2 Kings Chapter 20
Showing all 21 verses for 2 Kings Chapter 20.
The People's Bible is written by people, for the people. Each verse below shows:
"In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live. "
"Around that time Hezekiah became critically ill. The prophet Isaiah came to him and said, 'This is what the LORD says: put your affairs in order, because you are going to die - you will not recover.'"
I won't lie to you about hard truths to spare your feelings, and I don't want you to lie to yourself either. Facing mortality honestly - getting your affairs and your heart in order - is a far braver and more loving act than pretending it isn't coming.
"Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying, "
"Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD,"
Some conversations - especially the ones about your own mortality and deepest fears - deserve real privacy, not performance for anyone watching. Turn towards whatever quiet place lets you be completely honest, without needing to manage how it looks to others.
"I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore. "
"'Please, LORD, remember how faithfully I have lived before you, with complete devotion, and done what is good in your sight.' And Hezekiah wept bitterly."
You're allowed to weep, to protest, even to plead your own case when facing loss - grief and honest bargaining with fear aren't a failure of trust. I don't ask for stoic silence in the face of death; I ask for honesty, and Hezekiah's tears are exactly that.
"And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying, "
"Before Isaiah had even left the middle courtyard, the word of the LORD came to him, saying,"
Don't assume that because you've just heard hard news, the story is already finished. Circumstances can shift faster than you'd expect - stay present rather than resigning yourself the moment things look final.
"Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD. "
"'Go back and tell Hezekiah, leader of my people: This is what the LORD, the God of your ancestor David, says - I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears. I will heal you. On the third day you will go up to the temple.'"
When you cry out honestly, know that it doesn't go unnoticed, even in your most private and unguarded moments. I see the tears you think no one else sees, and they matter.
"And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake. "
"'I will add fifteen years to your life. I will rescue you and this city from the king of Assyria's power, and I will defend this city for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David.'"
Your own private struggles are never entirely separate from the wider world you're part of - healing and hope can ripple outward further than you expect. Don't assume your personal crisis is too small to matter in the bigger picture.
"And Isaiah said, Take a lump of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered. "
"Then Isaiah said, 'Prepare a paste of figs.' They took it and applied it to the boil, and Hezekiah recovered."
Trusting in something greater than yourself doesn't mean skipping the practical steps in front of you - take the medicine, do the treatment, use the ordinary means available to you. Faith and sensible action aren't opposites.
"And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah, What shall be the sign that the LORD will heal me, and that I shall go up into the house of the LORD the third day? "
"Hezekiah asked Isaiah, 'What sign will show that the LORD will heal me, and that I will go up to the temple on the third day?'"
Wanting some kind of confirmation or evidence for a big promise in your life isn't a failure of trust - it's a normal, human need, and it's alright to ask for it honestly rather than pretending you have no doubts.
"And Isaiah said, This sign shalt thou have of the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that he hath spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees? "
"Isaiah said, 'This will be the sign from the LORD that he will do what he promised: shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or go back ten steps?'"
Even in moments of receiving what you need, there's often room for your own voice and choice within it. Don't assume you're only ever a passive recipient - sometimes you're invited to participate in how things unfold.
"And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees. "
"Hezekiah answered, 'It's a simple thing for the shadow to go forward ten steps - no, let the shadow go back ten steps instead.'"
It's alright to want the clearest, most unmistakable confirmation rather than settling for the easy, ambiguous version. Asking for real clarity, even when it seems like a big ask, isn't greedy - it's honest about what you actually need to feel steady.
"And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the LORD: and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz. "
"Isaiah the prophet cried out to the LORD, and the shadow went back ten steps on the dial of Ahaz where it had descended."
When you honestly ask for what you need to trust again, don't be surprised if the answer meets you exactly where you asked. Bring your real requests, specific and unashamed, rather than vague hopes you don't quite believe will be met.
"At that time Berodachbaladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present unto Hezekiah: for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick. "
"At that time Berodach-baladan son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah, because he had heard Hezekiah had been sick."
Not every danger announces itself as an obvious threat - sometimes it arrives disguised as flattery, admiration, or a friendly gesture from someone impressive. Stay just as alert to the quiet temptations as you are to the loud ones.
"And Hezekiah hearkened unto them, and shewed them all the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed them not. "
"Hezekiah welcomed the envoys and showed them everything in his treasure house - the silver, the gold, the spices, the fine oils, his entire armoury, and all that was in his storehouses. There was nothing in his palace or kingdom that he did not show them."
Be mindful of the pull to impress people you admire or who impress you, especially by showing off everything you have. Real security doesn't need to prove itself through display - guard some things quietly rather than laying your whole life open to earn someone's approval.
"Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country, even from Babylon. "
"Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah and asked, 'What did these men say, and where did they come from?' Hezekiah replied, 'They came from a distant land - from Babylon.'"
Real accountability often starts with someone simply asking you what happened and letting you explain it yourself, rather than jumping straight to blame. Be willing to answer honestly when someone who cares about you asks the hard question.
"And he said, What have they seen in thine house? And Hezekiah answered, All the things that are in mine house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shewed them. "
"Isaiah asked, 'What did they see in your palace?' Hezekiah answered, 'They saw everything in my palace - there is nothing among my treasures I did not show them.'"
When you've made a mistake, owning it plainly - as Hezekiah does here, without dressing it up or minimising it - is far more valuable than defensiveness. Honest admission, even of something unwise, is the doorway to real growth.
"And Isaiah said unto Hezekiah, Hear the word of the LORD. "
"Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, 'Hear the word of the LORD.'"
Sometimes the most loving thing someone can do is stop asking questions and tell you plainly what's coming, even when it's hard to hear. Be willing to actually listen when that moment comes, rather than tuning it out.
"Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store unto this day, shall be carried into Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the LORD. "
"'The days are coming when everything in your palace, and everything your ancestors have stored up until today, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the LORD.'"
Choices made carelessly in a moment of pride can echo further into the future than you'd ever imagine, sometimes beyond your own lifetime. I don't say this to frighten you into paralysis, but to invite real thoughtfulness about what you're building and showing off, and why.
"And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. "
"'And some of your own descendants, your own offspring, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs serving in the palace of the king of Babylon.'"
Some consequences ripple into the lives of people you love, not just your own - which is exactly why care and humility now matter for more than just yourself. I ask you to think beyond your own moment when you make choices that shape what you pass on.
"Then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah, Good is the word of the LORD which thou hast spoken. And he said, Is it not good, if peace and truth be in my days? "
"Hezekiah said to Isaiah, 'The word of the LORD you have spoken is good.' For he thought, 'Will there not be peace and security in my own lifetime?'"
Be honest with yourself about the difference between genuine acceptance of hard news and simple relief that it isn't your problem to face. It's human to feel that relief, but don't mistake it for wisdom - real care looks further ahead than just your own comfort.
"And the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and all his might, and how he made a pool, and a conduit, and brought water into the city, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? "
"As for the rest of Hezekiah's reign, all his achievements, including how he built a pool and a tunnel to bring water into the city, are they not written in the annals of the kings of Judah?"
A meaningful life includes both the dramatic moments of prayer and crisis and the quiet, practical work of building something lasting for others - both matter, and neither replaces the other. Don't dismiss the unglamorous, useful work you do as less spiritual than the dramatic moments.
"And Hezekiah slept with his fathers: and Manasseh his son reigned in his stead. "
"Hezekiah died and was buried with his ancestors, and his son Manasseh became king in his place."
You cannot fully control what the next generation does with what you pass on to them, however faithfully you've lived. Do your part with integrity, and hold the outcome for others with humility rather than false certainty about how your legacy will be carried forward.