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1 And it came to pass at that time, that Ezekias was sick even to death. And Esaias the prophet the son of Amos came to him, and said to him, Thus says the Lord, Give orders concerning your house: for you shall die, and not live. 2 And Ezekias turned his face to the wall, and prayed to the Lord, saying, 3 Remember, O Lord, how I have walked before you in truth, with a true heart, and have done that which was pleasing in your sight. And Ezekias wept bitterly. 4 And the word of the Lord came to Esaias, saying, Go, and say to Ezekias, 5 Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father, I have heard your prayer, and seen your tears: behold, I will add to your time fifteen years. 6 And I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of the Assyrians: and I will defend this city. 7 And this shall be a sign to you from the Lord, that God will do this thing; 8 behold, I will turn back the shadow of the degrees of the dial by which ten degrees on the house of your father the sun has gone down—I will turn back the sun the ten degrees; so the sun went back the ten degrees by which the shadow had gone down. 9 THE PRAYER OF EZEKIAS KING OF JUDEA, WHEN HE * HAD BEEN SICK, AND WAS RECOVERED FROM HIS SICKNESS. 10 I said in the end of my days, I shall go to the gates of the grave: I shall part with the remainder of my years. 11 I said, I shall no more at all see the salvation of God in the land of the living: I shall no more at all see the salvation of Israel on the earth: I shall no more at all see man. 12 My life has failed from among my kindred: I have parted with the remainder of my life: it has gone forth and departed from me, as one that having pitched a tent takes it down again: my breath was with me as a weaver's web, when she that weaves draws near to cut off the thread. 13 In that day I was given up as to a lion until the morning: so has he broken all my bones: for I was so given up from day even to night. 14-15 As a swallow, so will I cry, and as a dove, so do I mourn: for my eyes have failed with looking to the height of heaven to the Lord, who has delivered me, and removed the sorrow of my soul. 16 Yes, O Lord, for it was told you concerning this; and you have revived my breath; and I am comforted, and live. 17 For you have chosen my soul, that it should not perish: and you have cast all my sins behind me. 18 For they that are in the grave shall not praise you, neither shall the dead bless you, neither shall they that are in Hades hope for your mercy. 19 The living shall bless you, as I also do: for from this day shall I beget children, who shall declare your righteousness, 20 O God of my salvation; and I will not cease blessing you with the lute all the days of my life before the house of God. 21 Now Esaias had said to Ezekias; Take a cake of figs, and mash them, and apply them as a plaster, and you shall be well. 22 And Ezekias said, This is a sign to Ezekias, that I shall go up to the house of God.
* 38:9 Gr. was sick