בָּעֵת הַהִיא שָׁלַח מְרֹדַךְ בַּלְאֲדָן בֶּן בַּלְאֲדָן מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל סְפָרִים וּמִנְחָה אֶל חִזְקִיָּהוּ וַיִּשְׁמַע כִּי חָלָה וַיֶּחֱזָק

At that time, after the lifting of the siege laid by Sennacherib and Hizkiyahu’s recovery from his illness, Merodakh Baladan son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent scrolls and a gift to Hizkiyahu; he had heard that he had become ill and recovered. Since Babylon was also under Assyrian rule, though not entirely subject to it, the two kingdoms, Judah and Babylon, both small at that time, had shared interests. For this reason Merodakh Baladan rejoiced together with Hizkiyahu over his successful rebellion against Sennacherib.

וַיִּשְׂמַח עֲלֵיהֶם חִזְקִיָּהוּ וַיַּרְאֵם אֶת בֵּית נְכֹתוֹ אֶת הַכֶּסֶף וְאֶת הַזָּהָב וְאֶת הַבְּשָׂמִים וְאֵת הַשֶּׁמֶן הַטּוֹב וְאֵת כָּל בֵּית כֵּלָיו וְאֵת כָּל אֲשֶׁר נִמְצָא בְּאֹצְרֹתָיו לֹא הָיָה דָבָר אֲשֶׁר לֹא הֶרְאָם חִזְקִיָּהוּ בְּבֵיתוֹ וּבְכָל מֶמְשַׁלְתּוֹ

Hizkiyahu rejoiced over them, both the letter and the present, as they were indicative of significant diplomatic support from a distant land, beyond the borders of Aram and Assyria. And he showed them, the emissaries of the Babylonian king, his treasure house, where his special royal treasures were kept, the silver and the gold, the spices and the fine oil, his entire armory, and everything that was found in his treasuries; there was nothing that Hizkiyahu did not show them in his house and in his entire realm.

וַיָּבֹא יְשַׁעְיָהוּ הַנָּבִיא אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ חִזְקִיָּהוּ וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו מָה אָמְרוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים הָאֵלֶּה וּמֵאַיִן יָבֹאוּ אֵלֶיךָ וַיֹּאמֶר חִזְקִיָּהוּ מֵאֶרֶץ רְחוֹקָה בָּאוּ אֵלַי מִבָּבֶל

Isaiah the prophet came to King Hizkiyahu and he said to him: What did those men say and from where did they come to you? Rhetorical questions of this sort, whose answers are already known to those who ask them, are asked on several occasions in the Bible. They serve as polite introductions to a conversation. Hizkiyahu said: They came to me from a distant land, from Babylon.

וַיֹּאמֶר מָה רָאוּ בְּבֵיתֶךָ וַיֹּאמֶר חִזְקִיָּהוּ אֵת כָּל אֲשֶׁר בְּבֵיתִי רָאוּ לֹא הָיָה דָבָר אֲשֶׁר לֹא הִרְאִיתִים בְּאוֹצְרֹתָי

He said: What did they see in your house? Hizkiyahu said: They saw everything that is in my house; there is nothing that I did not show them in my treasuries.

וַיֹּאמֶר יְשַׁעְיָהוּ אֶל חִזְקִיָּהוּ — שְׁמַע דְּבַר ה' צְבָאוֹת

Isaiah said to Hizkiyahu: Hear the word of the Lord of hosts:

הִנֵּה יָמִים בָּאִים וְנִשָּׂא כָּל אֲשֶׁר בְּבֵיתֶךָ וַאֲשֶׁר אָצְרוּ אֲבֹתֶיךָ עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה בָּבֶל לֹא יִוָּתֵר דָּבָר אָמַר ה'

You apparently think that there is no connection between you and Babylon, but behold, days are coming and everything that is in your house and that which your fathers have amassed until this day will be carried to Babylon; nothing will remain, said the Lord. After Assyria collapses, Babylon will rise, and will ultimately rule over you. Furthermore, your exposure of all of your treasures to them has a symbolic meaning: You showed them the treasures that they will eventually carry off to their land.

וּמִבָּנֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר יֵצְאוּ מִמְּךָ אֲשֶׁר תּוֹלִיד יִקָּחוּ וְהָיוּ סָרִיסִים בְּהֵיכַל מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל

They will take from your sons who will descend from you, whom you will beget, your descendants in later generations, and they will be officials in the palace of the king of Babylon.

וַיֹּאמֶר חִזְקִיָּהוּ אֶל יְשַׁעְיָהוּ טוֹב דְּבַר ה' אֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתָּ וַיֹּאמֶר כִּי יִהְיֶה שָׁלוֹם וֶאֱמֶת בְּיָמָי

Hizkiyahu said to Isaiah: The word of the Lord that you have spoken is good; he further said, in explanation of his somewhat surprising reaction, that there will be peace and truth in my days. I infer from your statement that these terrible events will occur only in the lifetime of my children’s children, which means that peace will prevail in my days, at the very least.