1In those days Hezekiah was sick and dying. Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, “Yahweh says, ‘Set your house in order; for you will die, and not live.’”

2Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed to Yahweh, saying, 3“Remember now, Yahweh, I beg you, how I have walked before you in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

4Before Isaiah had gone out into the middle part of the city, Yahweh’s word came to him, saying, 5“Turn back, and tell Hezekiah the prince of my people, ‘Yahweh, the God of David your father, says, “I have heard your prayer. I have seen your tears. Behold, I will heal you. On the third day, you will go up to Yahweh’s house. 6I will add to your days fifteen years. I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.”’”

7Isaiah said, “Take a cake of figs.”

They took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.

8Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “What will be the sign that Yahweh will heal me, and that I will go up to Yahweh’s house the third day?”

9Isaiah said, “This will be the sign to you from Yahweh, that Yahweh will do the thing that he has spoken: should the shadow go forward ten steps, or go back ten steps?”

10Hezekiah answered, “It is a light thing for the shadow to go forward ten steps. No, but let the shadow return backward ten steps.”

11Isaiah the prophet cried to Yahweh; and he brought the shadow ten steps backward, by which it had gone down on the sundial of Ahaz.

12At that time Berodach Baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick. 13Hezekiah listened to them, and showed them all the storehouse of his precious things—the silver, the gold, the spices, and the precious oil, and the house of his armor, and all that was found in his treasures. There was nothing in his house, or in all his dominion, that Hezekiah didn’t show them.

14Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah, and said to him, “What did these men say? From where did they come to you?”

Hezekiah said, “They have come from a far country, even from Babylon.”

15He said, “What have they seen in your house?”

Hezekiah answered, “They have seen all that is in my house. There is nothing among my treasures that I have not shown them.”

16Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear Yahweh’s word. 17‘Behold, the days come that all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have laid up in store to this day, will be carried to Babylon. Nothing will be left,’ says Yahweh. 18‘They will take away some of your sons who will issue from you, whom you will father; and they will be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.’”

19Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “Yahweh’s word which you have spoken is good.” He said moreover, “Isn’t it so, if peace and truth will be in my days?”

20Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and all his might, and how he made the pool, and the conduit, and brought water into the city, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 21Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and Manasseh his son reigned in his place.

Person

Mary (Mother of Jesus)

Also called mother

Father Heli

Spouse Joseph (Mary's Husband)

Children Jude Jesus Christ Simon Joses James (Brother of Jesus)

Biography | Jeffrey Kershner

Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a young teenager when the Angel Gabriel announced that she would be the mother of the Messiah (Luke 1:26-38) because she had found favor with God. He said that through the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit, she would conceive as a virgin, and that her son would rule on the throne of David. Mary gave birth to Jesus in a stable in Bethlehem (Mic 5:2, Matt 2:1) soon after Mary and Joseph had arrived to be enrolled in the census commanded by Augustus.

When she and Joseph took Jesus to the temple for dedication, Mary was given the prophecy that her soul would be pierced because of the things that would happen to her son. Mary left with Joseph and Jesus to Egypt to escape the wrath of Herod the Great (Matt 2:23; Luke 2:39, 40). As far as we know, she lived with Joseph and her family in Nazareth until the time of the death of Jesus.

On one occasion, Mary was reminded of the importance of her son Jesus, when after searching for three days for Him, she was told they should have come to the Temple first since He would be in His father’s house. Later, Mary was at the wedding in Cana where she encouraged Jesus to perform His first Miracle (John 2). After this, she is sporadically mentioned in the Gospels (Mark 3:20, 21, 31-35). Finally, while Jesus is being crucified He gave Mary into the protection of John (John 19:26, 27). Mary is last mentioned with the apostles gathered in the upper room (Acts 1:14). Church tradition says she died in either Jerusalem or Ephesus, the latter being more likely in church tradition, and her continued association with John, who moved to Ephesus.

Person & place data: Theographic Bible Metadata by Robert Rouse (Viz.Bible), CC BY-SA 4.0.