Good News Translation GNT
World English Bible WEB
1 About this time King Hezekiah became sick and almost died. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to see him and said to him, "The Lord tells you that you are to put everything in order because you will not recover. Get ready to die."
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In those days was Hezekiah sick to death. Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, Thus says Yahweh, Set your house in order; for you shall die, and not live.
2 Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed:
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Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed to Yahweh,
3 "Remember, Lord, that I have served you faithfully and loyally, and that I have always tried to do what you wanted me to." And he began to cry bitterly.
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and said, Remember now, Yahweh, I beg you, how I have walked before you in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in your sight. Hezekiah wept sore.
4 Then the Lord commanded Isaiah
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Then came the word of Yahweh to Isaiah, saying,
5 to go back to Hezekiah and say to him, "I, the Lord, the God of your ancestor David, have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will let you live fifteen years longer.
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Go, and tell Hezekiah, Thus says Yahweh, the God of David your father, I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears: behold, I will add to your days fifteen years.
6 I will rescue you and this city of Jerusalem from the emperor of Assyria, and I will continue to protect the city."
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I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city.
7 Isaiah replied, "The Lord will give you a sign to prove that he will keep his promise.
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This shall be the sign to you from Yahweh, that Yahweh will do this thing that he has spoken:
8 On the stairway built by King Ahaz, the Lord will make the shadow go back ten steps." And the shadow moved back ten steps.
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behold, I will cause the shadow on the steps, which is gone down on the dial of Ahaz with the sun, to return backward ten steps. So the sun returned ten steps on the dial whereon it was gone down.
9 After Hezekiah recovered from his illness, he wrote this song of praise:
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The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness.
10 I thought that in the prime of life I was going to the world of the dead, Never to live out my life.
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I said, In the noontide of my days I shall go into the gates of Sheol: I am deprived of the residue of my years.
11 I thought that in this world of the living I would never again see the Lord Or any living person.
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I said, I shall not see Yah, Yah in the land of the living: I shall see man no more with the inhabitants of the world.
12 My life was cut off and ended, Like a tent that is taken down, Like cloth that is cut from a loom. I thought that God was ending my life.
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My dwelling is removed, and is carried away from me as a shepherd's tent: I have rolled up, like a weaver, my life; he will cut me off from the loom: From day even to night will you make an end of me.
13 All night I cried out with pain, As if a lion were breaking my bones. I thought that God was ending my life.
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I quieted [myself] until morning; as a lion, so he breaks all my bones: From day even to night will you make an end of me.
14 My voice was thin and weak, And I moaned like a dove. My eyes grew tired from looking to heaven. Lord, rescue me from all this trouble.
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Like a swallow [or] a crane, so did I chatter; I did moan as a dove; my eyes fail [with looking] upward: Lord, I am oppressed, be my collateral.
15 What can I say? The Lord has done this. My heart is bitter, and I cannot sleep.
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What shall I say? he has both spoken to me, and himself has done it: I shall go softly all my years because of the bitterness of my soul.
16 Lord, I will live for you, for you alone; Heal me and let me live.
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Lord, by these things men live; Wholly therein is the life of my spirit: You restore me, and cause me to live.
17 My bitterness will turn into peace. You save my life from all danger; You forgive all my sins.
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Behold, [it was] for [my] peace [that] I had great bitterness: But you have in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption; For you have cast all my sins behind your back.
18 No one in the world of the dead can praise you; The dead cannot trust in your faithfulness.
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For Sheol can't praise you, death can't celebrate you: Those who go down into the pit can't hope for your truth.
19 It is the living who praise you, As I praise you now. Parents tell their children how faithful you are.
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The living, the living, he shall praise you, as I do this day: The father to the children shall make known your truth.
20 Lord, you have healed me. We will play harps and sing your praise, Sing praise in your Temple as long as we live.
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Yahweh is [ready] to save me: Therefore we will sing my songs with stringed instruments All the days of our life in the house of Yahweh.
21 Isaiah told the king to put a paste made of figs on his boil, and he would get well.
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Now Isaiah had said, Let them take a cake of figs, and lay it for a plaster on the boil, and he shall recover.
22 Then King Hezekiah asked, "What is the sign to prove that I will be able to go to the Temple?"
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Hezekiah also had said, What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of Yahweh?
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.
The World English Bible is in the public domain.