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Hezekiah Shows Babylon His Treasures

12 (A)At that time [a]Berodach-baladan a son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that Hezekiah had been sick. 13 And Hezekiah listened to them, and showed them (B)all his treasure house, the silver and the gold and the spices and the good oil and the house of his armor and all that was found in his treasuries. There was nothing in his house nor in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them. 14 Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah and said to him, “What did these men say, and from where have they come to you?” And Hezekiah said, “They have come from a far country, from Babylon.” 15 And he said, “What have they seen in your house?” So Hezekiah said, “They have seen all that is in my house; there is nothing among my treasuries that I have not shown them.”

16 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of Yahweh. 17 ‘Behold, the days are coming when (C)all that is in your house, and all that your fathers have treasured up to this day will be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left,’ says Yahweh. 18 ‘And some (D)of your sons who will issue from you, whom you will beget, will be taken away; and they will become (E)officials in the palace of the king of Babylon.’” 19 Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of Yahweh which you have spoken is (F)good.” For he said, “Will it not be good, if there will be peace and truth in my days?”

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 20:12 Many mss and ancient versions Merodach-baladan, cf. Is 39:1

Hezekiah’s Folly

12 At that time(A) Merodach-baladan[a] son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah since he heard that he had been sick. 13 Hezekiah gave them a hearing and showed them his whole treasure house—the silver, the gold, the spices, and the precious oil—and his armory, and everything that was found in his treasuries. There was nothing in his palace and in all his realm that Hezekiah did not show them.(B)

14 Then the prophet Isaiah came to King Hezekiah and asked him, “Where did these men come from and what did they say to you?”

Hezekiah replied, “They came from a distant country, from Babylon.”

15 Isaiah asked, “What have they seen in your palace?”

Hezekiah answered, “They have seen everything in my palace. There isn’t anything in my treasuries that I didn’t show them.”

16 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord: 17 ‘The time will certainly come when everything in your palace and all that your fathers have stored up until this day will be carried off to Babylon; nothing will be left,’(C) says the Lord. 18 ‘Some of your descendants who come from you will be taken away,(D) and they will become eunuchs[b] in the palace of the king of Babylon.’”(E)

19 Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the Lord that you have spoken is good,”(F) for he thought: Why not, if there will be peace and security during my lifetime?

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 20:12 Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr, Tg, some Vg mss, Is 39:1; other Hb mss read Berodach-baladan
  2. 2 Kings 20:18 Or court officials