2 Kings 20

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 About then Hezekiah fel il and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came andsaid to him, 'Yahweh says this, "Put your affairs in order, for you are going to die, you wil not live." '	1 In those days, when Hezekiah was mortally ill, the prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz, came and said to him: "Thus says the LORD: 'Put your house in order, for you are about to die; you shall not recover.'"
2 Hezekiah turned his face to the wal and addressed this prayer to Yahweh,	2 He turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD:
3 'Ah, Yahweh, remember, I beg you, that I have behaved faithful y and with sincerity of heart in yourpresence and done what you regard as right.' And Hezekiah shed many tears.	3 "O LORD, remember how faithfully and wholeheartedly I conducted myself in your presence, doing what was pleasing to you!" And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
4 Isaiah had not left the middle court, before the word of Yahweh came to him,	4 Before Isaiah had left the central courtyard, the word of the LORD came to him:
5 'Go back and say to Hezekiah, prince of my people, "Yahweh, the God of your ancestor David, saysthis: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I shal cure you: in three days' time you will go up to theTemple of Yahweh.	5 "Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people: 'Thus says the LORD, the God of your forefather David: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will heal you. In three days you shall go up to the LORD'S temple;
6 I shal add fifteen years to your life. I shal save you and this city from the king of Assyria's clutches anddefend this city for my sake and my servant David's sake." '	6 I will add fifteen years to your life. I will rescue you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; I will be a shield to this city for my own sake, and for the sake of my servant David.'"
7 'Bring a fig poultice,' Isaiah said; they brought one, applied it to the ulcer, and the king recovered.	7 Isaiah then ordered a poultice of figs to be brought and applied to the boil, that he might recover.
8 Hezekiah said to Isaiah, 'What is the sign to tel me that Yahweh wil cure me and that I shal be goingup to the Temple of Yahweh in three days' time?'	8 Then Hezekiah asked Isaiah, "What is the sign that the LORD will heal me and that I shall go up to the temple of the LORD on the third day?"
9 'Here', Isaiah replied, 'is the sign from Yahweh that he wil do what he has said; would you like theshadow to go forward ten steps, or to go back ten steps?'	9 Isaiah replied, "This will be the sign for you from the LORD that he will do what he has promised: Shall the shadow go forward or back ten steps?"
10 'It is easy for the shadow to lengthen ten steps,' Hezekiah replied. 'No, I would rather the shadowwent back ten steps.'	10 "It is easy for the shadow to advance ten steps," Hezekiah answered. "Rather, let it go back ten steps."
11 The prophet Isaiah then cal ed on Yahweh, who made the shadow cast by the declining sun on thesteps -- the steps to Ahaz's roof-room -- go back ten steps.	11 So the prophet Isaiah invoked the LORD, who made the shadow retreat the ten steps it had descended on the staircase to the terrace of Ahaz.
12 At that time the king of Babylon, Merodach-Baladan son of Baladan, sent letters and a gift toHezekiah, for he had heard of his il ness and his recovery.	12 At that time, when Merodachbaladan, son of Baladan, king of Babylon, heard that Hezekiah had been ill, he sent letters and gifts to him.
13 Hezekiah was delighted at this and showed the ambassadors his entire treasury, the silver, gold,spices, precious oil, his armoury too, and everything to be seen in his storehouses. There was nothing in hispalace or in his whole domain that Hezekiah did not show them.	13 Hezekiah was pleased at this, and therefore showed the messengers his whole treasury, his silver, gold, spices and fine oil, his armory, and all that was in his storerooms; there was nothing in his house or in all his realm that Hezekiah did not show them.
14 The prophet Isaiah then came to King Hezekiah and asked him, 'What have these men said, andwhere have they come from?' Hezekiah answered, 'They have come from a distant country, from Babylon.'	14 Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah and asked him: "What did these men say to you? Where did they come from?" "They came from a distant land, from Babylon," replied Hezekiah.
15 Isaiah said, 'What have they seen in your palace?' 'They have seen everything in my palace,'Hezekiah answered. 'There is nothing in my storehouses that I have not shown them.'	15 "What did they see in your house?" the prophet asked. "They saw everything in my house," answered Hezekiah. "There is nothing in my storerooms that I did not show them."
16 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, 'Listen to the word of Yahweh,	16 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah: "Hear the word of the LORD:
17 "The days are coming when everything in your palace, everything that your ancestors have amasseduntil now, wil be carried off to Babylon. Not a thing wil be left," Yahweh says.	17 The time is coming when all that is in your house, and everything that your fathers have stored up until this day, shall be carried off to Babylon; nothing shall be left, says the LORD.
18 "Sons sprung from you, sons fathered by you, wil be abducted to be eunuchs in the palace of theking of Babylon." '	18 Some of your own bodily descendants shall be taken and made servants in the palace of the king of Babylon."
19 Hezekiah said to Isaiah, 'This word of Yahweh that you announce is reassuring,' for he was thinking,'And why not? So long as there is peace and security during my lifetime.'	19 Hezekiah replied to Isaiah, "The word of the LORD which you have spoken is favorable." For he thought, "There will be peace and security in my lifetime."
20 The rest of the history of Hezekiah, al his prowess, how he constructed the pool and the conduit tobring water into the city, is this not recorded in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Judah?	20 The rest of the acts of Hezekiah, all his valor, and his construction of the pool and conduit by which water was brought into the city, are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah.
21 Then Hezekiah fel asleep with his ancestors; his son Manasseh succeeded him.	21 Hezekiah rested with his ancestors and his son Manasseh succeeded him as king.