New Living Translation NLT
The Message Bible MSG
1 About that time Hezekiah became deathly ill, and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to visit him. He gave the king this message: “This is what the LORD says: ‘Set your affairs in order, for you are going to die. You will not recover from this illness.’”
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At that time, Hezekiah got sick. He was about to die. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz visited him and said, "God says, 'Prepare your affairs and your family. This is it: You're going to die. You're not going to get well.'"
2 When Hezekiah heard this, he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD,
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Hezekiah turned away from Isaiah and, facing the wall, prayed to God:
3 “Remember, O LORD, how I have always been faithful to you and have served you single-mindedly, always doing what pleases you.” Then he broke down and wept bitterly.
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"God, please, I beg you: Remember how I've lived my life. I've lived faithfully in your presence, lived out of a heart that was totally yours. You've seen how I've lived, the good that I have done." And Hezekiah wept as he prayed - painful tears.
4 Then this message came to Isaiah from the LORD :
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Then God told Isaiah,
5 “Go back to Hezekiah and tell him, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of your ancestor David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will add fifteen years to your life,
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"Go and speak with Hezekiah. Give him this Message from me, God, the God of your ancestor David: 'I've heard your prayer. I have seen your tears. Here's what I'll do: I'll add fifteen years to your life.
6 and I will rescue you and this city from the king of Assyria. Yes, I will defend this city.
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And I'll save both you and this city from the king of Assyria. I have my hand on this city.
7 “‘And this is the sign from the LORD to prove that he will do as he promised:
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"'And this is your confirming sign, confirming that I, God, will do exactly what I have promised.
8 I will cause the sun’s shadow to move ten steps backward on the sundial of Ahaz!’” So the shadow on the sundial moved backward ten steps.
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Watch for this: As the sun goes down and the shadow lengthens on the sundial of Ahaz, I'm going to reverse the shadow ten notches on the dial.'" And that's what happened: The declining sun's shadow reversed ten notches on the dial.
9 When King Hezekiah was well again, he wrote this poem:
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This is what Hezekiah king of Judah wrote after he'd been sick and then recovered from his sickness:
10 I said, “In the prime of my life, must I now enter the place of the dead? Am I to be robbed of the rest of my years?”
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In the very prime of life I have to leave. Whatever time I have left is spent in death's waiting room.
11 I said, “Never again will I see the LORD GOD while still in the land of the living. Never again will I see my friends or be with those who live in this world.
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No more glimpses of God in the land of the living, No more meetings with my neighbors, no more rubbing shoulders with friends.
12 My life has been blown away like a shepherd’s tent in a storm. It has been cut short, as when a weaver cuts cloth from a loom. Suddenly, my life was over.
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This body I inhabit is taken down and packed away like a camper's tent. Like a weaver, I've rolled up the carpet of my life as God cuts me free of the loom And at day's end sweeps up the scraps and pieces.
13 I waited patiently all night, but I was torn apart as though by lions. Suddenly, my life was over.
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I cry for help until morning. Like a lion, God pummels and pounds me, relentlessly finishing me off.
14 Delirious, I chattered like a swallow or a crane, and then I moaned like a mourning dove. My eyes grew tired of looking to heaven for help. I am in trouble, Lord. Help me!”
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I squawk like a doomed hen, moan like a dove. My eyes ache from looking up for help: "Master, I'm in trouble! Get me out of this!"
15 But what could I say? For he himself sent this sickness. Now I will walk humbly throughout my years because of this anguish I have felt.
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But what's the use? God himself gave me the word. He's done it to me. I can't sleep - I'm that upset, that troubled.
16 Lord, your discipline is good, for it leads to life and health. You restore my health and allow me to live!
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O Master, these are the conditions in which people live, and yes, in these very conditions my spirit is still alive - fully recovered with a fresh infusion of life!
17 Yes, this anguish was good for me, for you have rescued me from death and forgiven all my sins.
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It seems it was good for me to go through all those troubles. Throughout them all you held tight to my lifeline. You never let me tumble over the edge into nothing. But my sins you let go of, threw them over your shoulder - good riddance!
18 For the dead cannot praise you; they cannot raise their voices in praise. Those who go down to the grave can no longer hope in your faithfulness.
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The dead don't thank you, and choirs don't sing praises from the morgue. Those buried six feet under don't witness to your faithful ways.
19 Only the living can praise you as I do today. Each generation tells of your faithfulness to the next.
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It's the living - live men, live women - who thank you, just as I'm doing right now. Parents give their children full reports on your faithful ways.
20 Think of it—the LORD is ready to heal me! I will sing his praises with instruments every day of my life in the Temple of the LORD .
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God saves and will save me. As fiddles and mandolins strike up the tunes, We'll sing, oh we'll sing, sing, for the rest of our lives in the Sanctuary of God.
21 Isaiah had said to Hezekiah’s servants, “Make an ointment from figs and spread it over the boil, and Hezekiah will recover.”
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Isaiah had said, "Prepare a poultice of figs and put it on the boil so he may recover."
22 And Hezekiah had asked, “What sign will prove that I will go to the Temple of the LORD ?”
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Hezekiah had said, "What is my cue that it's all right to enter again the Sanctuary of God?"
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.