39 At that time, Babylonian King Merodak-Bal’adan (son of Baladan) sent messengers with letters and a gift to King Hizkiyah (Hezekiah) because he had heard that he’d been sick and then recovered. 2 Hizkiyah happily welcomed them, and showed them his treasure house—the gold and silver and spices and high-quality oil, as well as his armoury and other storehouses. Hizkiyah showed them everything in his palace and all over his kingdom.

3 Afterwards, the prophet Yeshayah (Isaiah) went to King Hizkiyah and asked him where those men had come from and what they had said.

“They came from the distant region of Bavel (Babylon),” Hizkiyah replied.

4 “What did they see in your palace?” Yeshayah asked.

“They’ve seen everything that’s in my palace,” Hizkiyah answered. “There’s none of my treasures that I didn’t show them.”

5 Then Yeshayah told Hizkiyah, “Listen to this message from Commander-in-chief Yahweh: 6 The time is definitely coming when everything in your palace will be carried away to Bavel—everything that your ancestors collected in the past until now. Yahweh says that nothing will be left. 7 In addition, some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood, will be taken away and be castrated so as to become servants in the Babylonian king’s palace.”

8 “Yahweh’s message that you’ve passed on is appropriate,” Hizkiyah told Yeshayah, “because at least there’ll be peace and stability during my time.”