Hezekiah’s Folly

¹At that time Merodach-baladan son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah since he heard that he had been ill and had recovered.[#39:1–8 2Kg 20:12–19; 2Ch 32:31]

²Hezekiah was pleased with the letters, and he showed the envoys his treasure-house #– #the silver, the gold, the spices, and the precious oil #– #and all his armoury, and everything that was found in his treasuries. There was nothing in his palace and in all his realm that Hezekiah did not show them.[#39:2 2Kg 18:15–16; #39:2 2Ch 32:25]

³Then the prophet Isaiah came to King Hezekiah and asked him, ‘What did these men say, and where did they come to you from? ’

Hezekiah replied, ‘They came to me from a distant country, from Babylon.’

⁴Isaiah asked, ‘What have they seen in your palace? ’

Hezekiah answered, ‘They have seen everything in my palace. There isn’t anything in my treasuries that I didn’t show them.’

⁵Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, ‘Hear the word of the Lord of Armies:[#39:5 Is 28:14; Zch 7:4; 8:1,18]

⁶“Look, the days are coming when everything in your palace and all that your predecessors have stored up until today will be carried off to Babylon; nothing will be left,” says the Lord .[#39:6 2Kg 24:13; 25:13–15; Jr 20:5]

⁷“Some of your descendants #– #who come from you, whom you father #– #will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.” ’

⁸Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, ‘The word of the Lord that you have spoken is good,’ for he thought: There will be peace and security during my lifetime.[#39:8 2Ch 32:26]