Messengers from Babylonia
(2 Kings 20.12-19)1 About that same time the king of Babylonia, Merodach Baladan, son of Baladan, heard that King Hezekiah had been sick, so he sent him a letter and a present. 2 Hezekiah welcomed the messengers and showed them his wealth—his silver and gold, his spices and perfumes, and all his military equipment. There was nothing in his storerooms or anywhere in his kingdom that he did not show them. 3 Then the prophet Isaiah went to King Hezekiah and asked, “Where did these messengers come from and what did they say to you?”
Hezekiah answered, “They came from a very distant country, from Babylonia.”
4 “What did they see in the palace?”
“They saw everything. There is nothing in the storerooms that I didn't show them.”
5 Isaiah then told the king, “The Lord Almighty says that 6 a time is coming when everything in your palace, everything that your ancestors have stored up to this day, will be carried off to Babylonia. Nothing will be left. 7 Some of your own direct descendants will be taken away and made eunuchs to serve in the palace of the king of Babylonia.”
8 King Hezekiah understood this to mean that there would be peace and security during his lifetime, so he replied, “The message you have given me from the Lord is good.”
1 Tanī laikā Bābeles ķēniņš Merodahs-Baladans, Baladana dēls, sūtīja apsveikumu un dāvanas Hiskijam; viņš esot dzirdējis, ka Hiskija bijis slims un atkal kļuvis vesels. 2 Hiskija priecājās par to un rādīja sūtņiem savu dārgumu glabātavās sudrabu un zeltu, smalkas smaržu vielas, dārgo eļļu, visu savu ieroču namu, visas savas mantas, kas atradās glabātavās. Nekā nebija viņa pilī un viņa valstī, ko viņš tiem nebūtu rādījis. 3 Tad pravietis Jesaja gāja pie ķēniņa Hiskijas un tam jautāja: "Ko tev teica šie vīri, un no kurienes tie nākuši?" Hiskija atbildēja: "Tie atnākuši no tālas zemes, no Bābeles." 4 Tad viņš jautāja: "Ko tie redzēja tavā pilī?" Hiskija teica: "Tie redzēja visu, kas ir manā pilī. Es tiem rādīju visu, kas ir manās dārgumu glabātavās." 5 Tad Jesaja teica Hiskijam: "Klausies Tā Kunga Cebaota vārdu: 6 redzi, nāks dienas, kad visu, kas tavā pilī un ko tavi tēvi krājuši līdz šai dienai, aizvedīs uz Bābeli un nekā neatstās, tā saka Tas Kungs, 7 un dažus no taviem miesīgiem dēliem, kas tev piedzims, paņems, lai viņi kalpotu kā galminieki Bābeles ķēniņa pilī." 8 Tad Hiskija atbildēja Jesajam: "Labs ir Tā Kunga vārds, ko tu man sacīji!" Viņš domāja: miers un drošība būs manas dzīves laikā.
