[A Song of degrees.] Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens.

And Hezekiah received the letter of the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up into the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD.

And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard {it}, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD.

That thine eyes may be open upon this house day and night, upon the place whereof thou hast said that thou wouldest put thy name there; to hearken unto the prayer which thy servant prayeth toward this place. {toward...: or, in this place}

Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where {is} their God? {rule over: or, use a byword against}

For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul {thirsteth} after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.

What prayer and supplication soever be {made} by any man, {or} by all thy people Israel, which shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house:

Yet have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer, which thy servant prayeth before thee to day:

[To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm {or} Song of Asaph.] In Judah {is} God known: his name {is} great in Israel. {chief...: or, overseer} {of: or, for}

And the LORD said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.

O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?

[To the chief Musician, to Jeduthun, A Psalm of David.] Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him {cometh} my salvation. {Truly: or, Only} {waiteth: Heb. is silent}

Then went king David in, and sat before the LORD, and he said, Who {am} I, O Lord GOD? and what {is} my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?

[A Song of degrees.] In my distress I cried unto the LORD, and he heard me.

And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God. {grieved: Heb. bitter}

And Hezekiah received the letter of the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up into the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD.

But, O LORD of hosts, that triest the righteous, {and} seest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I opened my cause.

And for this {cause} Hezekiah the king, and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz, prayed and cried to heaven.

He wrote also letters to rail on the LORD God of Israel, and to speak against him, saying, As the gods of the nations of {other} lands have not delivered their people out of mine hand, so shall not the God of Hezekiah deliver his people out of mine hand.

The eyes of the LORD {are} upon the righteous, and his ears {are open} unto their cry.

And he sent Eliakim, who {was} over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests covered with sackcloth, unto Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz.