
TORAH
NEVI'IM
KETUVIM
Chapter 39
Translation and Transliteration of
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1At that time, Merodach-baladan son of Baladan, the king of Babylon, sent [envoys with] a letter and a gift to Chizkiyahu, for he had heard about his illness and recovery.
ba-EYT ha-HEE sha-LAKH m'-RO-dakh bal-a-DAN ben bal-a-DAN m'-LEKH-ba-VEL s'-fa-RIM u-m'-NA-khah el khiz-ki-YA-hu va-YISH-ma KEE kha-LAH va-ye-khe-ZAK
אבָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֡יא שָׁלַ֡ח מְרֹדַ֣ךְ בַּ֠לְאֲדָ֠ן בֶּֽן־בַּלְאֲדָ֧ן מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֛ל סְפָרִ֥ים וּמִנְחָ֖ה אֶל־חִזְקִיָּ֑הוּ וַיִּשְׁמַ֕ע כִּ֥י חָלָ֖ה וַֽיֶּחֱזָֽק׃
2Chizkiyahu was pleased by their coming, and he showed them his treasure house—the silver, the gold, the spices, and the fragrant oil—and all his armory, and everything that was to be found in his storehouses. There was nothing in his palace or in all his realm that Chizkiyahu did not show them.
vai-YIS-makh a-lay-HEM khiz-ki-YA-hu, va-YAR-em et-BAYT ne-KHO-to, et ha-KE-sef v'-et ha-ZA-hav v'-et ha-b'-SA-meem v'-ET ha-SHE-men ha-TOV v'-ET kol-BAYT ke-LA-yav v'-ET kol-a-SHER nim-TZA b'-otz-ro-TAV, lo-ha-YA da-VAR a-SHER lo-he-RAM khiz-ki-YA-hu b'-BAY-to u-v'-KOL mem-shal-TO. (s)
בוַיִּשְׂמַ֣ח עֲלֵיהֶם֮ חִזְקִיָּ֒הוּ֒ וַיַּרְאֵ֣ם אֶת־בֵּ֣ית נְכֹתֹ֡ה אֶת־הַכֶּסֶף֩ וְאֶת־הַזָּהָ֨ב וְאֶת־הַבְּשָׂמִ֜ים וְאֵ֣ת ׀ הַשֶּׁ֣מֶן הַטּ֗וֹב וְאֵת֙ כׇּל־בֵּ֣ית כֵּלָ֔יו וְאֵ֛ת כׇּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר נִמְצָ֖א בְּאֹצְרֹתָ֑יו לֹא־הָיָ֣ה דָבָ֗ר אֲ֠שֶׁ֠ר לֹֽא־הֶרְאָ֧ם חִזְקִיָּ֛הוּ בְּבֵית֖וֹ וּבְכׇל־מֶמְשַׁלְתּֽוֹ׃
3Then the Navi Yeshayahu came to King Chizkiyahu. “What,” he demanded of him, “did those men say to you? Where have they come to you from?” “They have come to me,” replied Chizkiyahu, “from a far country, from Babylon.”
vai-YA-vo y'-sha-AY-a-HU ha-na-VEE el ha-ME-lekh khiz-ki-YA-hu va-YO-mer ay-LAV: ma a-M'-RU ha-a-na-SHEEM ha-EL-leh u-may-A-yin ya-VO-u e-LE-kha? va-YO-mer khiz-ki-YA-hu: may-E-retz r'-KHO-kah BA-u e-LAI mi-BA-VEL
גוַיָּבֹא֙ יְשַֽׁעְיָ֣הוּ הַנָּבִ֔יא אֶל־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ חִזְקִיָּ֑הוּ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֵלָ֜יו מָ֥ה אָמְר֣וּ ׀ הָאֲנָשִׁ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה וּמֵאַ֙יִן֙ יָבֹ֣אוּ אֵלֶ֔יךָ וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ חִזְקִיָּ֔הוּ מֵאֶ֧רֶץ רְחוֹקָ֛ה בָּ֥אוּ אֵלַ֖י מִבָּבֶֽל׃
4Next he asked, “What have they seen in your palace?” And Chizkiyahu replied, “They have seen everything there is in my palace. There was nothing in my storehouses that I did not show them.”
vai-YO-mer MA ra-U b'-vay-TE-kha, vai-YO-mer chiz-ki-YA-hu, AYT kol a-SHER b'-vay-TEE ra-U, lo-ha-YA da-VAR a-SHER lo-hir-ee-TEEM b'-o-tz'-ro-TAI
דוַיֹּ֕אמֶר מָ֥ה רָא֖וּ בְּבֵיתֶ֑ךָ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר חִזְקִיָּ֗הוּ אֵ֣ת כׇּל־אֲשֶׁ֤ר בְּבֵיתִי֙ רָא֔וּ לֹא־הָיָ֥ה דָבָ֛ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־הִרְאִיתִ֖ים בְּאוֹצְרֹתָֽי׃
5Then Yeshayahu said to Chizkiyahu, “Hear the word of the lord of Hosts:
va-YO-mer y'-sha-YA-hu el khiz-ki-YA-hu, sh'-MA d'-var a-do-NAI t'-va-OT
הוַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְשַֽׁעְיָ֖הוּ אֶל־חִזְקִיָּ֑הוּ שְׁמַ֖ע דְּבַר־יְהֹוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת׃
6A time is coming when everything in your palace, which your ancestors have stored up to this day, will be carried off to Babylon; nothing will be left behind, said Hashem.
hi-NEH ya-MEEM ba-EEM, v'-ni-SAH kol a-SHER b'-vay-TE-kha va-a-SHER a-tz'-RU a-vo-TE-kha ad ha-YOM ha-ZEH ba-VEL, lo yi-vu-TAYR da-VAR a-MAR a-do-NAI
והִנֵּה֮ יָמִ֣ים בָּאִים֒ וְנִשָּׂ֣א ׀ כׇּל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּבֵיתֶ֗ךָ וַאֲשֶׁ֨ר אָצְר֧וּ אֲבֹתֶ֛יךָ עַד־הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּ֖ה בָּבֶ֑ל לֹֽא־יִוָּתֵ֥ר דָּבָ֖ר אָמַ֥ר יְהֹוָֽה׃
7And some of your sons, your own issue, whom you will have fathered, will be taken to serve as eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.”
u-mi-ba-NE-kha a-SHER ye-tze-U mi-ME-kha a-SHER to-LEED yi-ka-KHU, v'-ha-YU sa-REE-seem b'-he-KHAL me-LEKH ba-VEL.
זוּמִבָּנֶ֜יךָ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יֵצְא֧וּ מִמְּךָ֛ אֲשֶׁ֥ר תּוֹלִ֖יד יִקָּ֑חוּ וְהָיוּ֙ סָרִיסִ֔ים בְּהֵיכַ֖ל מֶ֥לֶךְ בָּבֶֽל׃
8Chizkiyahu declared to Yeshayahu, “The word of Hashem that you have spoken is good.” For he thought, “It means that safety is assured for my time.”
va-YO-mer khiz-ki-YA-hu el y'-sha-YA-hu TOV d'-var a-do-NAI a-SHER di-BAR-ta va-YO-mer KEE yih-YEH sha-LOM ve-e-MET b'-ya-MAI
חוַיֹּ֤אמֶר חִזְקִיָּ֙הוּ֙ אֶֽל־יְשַׁעְיָ֔הוּ ט֥וֹב דְּבַר־יְהֹוָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר דִּבַּ֑רְתָּ וַיֹּ֕אמֶר כִּ֥י יִהְיֶ֛ה שָׁל֥וֹם וֶאֱמֶ֖ת בְּיָמָֽי׃
39:8 ‘The word of Hashem that you have spoken is good.’
King Chizkiyahu’s response to Yeshayahu’s prophecy, that future calamities that would befall his people do not matter as long as “safety is assured for my time,” appears callous and out of character for the righteous king. However, it actually reflects Chizkiyahu’s ability to see the good within the message delivered to him by Yeshayahu. It assured him of offspring, sons to sit upon his throne, and respite for his people. Most importantly, he understood that the period of peace would give the Children of Israel another chance to repent and erase the decree against them entirely. One should never underestimate the opportunity to make meaningful changes when given a second chance.