📖 2 Kings — Chapter 20 (KJV)
Read the complete King James Version chapter below, then explore the passage sections, check what you remember, and keep your private study notes.
Scripture source: Project Gutenberg KJV, ebook 10.
2 Kings 20:1 In those days Rwas Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, TSet thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.
2 Kings 20:2 Then Rhe turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying,
2 Kings 20:3 I beseech thee, O LORD, Rremember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept Tsore.
2 Kings 20:4 And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle RTcourt, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying,
2 Kings 20:5 RTurn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD.
2 Kings 20:6 And RI will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.
2 Kings 20:7 And Isaiah said, RTake a lump of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.
2 Kings 20:8 And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah, RWhat shall be the sign that the LORD will heal me, and that I shall go up into the house of the LORD the third day?
2 Kings 20:9 And Isaiah said, RThis sign shalt thou have of the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that he hath spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees?
2 Kings 20:10 And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees.
2 Kings 20:11 And Isaiah the prophet Rcried unto the LORD: and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the Tdial of Ahaz.
2 Kings 20:12 At that time TBerodachbaladan, the son of Baladan, king of RBabylon, sent letters and a present unto Hezekiah: for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick.
2 Kings 20:13 And Hezekiah hearkened unto them, and shewed them all the house of his RTprecious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his Tarmour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed them not.
2 Kings 20:14 Then Rcame Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country, even from Babylon.
2 Kings 20:15 And he said, What have they seen in thine house? And Hezekiah answered, RAll the things that are in mine house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shewed them.
2 Kings 20:16 And Isaiah said unto Hezekiah, RHear the word of the LORD.
2 Kings 20:17 Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store unto this day, Rshall be carried into Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the LORD.
2 Kings 20:18 And of Rthy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.
2 Kings 20:19 Then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah, Good is the word of the LORD which thou hast spoken. And he said, TIs it not good, if Rpeace and truth be in my days?
2 Kings 20:20 And the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and all his might, and how Rhe made a pool, and a conduit, and brought water into the city, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
2 Kings 20:21 And Hezekiah Rslept with his fathers: and Manasseh his son reigned in his stead.
📚 Study This Chapter
📖 What We’re Reading
2 Kings 20:1–7 — Prayer in sickness
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
Hezekiah receives a solemn warning and turns to the LORD with tears. God hears him and announces healing and fifteen more years. Isaiah also directs the use of figs. The account joins prayer, God's promise, and practical care without promising every sufferer the same outcome.
Key Truth: Bring distress honestly to the LORD.
Check What You Remember
1. Who told Hezekiah to set his house in order? (2 Kings 20:1)
Find it in 2 Kings 20:1 (KJV).
2. How many years did God add to his life? (2 Kings 20:6)
Find it in 2 Kings 20:6 (KJV).
3. What was laid on the boil? (2 Kings 20:7)
Find it in 2 Kings 20:7 (KJV).
📖 What We’re Reading
2 Kings 20:8–11 — A confirming sign
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
Hezekiah asks how he will know that he will recover. Isaiah offers a sign involving the shadow, and the king asks that it move backward. Isaiah cries to the LORD, who gives the requested sign. Its power belongs to God, not to the dial or the prophet.
Key Truth: God confirms his word by his own power.
Check What You Remember
1. What did Hezekiah ask Isaiah for? (2 Kings 20:8)
Find it in 2 Kings 20:8 (KJV).
2. How many degrees did the shadow go backward? (2 Kings 20:11)
Find it in 2 Kings 20:11 (KJV).
3. Who cried unto the LORD? (2 Kings 20:11)
Find it in 2 Kings 20:11 (KJV).
📖 What We’re Reading
2 Kings 20:12–21 — Treasures and a warning
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
Hezekiah welcomes Babylon's messengers and shows them his treasures. Isaiah warns that these possessions and some descendants will one day be taken to Babylon. Present peace does not remove future consequences. The chapter ends with Hezekiah's public works and the succession of Manasseh.
Key Truth: Receive God's warnings with humility.
Check What You Remember
1. From what country did the visitors come? (2 Kings 20:14)
Find it in 2 Kings 20:14 (KJV).
2. Where would the treasures be carried? (2 Kings 20:17)
Find it in 2 Kings 20:17 (KJV).
3. Who reigned after Hezekiah? (2 Kings 20:21)
Find it in 2 Kings 20:21 (KJV).
Related Scripture (KJV)
Isaiah 38:5 — Isaiah also records God's response to Hezekiah's prayer.
This related passage is selected for its connection with this chapter. It is separate from the chapter text.
Reflect and Apply
How can you bring anxiety to God while also receiving correction about pride?
Advanced Questions and Answers
Study this chapter’s wording, patterns, contrasts, and meaning in greater depth.
1. How does Hezekiah respond to the announcement of death?
2. How does the LORD’s answer address both personal and national need?
3. Why does Hezekiah choose the backward movement of the shadow?
4. What does Hezekiah reveal to Babylon’s visitors?
5. What future consequence does Isaiah announce after that display?
Notes
Write what you want to remember, questions to explore, or Scriptures to look up later. Your saved notes are private to your account.
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