái jiàn Xīxījiā wáng , wèn tā shuō , zhèxie rén shuō shénme . tāmen cóng nǎli lái jiàn nǐ . Xīxījiā shuō , tāmen cóng yuǎnfāng de Bābǐlún lái .

15 Yǐsaìyà shuō , tāmen zaì nǐ jiā lǐ kànjian le shénme . Xīxījiā shuō , fán wǒ jiā zhōng suǒyǒude , tāmen dōu kànjian le . wǒ cáibǎo zhōng méiyǒu yíyàng bù gĕi tāmen kàn de .

16 Yǐsaìyà duì Xīxījiā shuō , nǐ yào tīng Yēhéhuá de huà ,

17 Rìzi bì dào , fán nǐ jiā lǐ suǒyǒude , bìng nǐ lièzǔ jīxù dào rújīn de , dōu yào beìlǔ dào Bābǐlún qù , bù liú xià yíyàng . zhè shì Yēhéhuá shuō de .

18 Bìngqiĕ cóng nǐ bĕn shēn suǒ shēng de zhòng zǐ , qízhōng bì yǒu beìlǔ qù zaì Bābǐlún wánggōng lǐ dāng taì jiān de .

19 Xīxījiā duì Yǐsaìyà shuō , nǐ suǒ shuō Yēhéhuá de huà shén hǎo . ruò zaì wǒde nián rì zhōng yǒu taìpíng hé wĕngù de jǐngkuàng , qǐbù shì hǎo ma .

20 Xīxījiā qíyú de shì hé tāde yǒng lì , tā zĕnyàng wā chí , wā gōu , yǐn shuǐ rù chéng , dōu xiĕ zaì Yóudà liè wáng jì shàng .

21 Xīxījiā yǔ tā lièzǔ tóng shuì . tā érzi Mǎnáxī jiēxù tā zuò wáng .

Lièwángjìxià 20 Commentary

Chapter 20

Hezekiah's sickness, His recovery in answer to prayer. (1-11) Hezekiah shows his treasures to the ambassadors from Babylon, His death. (12-21)

Verses 1-11 Hezekiah was sick unto death, in the same year in which the king of Assyria besieged Jerusalem. A warning to prepare for death was brought to Hezekiah by Isaiah. Prayer is one of the best preparations for death, because by it we fetch in strength and grace from God, to enable us to finish well. He wept sorely: some gather from hence that he was unwilling to die; it is in the nature of man to dread the separation of soul and body. There was also something peculiar in Hezekiah's case; he was now in the midst of his usefulness. Let Hezekiah's prayer, see Isa 38. interpret his tears; in that is nothing which is like his having been under that fear of death, which has bondage or torment. Hezekiah's piety made his sick-bed easy. "O Lord, remember now;" he does not speak as if God needed to be put in mind of any thing by us; nor, as if the reward might be demanded as due; it is Christ's righteousness only that is the purchase of mercy and grace. Hezekiah does not pray, Lord, spare me; but, Lord, remember me; whether I live or die, let me be thine. God always hears the prayers of the broken in heart, and will give health, length of days, and temporal deliverances, as much and as long as is truly good for them. Means were to be used for Hezekiah's recovery; yet, considering to what a height the disease was come, and how suddenly it was checked, the cure was miraculous. It is our duty, when sick, to use such means as are proper to help nature, else we do not trust God, but tempt him. For the confirmation of his faith, the shadow of the sun was carried back, and the light was continued longer than usual, in a miraculous manner. This work of wonder shows the power of God in heaven as well as on earth, the great notice he takes of prayer, and the great favour he bears to his chosen.

Verses 12-21 The king of Babylon was at this time independent of the king of Assyria, though shortly after subdued by him. Hezekiah showed his treasures and armour, and other proofs of his wealth and power. This was the effect of pride and ostentation, and departing from simple reliance on God. He also seems to have missed the opportunity of speaking to the Chaldeans, about Him who had wrought the miracles which excited their attention, and of pointing out to them the absurdity and evil of idolatry. What is more common than to show our friends our houses and possessions? But if we do this in the pride of ours hearts, to gain applause from men, not giving praise to God, it becomes sin in us, as it did in Hezekiah. We may expect vexation from every object with which we are unduly pleased. Isaiah, who had often been Hezekiah's comforter, is now is reprover. The blessed Spirit is both, ( john 16:7 john 16:8 ) . Ministers must be both, as there is occasion. Hezekiah allowed the justice of the sentence, and God's goodness in the respite. Yet the prospect respecting his family and nation must have given him many painful feelings. Hezekiah was indeed humbled for the pride of his heart. And blessed are the dead who die in the Lord; for they rest from their labours, and their works do follow them.

Chapter Summary

In this chapter is an account of Hezekiah's sickness, and of the means of his recovery, and of the sign given of it, 2 Kings 20:1 of the king of Babylon's congratulatory letter to him upon it, when he showed to the messengers that brought it his treasures, in the pride and vanity of his heart, 2 Kings 20:12 for which he was reproved by the prophet Isaiah, and was humbled, and submitted to the sentence pronounced on his house, 2 Kings 20:14, and the chapter is concluded with his reign and death, 2 Kings 20:20.