1. At that time Hezekiah became very sick; he was almost dead. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to see him and told him, “This is what the Lord says: Make arrangements, because you are not going to live, but die.”
2. Hezekiah turned toward the wall and prayed to the Lord,
3. “Lord, please remember that I have always obeyed you. I have given myself completely to you and have done what you said was right.” Then Hezekiah cried loudly.
4. Then the Lord spoke his word to Isaiah:
5. “Go 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. So I will add fifteen years to your life.
6. I will save you and this city from the king of Assyria; I will defend this city.
7. “ ‘The Lord will do what he says. This is the sign from the Lord to show you:
8. The sun has made a shadow go down the stairway of Ahaz, but I will make it go back ten steps.’ ” So the shadow made by the sun went back up the ten steps it had gone down.
9. After Hezekiah king of Judah got well, he wrote this song:
10. I said, “I am in the middle of my life.Do I have to go through the gates of death?Will I have the rest of my life taken away from me?”
11. I said, “I will not see the Lordin the land of the living again.I will not again see the peoplewho live on the earth.