2 Imilando 32

1 Emva kwalezizenzo zobuqotho uSenakheribi inkosi yeAsiriya wafika wangena koJuda, wamisa inkamba maqondana lemizi ebiyelweyo eqonde ukuzifohlelela yona.

2 UHezekhiya esebonile ukuthi uSenakheribi usefikile lokuthi ubuso bakhe bukhangele impi emelene leJerusalema,

3 wacebisana lezinduna zakhe lamaqhawe akhe ukuvimba amanzi emithombo eyayingaphandle komuzi; basebemsiza.

4 Kwasekubuthaniswa abantu abanengi, abavimba yonke imithombo lesifula esasigeleza phakathi kwelizwe, besithi: Kungani amakhosi eAsiriya ezafika afice amanzi amanengi.

5 Waseziqinisa, wakha umduli wonke owawudilikile, wawukhweza emiphotshongweni, lomunye umduli ngaphandle; waqinisa iMilo emzini kaDavida; wenza lezikhali lezihlangu ngobunengi.

6 Wasebekela abantu induna zezimpi, wazibuthanisela bona egcekeni lesango lomuzi, wakhuluma kunhliziyo yabo esithi:

7 Qinani lime isibindi; lingesabi lingatshaywa luvalo phambi kwenkosi yeAsiriya laphambi kwexuku lonke elilayo; ngoba kukhona kithi omkhulu kulaye.

8 Kuye kulengalo yenyama, kodwa kithi kuleNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu ukusisiza lokulwa izimpi zethu. Abantu basebeseyama phezu kwamazwi kaHezekhiya inkosi yakoJuda.

9 Emva kwalokho uSenakheribi inkosi yeAsiriya wathuma inceku zakhe eJerusalema (kodwa yena wayephambi kweLakishi lawo wonke amandla akhe elaye) kuHezekhiya inkosi yakoJuda lakuJuda wonke oseJerusalema, esithi:

10 Utsho njalo uSenakheribi inkosi yeAsiriya: Lithembeni ukuthi lihlale ekuvinjezelweni eJerusalema?

11 UHezekhiya kalikhohlisi yini ukuthi alinikele ukuthi life yindlala langokoma esithi: INkosi uNkulunkulu wethu izasikhulula esandleni senkosi yeAsiriya?

12 Kasuye yini lo uHezekhiya owasusa indawo zayo eziphakemeyo lamalathi ayo, watshela uJuda leJerusalema esithi: Lizakhonza phambi kwelathi elilodwa, litshise impepha kulo?

13 Kalazi yini engakwenzayo mina labobaba kubo bonke abantu bamazwe? Onkulunkulu bezizwe zalawomazwe babelakho lokuba lakho yini ukukhulula amazwe abo esandleni sami?

14 Nguwuphi kubo bonke onkulunkulu balezozizwe obaba abazitshabalalisayo owaba lakho ukukhulula abantu bakhe esandleni sami, ukuthi uNkulunkulu wenu abe lakho ukulikhulula esandleni sami?

15 Ngalokho-ke uHezekhiya kangalikhohlisi, kangaliduhisi ngokunjalo, lingamkholwa; ngoba kakho unkulunkulu owasiphi isizwe lombuso owaba lakho ukukhulula abantu bakhe esandleni sami lesabobaba. Laye sibili uNkulunkulu wenu kayikulikhulula esandleni sami yini?

16 Inceku zakhe zatsho lokunye zimelene leNkosi uNkulunkulu njalo zimelene loHezekhiya inceku yayo.

17 Wabhala lezincwadi zokuthuka iNkosi uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli lokukhuluma zimelene layo zisithi: Njengabonkulunkulu bezizwe zalawomazwe abangakhululanga abantu babo esandleni sami, ngokunjalo uNkulunkulu kaHezekhiya kayikukhulula abantu bakhe esandleni sami.

18 Zasezimemeza ngelizwi elikhulu ngesiJuda ebantwini beJerusalema ababephezu komduli ukubethusa lokubahlupha ukuze ziwuthumbe umuzi.

19 Zasezikhuluma ngoNkulunkulu weJerusalema njengabonkulunkulu bezizwe zomhlaba, umsebenzi wezandla zomuntu.

20 Kodwa uHezekhiya inkosi loIsaya umprofethi indodana kaAmozi bakhuleka ngenxa yalokhu, bakhala emazulwini.

21 INkosi yasithuma ingilosi eyaquma wonke amaqhawe alamandla labaphathi lezinduna enkambeni yenkosi yeAsiriya. Ngakho yabuyela elizweni layo ilobuso obulenhloni. Isingenile endlini kankulunkulu wayo, abaphuma emathunjini ayo bamenza wawa lapho ngenkemba.

22 Ngokunjalo iNkosi yamsindisa uHezekhiya labahlali beJerusalema esandleni sikaSenakheribi inkosi yeAsiriya lesandleni sabo bonke; yasibakhokhela inhlangothi zonke.

23 Abanengi basebeletha izipho eNkosini eJerusalema, lezinto eziligugu kuHezekhiya inkosi yakoJuda; wasephakanyiswa emehlweni ezizwe zonke emva kwalokhu.

24 Ngalezonsuku uHezekhiya wagulela ukufa; wasekhuleka eNkosini; yasikhuluma laye yamnika isibonakaliso.

25 Kodwa uHezekhiya kabuyiselanga njengokwenzuzo ayeyenzelwe, ngoba inhliziyo yakhe yayiphakeme. Ngakho kwaba lolaka phezu kwakhe laphezu kukaJuda leJerusalema.

26 Kodwa uHezekhiya wazithoba ngenxa yokuphakama kwenhliziyo yakhe, yena labahlali beJerusalema; ngakho ulaka lweNkosi kalwehlelanga phezu kwabo ensukwini zikaHezekhiya.

27 Njalo uHezekhiya wayelenotho lodumo kakhulukazi, wazenzela iziphala zesiliva lezegolide lezamatshe aligugu lezamakha lezezihlangu lezezinto zonke eziloyisekayo.

28 Leziphala zesivuno samabele lewayini elitsha lamafutha, lezibaya zenhlobo zonke zezifuyo, lezibaya zemihlambi.

29 Wazenzela lemizi, lemfuyo yezimvu lenkomo ngobunengi, ngoba uNkulunkulu wayemnikile impahla enengi kakhulu.

30 UHezekhiya lo wasevimba umthombo wamanzi angaphezulu eGihoni, wawaqondisa ehla ngentshonalanga komuzi kaDavida. UHezekhiya waphumelela kuyo yonke imisebenzi yakhe.

31 Kodwa kwakunjalo, mayelana lezithunywa zeziphathamandla zeBhabhiloni, ezathumela kuye ukubuza ngesibonakaliso esenzakalayo elizweni, uNkulunkulu wamtshiya ukuze amhlole ukuthi azi konke okusenhliziyweni yakhe.

32 Ezinye-ke zezindaba zikaHezekhiya lomusa wakhe, khangela, kubhaliwe embonweni kaIsaya umprofethi indodana kaAmozi, egwalweni lwamakhosi akoJuda lawakoIsrayeli.

33 UHezekhiya waselala laboyise; basebemngcwabela kweliphezulu kakhulu lamangcwaba amadodana kaDavida; uJuda wonke labahlali beJerusalema basebemenzela inhlonipho ekufeni kwakhe. UManase indodana yakhe wasesiba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe.