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20 In those days was Chizkiyahu (Hezekiah) sick unto mot (death). And HaNavi Yeshayah Ben Amotz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith Hashem, Set thine bais in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.

Then he turned his face to the kir (wall), and davened unto Hashem, saying,

Remember now, Hashem, how I have walked before Thee in emes and with a lev shalem, and have done that which is hatov in Thy sight. And Chikiyahu (Hezekiah) wept with bekhi gadol (great weeping).

And it came to pass, before Yeshayah was gone out from the middle courtyard, that the Devar Hashem came to him, saying,

Shuv (return), and say to Chizkiyahu (Hezekiah) the Nagid Ami, Thus saith Hashem Elohei Dovid Avicha, I have heard thy tefillah, I have seen thy tears; hineni, I will heal thee; on Yom HaShelishi thou shalt go up unto the Beis Hashem.

And I will add unto thy days fifteen shanah; and I will save thee and this city out of the palm of Melech Asshur (Assyria); and I will defend this city for Mine Own sake, and for the sake of Dovid Avdi.

And Yeshayah said, Take a develet te’enim. And they took and laid it on the shechin (boil, inflamed spot) and he recovered [See Isaiah 38:21].

And Chizkiyahu (Hezekiah) said unto Yeshayah, What shall be the Ot (Sign) that Hashem will heal me, and that I shall go up into the Beis Hashem on the Yom HaShelishi?

And Yeshayah said, This Ot (Sign) shalt thou have from Hashem, that Hashem will do the thing that He hath spoken: shall the tzel (shadow) go forward eser ma’alot (ten steps), or go backward eser ma’alot?

10 And Chizkiyahu (Hezekiah) answered, It is a simple matter for the tzel to go forward eser ma’alot; no, but let the tzel return backward eser ma’alot.

11 And Yeshayah HaNavi cried out unto Hashem; and He brought the tzel (shadow) eser ma’alot backward, by which it had gone on the ma’alot Achaz (sundial of Ahaz).

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Hezekiah’s Illness(A)

20 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.”

Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, “Remember,(B) Lord, how I have walked(C) before you faithfully(D) and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the Lord came to him: “Go back and tell Hezekiah, the ruler of my people, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard(E) your prayer and seen your tears;(F) I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the Lord. I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend(G) this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.’”

Then Isaiah said, “Prepare a poultice of figs.” They did so and applied it to the boil,(H) and he recovered.

Hezekiah had asked Isaiah, “What will be the sign that the Lord will heal me and that I will go up to the temple of the Lord on the third day from now?”

Isaiah answered, “This is the Lord’s sign(I) to you that the Lord will do what he has promised: Shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or shall it go back ten steps?”

10 “It is a simple(J) matter for the shadow to go forward ten steps,” said Hezekiah. “Rather, have it go back ten steps.”

11 Then the prophet Isaiah called on the Lord, and the Lord made the shadow go back(K) the ten steps it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.

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