<t /><p class="bodytext">At that time Merodach-Baladan son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah, for he heard that Hezekiah had been ill and had recovered.

<t /><p class="bodytext">In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of King Jehoiachin of Judah, on the twenty-seventh<n id="1" /> day of the twelfth month,<n id="2" /> King Evil-Merodach of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, pardoned<n id="3" /> King Jehoiachin of Judah and released him<n id="4" /> from prison.

<p class="poetry">&#8220;Announce<n id="1" /> the news among the nations! Proclaim it!p> <p class="poetry">Signal for people to pay attention!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Declare the news! Do not hide it! Say:p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;Babylon will be captured.p> <p class="poetry">Bel<n id="3" /> will be put to shame.p> <p class="poetry">Marduk will be dismayed.p> <p class="poetry">Babylon&#8217;s idols will be put to shame.p> <p class="poetry">Her disgusting images<n id="4" /> will be dismayed.<n id="5" />p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of King Jehoiachin of Judah, on the twenty-fifth<n id="1" /> day of the twelfth month,<n id="2" /> Evil-Merodach, in the first year of his reign, pardoned<n id="3" /> King Jehoiachin of Judah and released him from prison.