2 Kings 20
Isaiah foretells Hezekiah’s death, Hezekiah prays, God spares him
Hezekiah became sick almost to the point of dying. The prophet Isaiah (Amoz’s son) came to him and said, “This is what the Existing One says, ‘Set everything in order, because you will die; you will not recover.’” Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Existing One, saying, “Oh Existing One, please remember how I faithfully walked before you with my whole heart and have done what is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. Before Isaiah even reached the middle court as he was leaving, the Existing One’s message came to him: “Turn back, and tell Hezekiah the leader of my people, This is what the Existing One, your father David’s God says: I have heard your prayer and have seen your tears. Now I will heal you. On the third day you will go up to the Existing One’s house, and I will add fifteen years to your life. I will save you and this city out of Assyria’s hands, and I will defend this city for my own sake and for my servant David’s sake.” And Isaiah said, “Bring a fig cake, and lay it on the diseased spot, so he can recover.”
And Hezekiah told Isaiah, “What sign can you give me that the Existing One will heal me, so I’ll know it’s time for me to go to the Existing One’s temple on the third day?” Isaiah said, “This will be the sign that the Existing One will do as he promised: will the shadow go ten steps forward, or ten steps back?” Hezekiah answered, “It’d be easy for the shadow to go forward ten steps, so let it go ten steps backward.” And Isaiah the prophet called to the Existing One, and he brought the shadow back ten steps, so that it reached Ahaz’s steps.
Hezekiah welcomes Babylonians
At that time Merodach-baladan (the son of Babylon’s King Baladan) sent ambassadors with letters and a gift to King Hezekiah, because he had heard that Hezekiah was sick. Hezekiah welcomed them and gave them a tour of the treasure house, the gold, silver, spices, precious oils, the armory, and everything in his storehouses. There wasn’t anything in his house or kingdom that Hezekiah didn’t show them. Then the prophet Isaiah came to Hezekiah and asked, “What did they say? And where did they come from?” Hezekiah answered, “They came from the distant land of Babylon.” He asked, “What did they see in your house?” And Hezekiah answered, “They saw everything in my house; there wasn’t anything in my storehouses that I didn’t show them.”
Isaiah foretells Judah’s Babylonian captivity
Then Isaiah told Hezekiah, “Hear the Existing One’s message: The days are coming when everything in your storehouse that your forefathers have been accumulating up until now will be carried away to Babylon. Nothing will be left says the Existing One. And some of your own sons who you will father will be taken away, and they will be castrated in the palace of Babylon’s king.” Then Hezekiah replied, “I’m okay with that message from the Existing One,” because he thought, “Why not, if there will be peace and security in my days?”
The rest of Hezekiah’s history including all of his might and how he built the pool and infrastructure to bring water into the city are recorded in the book The Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. and Hezekiah slept in the ground with his fathers, and his son Manasseh took the throne in his place.