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 and presents to Ezechias: for he had heard that he had been sick and was recovered.

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 Ezechias rejoiced at their coming, and he shewed them the storehouses of his aromatical spices, and of the silver, and of the gold, and of the sweet odours, and of the precious ointment, and all the storehouses of his furniture, and all things that were found in his treasures. There was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion that Ezechias shewed them not.

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 Isaias the prophet came to king Ezechias, and said to him: What said these men, and from whence came they to thee? And Ezechias said: From a far country they came to me, 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 saw they in thy house? And Ezechias said: All things that are in my house have they seen, there was not any thing which I have not shewn them in my treasures.

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

And Isaias said to Ezechias: Rear the word of the Lord of hosts.

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.

Behold the days shall come, that all that is in thy house, and that thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried away into Babylon: there shall not any thing be left, saith the Lord.

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 of thy children, that shall issue from thee, whom thou shalt beget, they shall take away, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace 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.”

And Ezechias said to Isaias: The word of the Lord, which he hath spoken, is good. And he said: Only let peace and truth be in my days.