Messengers from Babylon^(A)

39 At that time Merodach-Baladan son of Baladan was king of Babylon [^Cruled 722–710 and 703–702 bc]. He sent ·letters [greetings] and a gift to Hezekiah, because he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick and was now well. ² Hezekiah was pleased and showed the messengers what was in his storehouses: the silver, gold, spices, ·expensive perfumes [precious oils], his ·swords and shields [armory], and all his ·wealth [treasures]. He showed them everything in his ·palace [^Lhouse] and in his kingdom.

³ Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked him, “What did these men say? Where did they come from?”

Hezekiah said, “They came from a faraway country—from Babylon.”

⁴ So Isaiah asked him, “What did they see in your ·palace [^Lhouse]?”

Hezekiah said, “They saw everything in my ·palace [^Lhouse]. I showed them all my ·wealth [^Ltreasuries; store houses].”

⁵ Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah: “Listen to the words of the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; ^Tof hosts]: ⁶ ‘·In the future to you [The time/day is coming when] everything in your palace and everything your ·ancestors [fathers] have stored up until this day will be ·taken away [carried off] to Babylon. Nothing will be left,’ says the Lord. ⁷ Some of your own ·children [sons], those ·who will be born to you [you will father], will be taken away, and they will become ·servants [eunuchs] in the palace of the king of Babylon.”

⁸ Hezekiah told Isaiah, “These words from the Lord are good.” He said this because he thought, “There will be peace and security in my lifetime.”