“Pray
For the life
Of King Nebuchadnezzar
Of Babylon!
Pray
For the life of his son
Belshazzar!
Thus their days
On earth
May be
Like the days of heaven.
Pray that
The Lord
Will give us strength!
Pray that
He will give
Light to our eyes!
We shall live
Under the protection
Of King Nebuchadnezzar
Of Babylon,
Under the protection
Of his son
Belshazzar.
We shall serve them
Many days.
We will find favor
In their sight.”
Baruch and these exiles looked very favorably on the king of Babylon, King Nebuchadnezzar (634-562 BCE), as they pray for him. They also pray for his son Belshazzar. They were going to live under the protection of both of them. They would serve both of them in order to find favor with them. King Nebuchadnezzar took over Babylon and consolidated his power around 605 BCE. He was succeeded by Amel-Marduk in 562 BCE, his son, who ruled for 2 years. Then his brother-in-law Nabonidus took over for 10 years. Belshazzar was the king of Babylon from 550-539, when the great empire fell. However, Belshazzar was not the son of King Nebuchadnezzar, but the son of Nabonidus and may have served as king with his father. Obviously there are some historical problems here.
