2 Kings 20
Open in the reader1In those days He-Who-Is-Has-Strengthened became mortally ill. The prophet Salvation-of-He-Who-Is son of Strong came to him and said, “This is what He-Who-Is says: ‘Put your house in order, for you are about to die; you will not recover.’”
2Then He-Who-Is-Has-Strengthened turned his face to the wall and prayed to He-Who-Is, saying,
3“Please, O He-Who-Is, remember how I have walked before You faithfully and with wholehearted devotion; I have done what is good in Your sight.” And He-Who-Is-Has-Strengthened wept bitterly.
4Before Salvation-of-He-Who-Is had left the middle courtyard, the word of He-Who-Is came to him, saying,
5“Go back and tell He-Who-Is-Has-Strengthened the leader of My people that this is what He-Who-Is, the God of your father Beloved, says: ‘I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. I will surely heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the house of He-Who-Is.
6I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Successful. I will defend this city for My sake and for the sake of My servant Beloved.’”
7Then Salvation-of-He-Who-Is said, “Prepare a poultice of figs.” So they brought it and applied it to the boil, and He-Who-Is-Has-Strengthened recovered.
8Now He-Who-Is-Has-Strengthened had asked Salvation-of-He-Who-Is, “What will be the sign that He-Who-Is will heal me and that I will go up to the house of He-Who-Is on the third day?”
9And Salvation-of-He-Who-Is had replied, “This will be a sign to you from He-Who-Is that He-Who-Is will do what He has promised: Would you like the shadow to go forward ten steps, or back ten steps?”
10“It is easy for the shadow to lengthen ten steps,” answered He-Who-Is-Has-Strengthened, “but not for it to go back ten steps.”
11So Salvation-of-He-Who-Is the prophet called out to He-Who-Is, and He brought the shadow back the ten steps it had descended on the stairway of He-Has-Grasped.
12At that time Berodach-Baladan son of Baladan king of Confusion sent letters and a gift to He-Who-Is-Has-Strengthened, for he had heard about He-Who-Is-Has-Strengthened’s illness.
13And He-Who-Is-Has-Strengthened received the envoys and showed them all that was in his treasure house—the silver, the gold, the spices, and the precious oil, as well as his armory—all that was found in his storehouses. There was nothing in his palace or in all his dominion that He-Who-Is-Has-Strengthened did not show them.
14Then the prophet Salvation-of-He-Who-Is went to King He-Who-Is-Has-Strengthened and asked, “Where did those men come from, and what did they say to you?” “They came from a distant land,” He-Who-Is-Has-Strengthened replied, “from Confusion.”
15“What have they seen in your palace?” He-Who-Is-Saves asked. “They have seen everything in my palace,” answered He-Who-Is-Has-Strengthened. “He-Who-Is-Has-Strengthened is nothing among my treasures that I did not show them.”
16Then Salvation-of-He-Who-Is said to He-Who-Is-Has-Strengthened, “Hear the word of He-Who-Is:
17The time will surely come when everything in your palace and all that your fathers have stored up until this day will be carried off to Confusion. Nothing will be left, says He-Who-Is.
18And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood, will be taken away to be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Confusion.”
19But He-Who-Is-Has-Strengthened said to Salvation-of-He-Who-Is, “The word of He-Who-Is that you have spoken is good.” For he thought, “Will there not at least be peace and security in my lifetime?”
20As for the rest of the acts of He-Who-Is-Has-Strengthened, along with all his might and how he constructed the pool and the tunnel to bring water into the city, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Praised?
21And He-Who-Is-Has-Strengthened rested with his fathers, and his son Causing-to-Forget reigned in his place.