24 Some time afterwards, King Hizkiyah (Hezekiah) became very sick and was expected to die, but he prayed to Yahweh, and Yahweh answered him with a miracle. 25 However, Hizkiyah was very proud and didn’t thank Yahweh, so his anger fell on Yerushalem (Jerusalem) and Yehudah (Judah). 26 Then Hizkiyah and Yerushalem’s inhabitants humbled themselves, and so Yahweh’s anger didn’t affect them during Hizkiyah’s lifetime.

20 By that time, King Hizkiyah (Hezekiah) was terminally ill and Amots’s son the prophet Yeshayah (Isaiah) came to him and told him, “Yahweh says to get your affairs in order because you’re dying and won’t recover.”

2 But Hizkiyah rolled over to face the wall and prayed to Yahweh, 3 “Oh Yahweh, please remember that I’ve served you faithfully, and done what you asked with total sincerity.” Then Hizkiyah cried loudly.

4 As Yeshayah was leaving, Yahweh gave him this message before he’d even reached the middle courtyard, 5 “Go back and tell Hizkiyah, the leader of my people, ‘Your ancestor David’s god Yahweh says that he’s heard your prayer and seen your tears. He’s decided to heal you and you’ll be well enough to go to the temple within three days. 6 He’s added fifteen years to your life, plus he’ll rescue you and this city from the Assyrian king. Yahweh will defend Yerushalem (Jerusalem) for his own sake and for the sake of his servant David.”

7 Then Yeshayah told them to bring some pressed figs, and they brought them and placed them on the sore, and Hizkiyah started getting better.

8 Hizkiyah asked Yeshayah, “What’s the sign that Yahweh will heal me and that I’ll be able to go to the temple on the third day?”

9 “Yes, Yahweh will give you a sign that he’ll do what he said,” Yeshayah replied. “Do you want the shadows to advance suddenly or go back?”

10 “It’s easy for the shadows to go forward,” said Hizkiyah. “So make them go backwards ten steps.”

11 So the prophet Yeshayah called to Yahweh, and he made the shadow go back on the steps made by King Ahaz—the shadow went ten steps backward.

12 At that time, Baladan’s son former King Merodak-Bal’adan of Bavel (Babylon) heard that Hizkiyah (Hezekiah) was sick and sent him letters and a gift. 13 When the messengers arrived, Hizkiyah listened to them, then he showed them his entire treasure house: the gold and silver, the spices and the best oil, the house of his armour, and everything that was in his treasuries. He didn’t keep anything in his palace or in his kingdom secret from them. 14 Later the prophet Yeshayah (Isaiah) came to King Hizkiyah and he asked him, “Where were those men from and what did they say?”

“They came from a distant land—from Bavel,” he replied.

15 “What did they see in your house?” Yeshayah asked.

“They saw everything that’s in my house,” he replied. “There wasn’t anything in my treasuries that I didn’t show them.”

16 Then Yeshayah told Hizkiyah, “Listen to Yahweh’s message: 17 He says that days are coming when everything in your house, and everything that your ancestors stored carefully away until this day will be carried to Bavel. Nothing will be left behind.[ref] 18 What’s more, some of your own biological descendants will be taken and they’ll be castrated to become servants of the Babylonian king.”

19 “What you said from Yahweh is fine,” Hizkiyah replied to Yeshayah. “At least I might have peace and stability in my time.”