TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

II - Chapter 20

Listen to this chapter in Hebrew:

1In those days Chizkiyahu fell dangerously ill. The Navi Yeshayahu son of Amotz came and said to him, “Thus said Hashem: Set your affairs in order, for you are going to die; you will not get well.”

ba-ya-MEEM ha-HAYM kha-LAH khiz-ki-YA-hu la-MUT va-ya-VO ay-LAV y'-sha-YA-hu ven a-MOTZ ha-na-VEE va-YO-mer ay-LAV koh a-MAR a-do-NAI TZAV l'-vay-TE-kha KEE MAYT a-TAH v'-LO tikh-YEH

אבַּיָּמִים הָהֵם חָלָה חִזְקִיָּהוּ לָמוּת וַיָּבֹא אֵלָיו יְשַׁעְיָהוּ בֶן־אָמוֹץ הַנָּבִיא וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו כֹּה־אָמַר יְהֹוָה צַו לְבֵיתֶךָ כִּי מֵת אַתָּה וְלֹא תִחְיֶה׃

 20:1   For you are going to die; you will not get well

Rabbi Shlomo Aviner (b. 1943)

King Chizkiyahu is told that he is going to be punished by losing his life in this world and, as Rashi explains, the next world as well. The reason for the punishment is that until now he has refrained from getting married and having children. Chizkiyahu’s intentions are pure, since he has received a prophetic revelation that his son will be evil. As a result, he wishes to refrain from having children, in order to avoid bringing such a person into the world. However, Chizkiyahu is told that his responsibility is to follow Hashem’s commandment to have children, regardless of the consequences. Rabbi Shlomo Aviner notes that Chizkiyahu’s decision to avoid having children could be particularly devastating, because his descendants represent the continuation of the Davidic dynasty. After hearing the rebuke, Chizkiyahu understands that he has erred, prays to God for forgiveness and corrects his mistake. Though his son Menashe is indeed evil, his great-grandson is the righteous King Yoshiyahu, who is responsible for creating a religious renaissance in the kingdom. Yoshiyahu gets rid of all forms of idolatry, including the altar erected by Yerovam (thus fulfilling the prophecy stated in I Kings 13:2), and renews the people’s covenant with Hashem.

2Thereupon Chizkiyahu turned his face to the wall and prayed to Hashem. He said,

בוַיַּסֵּב אֶת־פָּנָיו אֶל־הַקִּיר וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל אֶל־יְהֹוָה לֵאמֹר׃

3“Please, Hashem, remember how I have walked before You sincerely and wholeheartedly, and have done what is pleasing to You.” And Chizkiyahu wept profusely.

גאָנָּה יְהֹוָה זְכָר־נָא אֵת אֲשֶׁר הִתְהַלַּכְתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ בֶּאֱמֶת וּבְלֵבָב שָׁלֵם וְהַטּוֹב בְּעֵינֶיךָ עָשִׂיתִי וַיֵּבְךְּ חִזְקִיָּהוּ בְּכִי גָדוֹל׃

4Before Yeshayahu had gone out of the middle court, the word of Hashem came to him:

דוַיְהִי יְשַׁעְיָהוּ לֹא יָצָא העיר [חָצֵר] הַתִּיכֹנָה וּדְבַר־יְהֹוָה הָיָה אֵלָיו לֵאמֹר׃

5“Go back and say to Chizkiyahu, the ruler of My people: Thus said Hashem, the God of your father David: I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears. I am going to heal you; on the third day you shall go up to the House of Hashem.

השׁוּב וְאָמַרְתָּ אֶל־חִזְקִיָּהוּ נְגִיד־עַמִּי כֹּה־אָמַר יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי דָּוִד אָבִיךָ שָׁמַעְתִּי אֶת־תְּפִלָּתֶךָ רָאִיתִי אֶת־דִּמְעָתֶךָ הִנְנִי רֹפֶא לָךְ בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי תַּעֲלֶה בֵּית יְהֹוָה׃

6And I will add fifteen years to your life. I will also rescue you and this city from the hands of the king of Assyria. I will protect this city for My sake and for the sake of My servant David.”

ווְהֹסַפְתִּי עַל־יָמֶיךָ חֲמֵשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה וּמִכַּף מֶלֶךְ־אַשּׁוּר אַצִּילְךָ וְאֵת הָעִיר הַזֹּאת וְגַנּוֹתִי עַל־הָעִיר הַזֹּאת לְמַעֲנִי וּלְמַעַן דָּוִד עַבְדִּי׃

7Then Yeshayahu said, “Get a cake of figs.” And they got one, and they applied it to the rash, and he recovered.

זוַיֹּאמֶר יְשַׁעְיָהוּ קְחוּ דְּבֶלֶת תְּאֵנִים וַיִּקְחוּ וַיָּשִׂימוּ עַל־הַשְּׁחִין וַיֶּחִי׃

8Chizkiyahu asked Yeshayahu, “What is the sign that Hashem will heal me and that I shall go up to the House of Hashem on the third day?”

חוַיֹּאמֶר חִזְקִיָּהוּ אֶל־יְשַׁעְיָהוּ מָה אוֹת כִּי־יִרְפָּא יְהֹוָה לִי וְעָלִיתִי בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי בֵּית יְהֹוָה׃

9Yeshayahu replied, “This is the sign for you from Hashem that Hashem will do the thing that He has promised: Shall the shadow advance ten steps or recede ten steps?”

טוַיֹּאמֶר יְשַׁעְיָהוּ זֶה־לְּךָ הָאוֹת מֵאֵת יְהֹוָה כִּי יַעֲשֶׂה יְהֹוָה אֶת־הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר דִּבֵּר הָלַךְ הַצֵּל עֶשֶׂר מַעֲלוֹת אִם־יָשׁוּב עֶשֶׂר מַעֲלוֹת׃

10Chizkiyahu said, “It is easy for the shadow to lengthen ten steps, but not for the shadow to recede ten steps.”

יוַיֹּאמֶר יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ נָקֵל לַצֵּל לִנְטוֹת עֶשֶׂר מַעֲלוֹת לֹא כִי יָשׁוּב הַצֵּל אֲחֹרַנִּית עֶשֶׂר מַעֲלוֹת׃

11So the Navi Yeshayahu called to Hashem, and He made the shadow which had descended on the dial of Achaz recede ten steps.

יאוַיִּקְרָא יְשַׁעְיָהוּ הַנָּבִיא אֶל־יְהֹוָה וַיָּשֶׁב אֶת־הַצֵּל בַּמַּעֲלוֹת אֲשֶׁר יָרְדָה בְּמַעֲלוֹת אָחָז אֲחֹרַנִּית עֶשֶׂר מַעֲלוֹת׃

12At that time, King Berodach-baladan son of Baladan of Babylon sent [envoys with] a letter and a gift to Chizkiyahu, for he had heard about Chizkiyahu's illness.

יבבָּעֵת הַהִיא שָׁלַח בְּרֹאדַךְ בַּלְאֲדָן בֶּן־בַּלְאֲדָן מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל סְפָרִים וּמִנְחָה אֶל־חִזְקִיָּהוּ כִּי שָׁמַע כִּי חָלָה חִזְקִיָּהוּ׃

13Chizkiyahu heard about them and he showed them all his treasure-house—the silver, the gold, the spices, and the fragrant oil—and his armory, and everything that was to be found in his storehouses. There was nothing in his palace or in all his realm that Chizkiyahu did not show them.

יגוַיִּשְׁמַע עֲלֵיהֶם חִזְקִיָּהוּ וַיַּרְאֵם אֶת־כָּל־בֵּית נְכֹתֹה אֶת־הַכֶּסֶף וְאֶת־הַזָּהָב וְאֶת־הַבְּשָׂמִים וְאֵת שֶׁמֶן הַטּוֹב וְאֵת בֵּית כֵּלָיו וְאֵת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר נִמְצָא בְּאוֹצְרֹתָיו לֹא־הָיָה דָבָר אֲשֶׁר לֹא־הֶרְאָם חִזְקִיָּהוּ בְּבֵיתוֹ וּבְכָל־מֶמְשַׁלְתּוֹ׃

14Then the Navi Yeshayahu came to King Chizkiyahu. “What,” he demanded of him, “did those men say to you? Where have they come to you from?” “They have come,” Chizkiyahu replied, “from a far country, from Babylon.”

ידוַיָּבֹא יְשַׁעְיָהוּ הַנָּבִיא אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ חִזְקִיָּהוּ וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו מָה אָמְרוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים הָאֵלֶּה וּמֵאַיִן יָבֹאוּ אֵלֶיךָ וַיֹּאמֶר חִזְקִיָּהוּ מֵאֶרֶץ רְחוֹקָה בָּאוּ מִבָּבֶל׃

15Next he asked, “What have they seen in your palace?” And Chizkiyahu replied, “They have seen everything that is in my palace. There was nothing in my storehouses that I did not show them.”

טווַיֹּאמֶר מָה רָאוּ בְּבֵיתֶךָ וַיֹּאמֶר חִזְקִיָּהוּ אֵת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר בְּבֵיתִי רָאוּ לֹא־הָיָה דָבָר אֲשֶׁר לֹא־הִרְאִיתִם בְּאֹצְרֹתָי׃

16Then Yeshayahu said to Chizkiyahu, “Hear the word of Hashem:

טזוַיֹּאמֶר יְשַׁעְיָהוּ אֶל־חִזְקִיָּהוּ שְׁמַע דְּבַר־יְהֹוָה׃

17A time is coming when everything in your palace which your ancestors have stored up to this day will be carried off to Babylon; nothing will remain behind, said Hashem.

יזהִנֵּה יָמִים בָּאִים וְנִשָּׂא כָּל־אֲשֶׁר בְּבֵיתֶךָ וַאֲשֶׁר אָצְרוּ אֲבֹתֶיךָ עַד־הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה בָּבֶלָה לֹא־יִוָּתֵר דָּבָר אָמַר יְהֹוָה׃

18And some of your sons, your own issue, whom you will have fathered, will be taken to serve as eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.”

יחוּמִבָּנֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר יֵצְאוּ מִמְּךָ אֲשֶׁר תּוֹלִיד יקח [יִקָּחוּ] וְהָיוּ סָרִיסִים בְּהֵיכַל מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל׃

19Chizkiyahu declared to Yeshayahu, “The word of Hashem that you have spoken is good.” For he thought, “It means that safety is assured for my time.”

יטוַיֹּאמֶר חִזְקִיָּהוּ אֶל־יְשַׁעְיָהוּ טוֹב דְּבַר־יְהֹוָה אֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתָּ וַיֹּאמֶר הֲלוֹא אִם־שָׁלוֹם וֶאֱמֶת יִהְיֶה בְיָמָי׃

20The other events of Chizkiyahu's reign, and all his exploits, and how he made the pool and the conduit and brought the water into the city, are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Yehuda.

כוְיֶתֶר דִּבְרֵי חִזְקִיָּהוּ וְכָל־גְּבוּרָתוֹ וַאֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה אֶת־הַבְּרֵכָה וְאֶת־הַתְּעָלָה וַיָּבֵא אֶת־הַמַּיִם הָעִירָה הֲלֹא־הֵם כְּתוּבִים עַל־סֵפֶר דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים לְמַלְכֵי יְהוּדָה׃

21Chizkiyahu slept with his fathers, and his son Menashe succeeded him as king.

כאוַיִּשְׁכַּב חִזְקִיָּהוּ עִם־אֲבֹתָיו וַיִּמְלֹךְ מְנַשֶּׁה בְנוֹ תַּחְתָּיו׃