Hezekiah’s Folly1 At that time Merodach-baladan son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah since he heard that he had been ill and had recovered. 2 Hezekiah was pleased with the letters, and he showed the envoys his treasure-house #– #the silver, the gold, the spices, and the precious oil #– #and all his armoury, 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. 3 Then the prophet Isaiah came to King Hezekiah and asked him, ‘What did these men say, and where did they come to you from? ’ Hezekiah replied, ‘They came to me from a distant country, from Babylon.’ 4 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.’ 5 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, ‘Hear the word of the Lord of Armies: 6 “Look, the days are coming when everything in your palace and all that your predecessors have stored up until today will be carried off to Babylon; nothing will be left,” says the Lord. 7 “Some of your descendants #– #who come from you, whom you father #– #will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.” ’ 8 Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, ‘The word of the Lord that you have spoken is good,’ for he thought: There will be peace and security during my lifetime. |
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