Isaiah 39:3-8

39:3 Isaiah the prophet visited King Hezekiah and asked him, “What did these men say? Where do they come from?” Hezekiah replied, “They come from the distant land of Babylon.” 39:4 Isaiah ¹  asked, “What have they seen in your palace?” Hezekiah replied, “They have seen everything in my palace. I showed them everything in my treasuries.” 39:5 Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Listen to the word of the Lord who commands armies: 39:6 ‘Look, a time is coming when everything in your palace and the things your ancestors ²  have accumulated to this day will be carried away to Babylon; nothing will be left,’ says the Lord. 39:7 ‘Some of your very own descendants whom you father ³  will be taken away and will be made eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.’” 39:8 Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The Lord’s word which you have announced is appropriate.” ⁴  Then he thought, ⁵  “For ⁶  there will be peace and stability during my lifetime.”

[39:4]  ¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Isaiah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[39:6]  ² tn Heb “fathers” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV).

[39:7]  ³ tn Heb “Some of your sons, who go out from you, whom you father.”

[39:8]  ⁴ tn Heb “good” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “favorable.”

[39:8]  ⁵ tn Heb “and he said.” The verb אָמַר (’amar, “say”) is sometimes used of what one thinks (that is, says to oneself).

[39:8]  ⁶ tn Or “surely”; cf. CEV “At least.”