Isaiah 38
1 About that time, Hezekiah became [very] ill and was close to dying. [So] I went to see him. And I gave him this message: “This is what Yahweh says: ‘You should tell the people in your palace what you want them to do after you die, because you will not recover from this illness. You are going to die’”
Ngalezonsuku uHezekhiya wagula eselengela ekufeni. Umphrofethi u-Isaya, indodana ka-Amozi waya kuye wathi, “Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo: Lungisa indlu yakho ngoba uzakufa, awuyikusila.”
2 Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed this:
UHezekhiya waphenduka wakhangela emdulini wakhuleka kuThixo esithi,
3 “Yahweh, do not forget that I have always served you very faithfully, and I have done things that pleased you!” Then Hezekiah [started to] cry loudly.
“Khumbula, Thixo, ukuthi ngihambe phambi kwakho ngokuthembeka langokuzinikela ngenhliziyo yami yonke, njalo ngenze okuhle emehlweni akho.” UHezekhiya wakhala kabuhlungu.
4 [I left his room, but] Yahweh gave me this message:
Emva kwalokho kwafika ilizwi likaThixo ku-Isaya lisithi:
5 “Go [back] to Hezekiah and tell him that this is what I, the God to whom your ancestor King David belonged, say: ‘I have heard what you prayed, and I have seen you crying. So listen: I will enable you to live 15 years more.
“Yana kuHezekhiya uthi kuye, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo, uNkulunkulu kayihlo uDavida, uthi: Ngiwuzwile umkhuleko wakho, njalo ngizibonile lezinyembezi zakho. Ngizakwengezelela iminyaka elitshumi lanhlanu ekuphileni kwakho.
6 And, I will rescue you and this city from the power [MTY] of the King of Assyria. I will defend this city.
Njalo ngizakukhulula wena, kanye ledolobho leli ezandleni zenkosi yase-Asiriya. Ngizavikela idolobho leli.
7 And this is what I will do to prove that I will do what I have just now promised. I will cause the shadow of the sun to move ten steps backward on the sundial that was built by King Ahaz.’”
Lesi yisibonakaliso sikaThixo kuwe sokuthi uThixo uzakwenza njengokuthembisa kwakhe:
8 So the shadow of the sun on the sundial moved backward ten steps.
Ngizakwenza umthunzi obangelwe lilanga ubuyele emuva amanyathelo alitshumi umthunzi owehle ngawo emakhwelelweni ka-Ahazi.’” Ngakho ukukhanya kwelanga kwabuyela emuva ngamanyathela alitshumi elaselikhothame ngawo.
9 When King Hezekiah was almost well again, he wrote this:
La ngamazwi alotshwa nguHezekhiya inkosi yakoJuda emva kokuba esesilile ekuguleni kwakhe:
10 I thought to myself, “Is it necessary for me to die and go to the place where the dead people are during this time of my life when I am still strong? Is Yahweh going to rob me of the remaining years that I [should live]?” (Sheol h7585)
Ngathi, “Ebuhleni bokuphila kwami kumele ngedlule emasangweni okufa ngamukwe iminyaka yami eseleyo na?” (Sheol h7585)
11 I said, “I will not see Yahweh [again] in this world where people are alive. I will not see my friends again, or be with others who [now] are alive in this world.
Ngathi, “Angiyikumbona futhi uThixo ngokwakhe elizweni labaphilayo; angisayikubabona futhi abantu bakithi loba ngibe lalabo abahlala kulumhlaba.
12 [It is as if] my life has been taken away like [SIM] a tent [whose pegs] have been pulled up by a shepherd and taken away. My time to live has been cut short, like a piece of cloth that a weaver [cuts and] rolls up [after he has finished weaving a cloth].” Suddenly, [it seemed that] my life was ending.
Njengethente lomelusi indlu yami idiliziwe ngayithathelwa. Njengomaluki impilo yami ngiyigoqile, ungisusile osungulweni; emini lebusuku ungenze ngaphela.
13 I waited patiently all during the night, but [my pain was as though] [MET] I was being torn apart by lions. [It seemed that] my life was finished.
Ngalinda ngokubekezela kwaze kwasa, kodwa amathambo ami uwephule wonke njengesilwane; emini lebusuku ungenze ngaphela.
14 [I was delirious, and] I chirped like a swift or a swallow, and moaned like a dove. My eyes became tired looking up [toward heaven] for help. I cried out, Lord, help me, [because] I am distressed!’
Ngakhala njengenkonjane kumbe ihemu, ngabubula njengejuba elililayo. Amehlo ami afiphele ngokukhangela phezulu. Awu Thixo, ngikhathazekile, woza ungisize!”
15 But there was really nothing [RHQ] that I could say and ask him to reply to me, because it was Yahweh who sent this illness. [So now] I will live humbly during my [remaining] years because I am very anguished.
Kodwa ngingathini na? Ukhulumile kimi, wena ngokwakho ukwenzile lokhu. Ngizahamba ngokuzithoba ekuphileni kwami konke ngenxa yobuhlungu bomoya wami.
16 Yahweh, the sufferings (OR, the promises) that you give are good, [because] what you do and what you say bring [new] life and health to us. And you restore/heal me and allow me [to continue] to live!
Thixo, abantu baphila ngezinto ezinje; lomoya wami uthola ukuphila kuzo. Wangibuyisela empilweni wangenza ngaphila.
17 Truly, my suffering was good for me; you loved me, and as a result you have rescued me from dying and have also forgiven all my sins.
Ngeqiniso kwaba lusizo kimi ukuzwa ubuhlungu obungaka. Ngothando lwakho wangivikela emgodini wokutshabalaliswa; izono zami zonke uzibeke ngemva kwakho.
18 Dead people [MTY] cannot praise you; they cannot sing to praise you. Those who have descended to their graves cannot confidently expect you to faithfully [do things for them]. (Sheol h7585)
Ngoba ingcwaba alingeke likubonge lokufa akungeke kukudumise; labo abangena emgodini abangeke bathemba ubuqotho bakho. (Sheol h7585)
19 Only people who are still alive, like I am, can praise you. Fathers tell their children how you are faithful, [and if I remain alive, I will do the same thing].
Abaphilayo, ngempela abaphilayo, bayakudumisa njengalokhu engikwenzayo lamuhla; abazali batshela abantwababo ngobuqotho bakho.
20 [I know that] Yahweh will fully heal me, [so] I will sing to praise him while others praise him playing musical instruments; I will do that every day of my life, in the temple of Yahweh.”
UThixo uzangisindisa; njalo sizahlabelela ngamachacho kuzozonke insuku zokuphila kwethu ethempelini likaThixo.
21 I had [previously] said to Hezekiah’s servants, “Prepare an ointment from [mashed] figs, and spread it on his boil, and then he will recover.” [So they did that, and Hezekiah recovered].
U-Isaya wayethe, “Lungisani isigaqa semikhiwa usifake phezu kwethumba, uzasila.”
22 And Hezekiah had [previously] asked, “What will Yahweh do to prove that I will [recover and be able to] go to his temple?”
UHezekhiya wayebuze wathi, “Kuyini okuzakuba yisibonakaliso sokuthi ngizakhwela ngiye phezulu ethempelini likaThixo na?”
