Isaiah and King Hezekiah

By Tryn Paxton

Illustrated by Virginia Sargent

1 King Hezekiah of Judah was a righteous leader. He prayed for the Lord’s help in defending his country from its enemies, and he followed the counsel of the prophet Isaiah. (See Isa. 37.)

2 When King Hezekiah became very ill, the prophet Isaiah visited him and warned him that he would soon die. (See Isa. 38:1.)

3 Upon hearing this, Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and wept. He did not want to die, so he prayed, crying, “Remember now, O Lord, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart.” (See Isa. 38:2–3.)

4 The Lord told Isaiah to visit King Hezekiah again and tell him that He had seen the king’s tears and had heard his prayers. The Lord promised to add fifteen years to King Hezekiah’s life. (See Isa. 38:4–5.)

5 As a sign that He would keep His promise to heal King Hezekiah, the Lord caused the sun to go backward ten degrees. Isaiah told King Hezekiah to watch the shadow on a large sundial to see the miraculous sign. (See Isa. 38:7–8.)

6 King Hezekiah recovered from his illness and composed a beautiful psalm to praise the Lord’s goodness. “The Lord was ready to save me: therefore we will sing my songs to the stringed instruments,” he wrote. (See Isa. 38:9–20.)