Isaiah 39

1 Soon after that, Baladan’s son Merodach-Baladan, the King of Babylon, heard a report that Hezekiah had been very sick but that he had recovered. So he wrote some notes and gave them to some messengers to take to Hezekiah, along with a gift.

At that time Merodach-baladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters with an offering to Hezekiah, because he had news that Hezekiah had been ill, and was well again.

2 [When the messengers arrived], Hezekiah welcomed them gladly. [Then] he showed them everything that was in his (treasure houses/places where very valuable things were kept)—the silver, the gold, the spices, and the nice-smelling [olive] oil. He also took them to see the place where they kept their soldiers’ weapons, and he showed them the other valuable things that were in the storehouses. Hezekiah showed them everything [LIT] that was in the palace or in other places [HYP].

And Hezekiah was glad at their coming, and let them see all his store of wealth, the silver and the gold and the spices and the oil, and all the house of his arms, and everything there was in his stores: there was nothing in all his house or his kingdom which he did not let them see.

3 Then I went to King Hezekiah and asked him, “Where did those men come from, and what did they want?” He replied, “They came from the far away land of Babylon.”

Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah, and said to him, What did these men say, and where did they come from? And Hezekiah said, They came from a far country, even from Babylon.

4 I asked him, “What did they see in your palace?” Hezekiah replied, “They saw everything. I showed them absolutely everything that I own—all my valuable things.”

And he said, What have they seen in your house? And Hezekiah said in answer, They saw everything in my house: there is nothing among my stores which I did not let them see.

5 Then I said to Hezekiah, “Listen to this message from the Commander of the armies of angels:

Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah, Give ear to the word of the Lord of armies:

6 'There will be a time when everything in your palace, all the valuable things that your ancestors stored there up until the present time, will be carried away to Babylon. Yahweh says that there will be nothing left.

Truly, the days are coming when everything in your house, and whatever your fathers have put in store till this day, will be taken away to Babylon: all will be gone.

7 Furthermore, some of your sons will be forced to go to Babylon. They will be castrated in order that they can become servants in the palace of the king of Babylon.'”

And your sons, even your offspring, will they take away to be unsexed servants in the house of the king of Babylon.

8 Then Hezekiah replied to me, “That message from Yahweh that you have given to me is good.” He said that because he was thinking, “Even if that happens, there will be peace, and people in this country will be safe during the time that I am alive.”

Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, Good is the word of the Lord which you have said. And he said in his heart, There will be peace and quiet in my days.