WEB
Isaiah 39
A short, ominous coda to the Hezekiah cycle. Merodach-baladan of Babylon sends letters and a gift after hearing of the king's recovery, and a flattered Hezekiah shows the envoys everything: silver, gold, spices, oil, his whole armory and all his treasures, holding nothing back. Isaiah's question is pointed, what did they see, and the answer becomes the hinge of the entire book: all of it will one day go to Babylon.
- 1
At that time, Merodach-baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that he had been sick, and had recovered.
- 2
Hezekiah was pleased with them, and showed them the house of his precious things, the silver, the gold, the spices, and the precious oil, and all the house of his armor, and all that was found in his treasures. There was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah didn’t show them.
- 3
Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah, and asked him, “What did these men say? From where did they come to you?” Hezekiah said, “They have come from a country far from me, even from Babylon.”
- 4
Then he asked, “What have they seen in your house?” Hezekiah answered, “They have seen all that is in my house. There is nothing among my treasures that I have not shown them.”
- 5
Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the LORD of Armies:
- 6
‘Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up until today, will be carried to Babylon. Nothing will be left,’ says the LORD.
- 7
‘They will take away your sons who will issue from you, whom you shall father, and they will be eunuchs in the king of Babylon’s palace.’”
- 8
Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The LORD’s word which you have spoken is good.” He said moreover, “For there will be peace and truth in my days.”
- 1
Naquele tempo, Merodaque-Baladã, filho de Baladã, rei da Babilônia, enviou cartas e um presente a Ezequias, pois soube que ele estivera doente e havia se recuperado.
- 2
Ezequias se alegrou com eles, e lhes mostrou a casa de suas coisas preciosas, a prata, o ouro, as especiarias e o óleo precioso, e toda a casa de suas armas, e tudo o que se encontrava em seus tesouros. Não houve nada em sua casa, nem em todo o seu domínio, que Ezequias não lhes mostrasse.
- 3
Então o profeta Isaías veio ao rei Ezequias, e lhe perguntou: “O que estes homens disseram? De onde eles vieram até você?” Ezequias disse: “Eles vieram de um país distante de mim, da Babilônia.”
- 4
Então ele perguntou: “O que eles viram em sua casa?” Ezequias respondeu: “Eles viram tudo o que há em minha casa. Não há nada entre os meus tesouros que eu não lhes tenha mostrado.”
- 5
Então Isaías disse a Ezequias: “Ouça a palavra do SENHOR dos Exércitos:
- 6
‘Eis que vêm dias em que tudo o que há em sua casa, e o que os seus pais acumularam até o dia de hoje, será levado para a Babilônia. Nada restará’, diz o SENHOR.
- 7
‘Eles levarão os seus filhos que procederão de você, os quais você gerará, e eles serão eunucos no palácio do rei da Babilônia.’”
- 8
Então Ezequias disse a Isaías: “A palavra do SENHOR que você falou é boa.” Ele disse mais: “Pois haverá paz e verdade em meus dias.”
The hinge from Assyria to Babylon
Hezekiah, who spread Assyria's threatening letter before the LORD in chapter 37, now eagerly displays his wealth to a Babylonian embassy. Isaiah foretells that everything stored up will be carried to Babylon and that Hezekiah's own descendants will become eunuchs in that king's palace.
The king's reply, that the LORD's word is good because there will be peace in his days, is unsettling rather than pious; he hears judgment on his children and is content with his own respite. This chapter ends the historical section and turns the book toward exile, the very setting chapter 40 will address.
Context layers
Keep these closed by default and open them only when you want more context.
Share a small range via:
/en/web/isaiah/39/16-18
Or use the Passage link builder.