Isa 39 | EE | STEP | When those things happened, Merodach-Baladan was the king of Babylon. He was the son of Baladan. Merodach-Baladan sent Hezekiah letters and a gift. People had told him that Hezekiah was ill. But now people told him that Hezekiah was better.

Isaiah 39

Hezekiah’s mistake

1 When those things happened, Merodach-Baladan was the king of Babylon. He was the son of Baladan. Merodach-Baladan sent Hezekiah letters and a gift. People had told him that Hezekiah was ill. But now people told him that Hezekiah was better. 2 Hezekiah was happy to meet the officers from the king of Babylon. Hezekiah showed to them the places where he stored his valuable things. He showed to them what was there. He showed to them silver and gold, spices and very good oil. He showed to them all his arms for war and everything else that was valuable. There was nothing in his beautiful house or in his whole country that Hezekiah did not show to them. 3 Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and Isaiah said to him, ‘What did those men say? And where did they come to you from?’ Then Hezekiah said, ‘They came to me from the far country called Babylon.’ 4 And Isaiah asked, ‘What did they see in your house?’ So Hezekiah said, ‘They saw everything that is in my house. There is nothing among my valuable things that I did not show to them.’ 5 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, ‘Hear what the LORD of Many Armies says to you.

6 “This is what will certainly happen. Soldiers from Babylon will take everything that is in your beautiful house to Babylon. They will take everything that your ancestors have stored here until now. They will leave nothing here”, says the LORD.

7 “And some of your own sons, your grandsons and their sons, too, will go to Babylon. Soldiers from Babylon will cause them to go there. And they will become eunuchs in the beautiful house of the king of Babylon.”’ 8 And Hezekiah said to Isaiah, ‘The words that you said from the LORD are good.’ But what he really thought was, ‘There will be no war while I am alive. And it will be safe while I am alive.’