2Kings 20-21 - Prayer Tents

2Kings 20

Hezekiah’s Sickness and Recovery

20About that time Hezekiah became deathly ill, and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to visit him. He gave the king this message: "This is what the LORD says: Set your affairs in order, for you are going to die. You will not recover from this illness."H3117H2396H2470H4191H5030H3470H1121H531H935H559H559H3068H1004H6680H4191H24212When Hezekiah heard this, he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD,H5437H6440H7023H6419H3068H5593"Remember, O LORD, how I have always been faithful to you and have served you single-mindedly, always doing what pleases you." Then he broke down and wept bitterly.H577H3068H2142H1980H6440H571H8003H3824H6213H2896H5869H2396H1058H1065H14194But before Isaiah had left the middle courtyard

, this message came to him from the LORD.H3470H3318H8484H2691H5892H1697H3068H5595"Go back to Hezekiah, the leader of my people. Tell him, 'This is what the LORD, the God of your ancestor David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will heal you, and three days from now you will get out of bed and go to the Temple of the LORD.H7725H559H2396H5057H5971H559H3068H430H1732H1H8085H8605H7200H1832H7495H7992H3117H5927H1004H30686I will add fifteen years to your life, and I will rescue you and this city from the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my own honor and for the sake of my servant David.'"H3254H3117H2568H6240H8141H5337H5892H3709H4428H804H1598H5892H5650H17327Then Isaiah said, "Make an ointment from figs." So Hezekiah's servants spread the ointment over the boil, and Hezekiah recovered!H3470H559H3947H1690H8384H3947H7760H7822H24218Meanwhile, Hezekiah had said to Isaiah, "What sign will the LORD give to prove that he will heal me and that I will go to the Temple of the LORD three days from now?"H2396H559H3470H226H3068H7495H5927H1004H3068H7992H31179Isaiah replied, "This is the sign from the LORD to prove that he will do as he promised. Would you like the shadow on the sundial to go forward ten steps or backward ten steps?

"H3470H559H226H3068H3068H6213H1697H1696H6738H1980H6235H4609H7725H6235H460910"The shadow always moves forward," Hezekiah replied, "so that would be easy. Make it go ten steps backward instead."H3169H559H7043H6738H5186H6235H4609H6738H7725H322H6235H460911So Isaiah the prophet asked the LORD to do this, and he caused the shadow to move ten steps backward on the sundial

of Ahaz!H3470H5030H7121H3068H7725H6738H6235H4609H322H4609H3381H4609H271

Envoys from Babylon

12Soon after this, Merodach-baladan son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent Hezekiah his best wishes and a gift, for he had heard that Hezekiah had been very sick.H6256H1255H1121H1081H4428H894H7971H5612H4503H2396H8085H2396H247013Hezekiah received the Babylonian envoys and showed them everything in his treasure-houses—the silver, the gold, the spices, and the aromatic oils. He also took them to see his armory and showed them everything in his royal treasuries! There was nothing in his palace or kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them.H2396H8085H7200H1004H5238H3701H2091H1314H2896H8081H1004H3627H4672H214H1697H1004H4475H2396H720014Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked him, "What did those men want? Where were they from?" Hezekiah replied, "They came from the distant land of Babylon."H935H3470H5030H4428H2396H559H559H582H370H935H2396H559H935H7350H776H89415"What did they see in your palace?" Isaiah asked."They saw everything," Hezekiah replied. "I showed them everything I own—all my royal treasuries."H559H7200H1004H2396H559H1004H7200H1697H214H720016Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Listen to this message from the LORD.H3470H559H2396H8085H1697H306817The time is coming when everything in your palace—all the treasures stored up by your ancestors until now—will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the LORD.H3117H935H1004H1H686H3117H5375H894H1697H3498H559H306818Some of your very own sons will be taken away into exile. They will become eunuchs who will serve in the palace of Babylon's king."H1121H3318H3205H3947H5631H1964H4428H89419Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, "This message you have given me from the LORD is good." For the king was thinking, "At least there will be peace and security during my lifetime."H559H2396H3470H2896H1697H3068H1696H559H7965H571H311720The rest of the events in Hezekiah's reign, including the extent of his power and how he built a pool and dug a tunnel

to bring water into the city, are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah.H3499H1697H2396H1369H6213H1295H8585H935H4325H5892H3789H5612H1697H3117H4428H306321Hezekiah died, and his son Manasseh became the next king.H2396H7901H1H4519H1121H4427

2Kings 21

Manasseh Rules in Judah

21Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. His mother was Hephzibah.H4519H8147H6240H8141H1121H4427H4427H2572H2568H8141H3389H517H8034H26572He did what was evil in the LORD's sight, following the detestable practices of the pagan nations that the LORD had driven from the land ahead of the Israelites.H6213H7451H5869H3068H8441H1471H3068H3423H6440H1121H34783He rebuilt the pagan shrines his father, Hezekiah, had destroyed. He constructed altars for Baal and set up an Asherah pole, just as King Ahab of Israel had done. He also bowed before all the powers of the heavens and worshiped them.H1129H7725H1116H2396H1H6H6965H4196H1168H6213H842H6213H256H4428H3478H7812H6635H8064H56474He built pagan altars in the Temple of the LORD, the place where the LORD had said, "My name will remain in Jerusalem forever."H1129H4196H1004H3068H3068H559H3389H7760H80345He built these altars for all the powers of the heavens in both courtyards of the LORD's Temple.H1129H4196H6635H8064H8147H2691H1004H30686Manasseh also sacrificed his own son in the fire

. He practiced sorcery and divination, and he consulted with mediums and psychics. He did much that was evil in the LORD's sight, arousing his anger.H1121H5674H784H6049H5172H6213H178H3049H6213H7235H7451H5869H3068H37077Manasseh even made a carved image of Asherah and set it up in the Temple, the very place where the LORD had told David and his son Solomon: "My name will be honored forever in this Temple and in Jerusalem—the city I have chosen from among all the tribes of Israel.H7760H6459H842H6213H1004H3068H559H1732H8010H1121H1004H3389H977H7626H3478H7760H8034H57698If the Israelites will be careful to obey my commands—all the laws my servant Moses gave them—I will not send them into exile from this land that I gave their ancestors."H7272H3478H5110H3254H127H5414H1H8104H6213H6680H8451H5650H4872H66809But the people refused to listen, and Manasseh led them to do even more evil than the pagan nations that the LORD had destroyed when the people of Israel entered the land.H8085H4519H8582H6213H7451H1471H3068H8045H6440H1121H347810Then the LORD said through his servants the prophets.H3068H1696H3027H5650H5030H55911"King Manasseh of Judah has done many detestable things. He is even more wicked than the Amorites, who lived in this land before Israel. He has caused the people of Judah to sin with his idols

.H4519H4428H3063H6213H8441H7489H567H6213H6440H3063H2398H154412So this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I will bring such disaster on Jerusalem and Judah that the ears of those who hear about it will tingle with horror.H559H3068H430H3478H935H7451H3389H3063H8085H8147H241H675013I will judge Jerusalem by the same standard I used for Samaria and the same measure

I used for the family of Ahab. I will wipe away the people of Jerusalem as one wipes a dish and turns it upside down.H5186H3389H6957H8111H4949H1004H256H4229H3389H4229H6747H4229H2015H644014Then I will reject even the remnant of my own people who are left, and I will hand them over as plunder for their enemies.H5203H7611H5159H5414H3027H341H957H4933H34115For they have done great evil in my sight and have angered me ever since their ancestors came out of Egypt."H6213H7451H5869H4480H3707H3117H1H3318H4714H311716Manasseh also murdered many innocent people until Jerusalem was filled from one end to the other with innocent blood. This was in addition to the sin that he caused the people of Judah to commit, leading them to do evil in the LORD's sight.H4519H8210H5355H1818H3966H7235H4390H3389H6310H6310H2403H3063H2398H6213H7451H5869H306817The rest of the events in Manasseh's reign and everything he did, including the sins he committed, are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah.H3499H1697H4519H6213H2403H2398H3789H5612H1697H3117H4428H306318When Manasseh died, he was buried in the palace garden, the garden of Uzza. Then his son Amon became the next king.H4519H7901H1H6912H1588H1004H1588H5798H526H1121H4427

Amon Rules in Judah

19Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem two years. His mother was Meshullemeth, the daughter of Haruz from Jotbah.H526H6242H8147H8141H1121H4427H4427H8147H8141H3389H517H8034H4922H1323H2743H319220He did what was evil in the LORD's sight, just as his father, Manasseh, had done.H6213H7451H5869H3068H1H4519H621321He followed the example of his father, worshiping the same idols his father had worshiped.H3212H1870H1H1980H5647H1544H1H5647H781222He abandoned the LORD, the God of his ancestors, and he refused to follow the LORD's ways.H5800H3068H430H1H1980H1870H306823Then Amon's own officials conspired against him and assassinated him in his palace.H5650H526H7194H4191H4428H100424But the people of the land killed all those who had conspired against King Amon, and they made his son Josiah the next king.H5971H776H5221H7194H4428H526H5971H776H2977H1121H442725The rest of the events in Amon's reign and what he did are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah.H3499H1697H526H6213H3789H5612H1697H3117H4428H306326He was buried in his tomb in the garden of Uzza. Then his son Josiah became the next king.H6912H6900H1588H5798H2977H1121H4427