Envoys From Babylon
1At that time Marduk-Baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon sent Hezekiah letters and a gift, because he had heard of his illness and recovery. 2Hezekiah received the envoys gladly and showed them what was in his storehouses—the silver, the gold, the spices, the fine olive oil—his entire armory and everything found among his treasures. There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them.
3Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked, “What did those men say, and where did they come from?”
“From a distant land,” Hezekiah replied. “They came to me from Babylon.”
4The prophet asked, “What did they see in your palace?”
“They saw everything in my palace,” Hezekiah said. “There is nothing among my treasures that I did not show them.”
5Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord Almighty: 6The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your predecessors have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the Lord. 7And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood who will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.”
8“The word of the Lord you have spoken is good,” Hezekiah replied. For he thought, “There will be peace and security in my lifetime.”
巴比倫的使者
1那時，巴比倫王——巴拉但的兒子米羅達·巴拉但聽說希西迦患病、後來痊癒，便派人送去書信和禮物。 2希西迦欣然接見使者，讓他們觀看國庫裡的金銀、香料、珍貴膏油、所有兵器和一切寶物。希西迦把宮中及國內的一切都給他們看。
3以賽亞先知來見希西迦王，問他：「這些人說了些什麼？他們從哪裡來？」
希西迦答道：「他們從遙遠的巴比倫來。」
4以賽亞問：「他們在你宮中看見了什麼？」
希西迦答道：「他們看到了我宮中的一切。我把國庫裡的一切都給他們看了。」
5以賽亞對希西迦說：「你聽著，萬軍之耶和華說， 6『終有一天，你王宮中的一切和你祖先積攢到現在的一切，必一件不留地被擄到巴比倫。這是耶和華說的。 7你的子孫當中必有人被擄去，在巴比倫王的宮中做太監。』」 8希西迦對以賽亞說：「耶和華藉你說的話很好。」因為他想：「我有生之年將平安穩妥。」
