Isaiah 39

¹ At that time, the king of Babylon, Merodach-baladan son of Baladan, sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah, for he had heard of his illness and recovery.

² Hezekiah was delighted at this and showed the messengers his treasure-house, the silver, gold, spices, precious oil, his armoury too, and everything there was in his storehouses. There was nothing Hezekiah did not show them in his palace or in his whole domain.

³ Then the prophet Isaiah came to King Hezekiah and asked him, ‘What have these men said, and where have they come from?’ Hezekiah answered, ‘They have come from a faraway country, from Babylon’.

⁴ Isaiah said, ‘What have they seen in your palace?’ ‘They have seen everything in my palace’ Hezekiah answered. ‘There is nothing in my storehouses that I have not shown them.’

⁵ Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, ‘Listen to the word of Yahweh Sabaoth,

⁶ “The days are coming when everything in your palace, everything that your ancestors have amassed until now, will be carried off to Babylon. Not a thing will be left” says Yahweh.

⁷ “Sons sprung from you, sons begotten by you, will be chosen to be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.”‘

⁸ Hezekiah said to Isaiah, ‘This word of Yahweh that you announce is reassuring’, for he was thinking, ‘There is going to be peace and security during my own lifetime.’