< 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.
In that tyme Marodach Baladan, the sone of Baladam, the kyng of Babiloyne, sente bookis and yiftis to Ezechie; for he hadde herd, that Ezechie hadde be sijk, and was rekyuerid.
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].
Forsothe Ezechie was glad on hem, and schewide to hem the selle of swete smellynge spices, and of siluer, and of gold, and of smellynge thingis, and of best oynement, and alle the schoppis of his purtenaunce of houshold, and alle thingis that weren foundun in hise tresours; no word was, which Ezechie schewide not to hem in his hous, and in al his power.
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.”
Sotheli Ysaie, the prophete, entride to kyng Ezechie, and seide to hym, What seiden thes men, and fro whennus camen thei to thee? And Ezechie seide, Fro a fer lond thei camen to me, fro Babiloyne.
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 Ysaie seide, What siyen thei in thin hous? And Ezechie seide, Thei sien alle thingis that ben in myn hous; no thing was in my tresours, which Y schewide not to hem.
5 Then I said to Hezekiah, “Listen to this message from the Commander of the armies of angels:
And Ysaie seide to Ezechie, Here thou the word of the Lord of oostis.
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.
Lo! daies schulen come, and alle thingis that ben in thin hous, and whiche thingis thi fadris tresoriden til to this dai, schulen be takun awei in to Babiloyne; not ony thing schal be left, seith 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 thei schulen take of thi sones, that schulen go out of thee, whiche thou schalt gendre; and thei schulen be onest seruauntis and chast in the paleis of the kyng of Babiloyne.
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 Ezechie seide to Ysaie, The word of the Lord is good, which he spak. And Ezechie seide, Pees and treuthe be maad oneli in my daies.