Isaiah 39

Hezekiah Shows Off His Treasures

1 Not long after that, King Merodach-Baladan, son of Baladan of Babylon, sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah, because he heard Hezekiah had been sick but recovered.

2 Hezekiah welcomed the messengers and showed them everything in his house, his silver, his gold, his spices, the fine oils, his whole armory, and all the treasures he owned. There was not a single thing in his palace or in his kingdom he did not show off.

Isaiah Confronts Hezekiah

3 Then the prophet Isaiah came to King Hezekiah and asked, “What those men want, Where they from?” Hezekiah said, “They came from a faraway land, from Babylon.”

4 Isaiah asked, “What did they see in your palace?” Hezekiah said, “They saw everything, I showed them all my treasures.”

God’s Judgment for Pride

5 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Listen to the word of the Lord of Armies.”

6 “The time is coming when everything in your palace, everything your ancestors stored up, going to be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the Lord.”

7 “Even some of your own sons, the ones you father, going to be taken away. They will be made servants in the palace of the king of Babylon.”

Hezekiah’s Response

8 Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The Lord’s word that you spoke is good.” Then he thought to himself, “At least there will be peace and safety while I am still alive.”