Isaiah 39

Christian Standard Bible Anglicised

Hezekiah’s Folly

39 At that time^(A) 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. ² Hezekiah 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.^(B) There was nothing in his palace and in all his realm that Hezekiah did not show them.^(C)

³ Then 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.’

⁴ Isaiah 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.’

⁵ Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, ‘Hear the word of the Lord of Armies:^{(D) 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.^{(E) 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.” ’

⁸ Then 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.^(F)