2 Kings 20:12
At that time Berodach-baladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present unto Hezekiah: for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick. At that time Berodach-baladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present unto Hezekiah: for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick.
At that time the king of Babylon sent letters and a present to Hezekiah by messengers, for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick. The visit came after God had healed Hezekiah and had given the miraculous sign of the shadow turning back on the sundial, a wonder done in the land showing that the God of heaven had granted him a new lease of life. The Babylonian visitors came to congratulate him and to learn about the God who had performed the wonder.
The visit became a test in which God left Hezekiah to reveal what was in his heart. Wisdom was withdrawn and he was left to act according to his own will.
Hezekiah welcomed the envoys and showed them his treasures, riches, prosperity and advantages. What he displayed included the treasures in God's house, the sacred things of the temple including its gold vessels, exposing what should have remained secret.
He did this from pride and self-exaltation, believing that displaying his advantages would gain him influence. His welcome and display was a mistake and sin — a heinous sin, a failure of trust in God and betrayal of sacred responsibility that amounted to giving himself to the enemy.
The display tempted Babylon to come and plunder, for the envoys left planning how to take those advantages for themselves, and God pronounced a heavy curse because of it. The account warns against placing alliances and confidence in unbelievers and opening an institution's private affairs to outsiders, as in exposing books to gain a small promised donation, since this brings spiritual weakness and harm to others far outweighing any gain.