Isaiah 38:1
ESV
In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, "Thus says the Lord: Set your house in order, for you shall die, you shall not recover."
NIV
In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, "This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover."
NASB
In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, came to him and said to him, 'This is what the Lord says: ‘Set your house in order, for you are going to die and not live.’?'
CSB
In those days Hezekiah became terminally ill. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came and said to him, "This is what the Lord says: ‘Set your house in order, for you are about to die; you will not recover.’"
NLT
About 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.’'
KJV
In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live.
NKJV
In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.’ ”
What does Isaiah 38:1 mean?
Isaiah describes Hezekiah's illness and recovery after explaining the rescue of Jerusalem (Isaiah 36—37). The illness seems to have happened first, but Isaiah arranges his records to make a smoother transition into discussion of the Messiah starting in chapter 40. Hezekiah began to reign around 727 BC at age twenty five (2 Kings 18:1–2). If these events occurred about 711 BC, his death in 696 BC would fit the added fifteen years. Some scholars place the timing closer to 701 BC.Hezekiah becomes sick with a terminal condition. Later verses note the presence of a "boil" (Isaiah 38:21), which may indicate an infected abscess or large tumor. Isaiah delivers God's message: the king should prepare for death. Hezkiah should be ready to name a successor, arrange for distributing inheritances, and so forth. The news is dire, but Hezekiah's response is both humble and faithful (Isaiah 38:2–3).
