2 Amakhosi 18
1 Ngomnyaka wesithathu kaHosheya indodana ka-Ela inkosi yako-Israyeli, uHezekhiya indodana ka-Ahazi inkosi yakoJuda waqalisa ukubusa.
Now in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign.
2 Wayeleminyaka engamatshumi amabili lanhlanu esiba yinkosi, njalo wabusa eJerusalema okweminyaka engamatshumi amabili lasificamunwemunye. Ibizo likanina lalingu-Abhija indodakazi kaZakhariya.
He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah.
3 Wenza okulungileyo phambi kukaThixo, njengalokho okwakwenziwe nguyise uDavida.
He did that which was right in Yahweh’s eyes, according to all that David his father had done.
4 Wadiliza izindawo zokukhonzela, wabhidliza amatshe ababewakhonza njalo wagamulela phansi insika zika-Ashera. Watshaya wenza izicucu inyoka yethusi eyayenziwe nguMosi, ngoba kuze kube yilesosikhathi abako-Israyeli babelokhu beyitshisela impepha. (Yayibizwa ngokuthi Nehushithani.)
He removed the high places, broke the pillars, and cut down the Asherah. He also broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, because in those days the children of Israel burned incense to it; and he called it Nehushtan.
5 UHezekhiya wayethembele kuThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli. Kakho owayenjengaye kuwo wonke amakhosi akoJuda, loba kulabo abamandulelayo kumbe labo abamlandelayo ekubuseni.
He trusted in Yahweh, the God of Israel, so that after him was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, nor among them that were before him.
6 Wabambelela kuThixo kazange ekele ukumlandela, wagcina imilayo uThixo ayeyinike uMosi.
For he joined with Yahweh. He didn’t depart from following him, but kept his commandments, which Yahweh commanded Moses.
7 UThixo wayelaye; waphumelela kukho konke ayekwenza. Wahlamukela inkosi yase-Asiriya kasabanga ngaphansi kwayo.
Yahweh was with him. Wherever he went, he prospered. He rebelled against the king of Assyria, and didn’t serve him.
8 Kusukela emphongolweni wesilindo kusiya emzini oyinqaba, wanqoba amaFilistiya, kuze kuyefika khonale eGaza lamazwe akhona.
He struck the Philistines to Gaza and its borders, from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city.
9 Ngomnyaka wesine wenkosi uHezekhiya, okwakungumnyaka wesikhombisa wokubusa kukaHosheya indodana ka-Ela inkosi yako-Israyeli, uShalimaneseri inkosi yase-Asiriya wayahlasela iSamariya wayivimbezela.
In the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it.
10 Ngemva kweminyaka emithathu ama-Asiriya alithumba. Ngakho iSamariya yathunjwa ngomnyaka wesithupha wokubusa kukaHezekhiya, okwakungumnyaka wesificamunwemunye wokubusa kukaHosheya inkosi yako-Israyeli.
At the end of three years they took it. In the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken.
11 Inkosi yase-Asiriya yaxotshela abako-Israyeli e-Asiriya yabahlalisa eHala ngaseGozani eMfuleni uHabhori lasemizini yamaMede.
The king of Assyria carried Israel away to Assyria, and put them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes,
12 Lokhu kwenzakala ngoba bengalalelanga uThixo wabo, kodwa sebephule isivumelwano sakhe, lakho konke uMosi inceku kaThixo ayebalaye ngakho. Abazanga balalele njalo abazanga bakwenze.
because they didn’t obey Yahweh their God’s voice, but transgressed his covenant, even all that Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded, and would not hear it or do it.
13 Ngomnyaka wetshumi lane wokubusa kwenkosi uHezekhiya, uSenakheribhi inkosi yase-Asiriya wahlasela wonke amadolobho avikelweyo akoJuda wawathumba.
Now in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them.
14 Ngakho uHezekhiya inkosi yakoJuda wathumela ilizwi enkosini yase-Asiriya eLakhishi esithi, “Ngiphambanisile. Suka kimi, mina ngizakubhadala konke okufunayo kimi.” Inkosi yase-Asiriya yathi uHezekhiya inkosi yakoJuda kayinike amathalenta esiliva angamakhulu amathathu kanye legolide elingamathalenta angamatshumi amathathu.
Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have offended you. Withdraw from me. That which you put on me, I will bear.” The king of Assyria appointed to Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.
15 Ngakho uHezekhiya wamnika sonke isiliva esatholakala ethempelini likaThixo lasezindlini zenotho yesigodlweni senkosi.
Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in Yahweh’s house and in the treasures of the king’s house.
16 Ngalesisikhathi uHezekhiya inkosi yakoJuda waxexebula igolide elalisezivalweni zethempeli likaThixo lelalinanyathiselwe emigubazini yethempeli likaThixo, walinika inkosi yase-Asiriya.
At that time, Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of Yahweh’s temple, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria.
17 Inkosi yase-Asiriya yathumela umlawuli omkhulu wamabutho ayo, lesikhulu somndlunkulu kanye lomlawuli wamabutho lamabutho amanengi, besuka eLakhishi besiya enkosini uHezekhiya eJerusalema. Bafika eJerusalema bema emgelweni wechibi elingaphezulu, elisendleleni yeNsimu yoMgezisi.
The king of Assyria sent Tartan, Rabsaris, and Rabshakeh from Lachish to King Hezekiah with a great army to Jerusalem. They went up and came to Jerusalem. When they had come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the fuller’s field.
18 Babiza inkosi ngokwayo: Kodwa kweza u-Eliyakhimu indodana kaHilikhiya umphathi wesigodlo, loShebhina umabhalane, loJowa indodana ka-Asafi umbhali.
When they had called to the king, Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebnah the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder came out to them.
19 Umlawuli webutho wathi kubo, “Tshelani uHezekhiya ukuthi: ‘Nanku okutshiwo yinkosi enkulu, inkosi yase-Asiriya ithi: Uthembeni ngalesisibindi sakho na?
Rabshakeh said to them, “Say now to Hezekiah, ‘The great king, the king of Assyria, says, “What confidence is this in which you trust?
20 Uthi ulamaqhinga lamandla ebutho, kodwa ukhuluma amazwi ayize. Uthembe bani uze ungihlamukele nje?
You say (but they are but vain words), ‘There is counsel and strength for war.’ Now on whom do you trust, that you have rebelled against me?
21 Khangela, ngiyazi uthembe iGibhithe, yona enjengomhlanga ozimvava osika isandla somuntu umlimaze nxa eweyamile. Unjalo uFaro inkosi yaseGibhithe kubo bonke abathembele kuye.
Now, behold, you trust in the staff of this bruised reed, even in Egypt. If a man leans on it, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust on him.
22 Njalo nxa lisithi kimi, “Thina sithembe uThixo uNkulunkulu wethu”: kasuye yini uHezekhiya asusa izindawo zakhe eziphakemeyo lama-alithare akhe, esithi kuJuda leJerusalema, “Kumele likhonzele phambi kwaleli i-alithari eliseJerusalema”?
But if you tell me, ‘We trust in Yahweh our God,’ isn’t that he whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and has said to Judah and to Jerusalem, ‘You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem’?
23 Khathesi woza wenze isivumelwano lenkosi yami, inkosi yase-Asiriya: Ngizakunika amabhiza azinkulungwane ezimbili nxa bekhona abazawagada!
Now therefore, please give pledges to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses if you are able on your part to set riders on them.
24 Pho ungayehlula njani induna yezikhulu ezincane zenkosi yami eyodwa, lanxa uthembele eGibhithe ekutholeni izinqola zempi labagadi bamabhiza na?
How then can you turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master’s servants, and put your trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?
25 Phezu kwalokho, kanti ngizehlasela lokuzochitha lindawo ngaphandle kwelizwi elivela kuThixo na? UThixo uqobo nguye othe ngizohlasela ilizwe leli ngilichithe.’”
Have I now come up without Yahweh against this place to destroy it? Yahweh said to me, ‘Go up against this land, and destroy it.’”’”
26 Ngakho u-Eliyakhimu indodana kaHilikhiya, loShebhina loJowa bathi kumlawuli webutho, “Ake ukhulume ezincekwini zakho ngesi-Aramayikhi, ngoba siyasizwa. Ungasikhulumisi ngesiHebheru lababantu abasemdulini besizwa.”
Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, Shebnah, and Joah, said to Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in the Syrian language, for we understand it. Don’t speak with us in the Jews’ language, in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.”
27 Kodwa umlawuli webutho waphendula esithi, “Inkosi yami ingithume ukuba izinto lezi ngizitsho kuphela enkosini yenu lakini, hatshi ebantwini abahlezi emdulini, okuzakuthi labo, njengani badle ubulongwe babo banathe lomchamo wabo na?”
But Rabshakeh said to them, “Has my master sent me to your master and to you, to speak these words? Hasn’t he sent me to the men who sit on the wall, to eat their own dung, and to drink their own urine with you?”
28 Umlawuli webutho wasukuma wasememeza ngesiHebheru esithi, “Zwanini ilizwi lenkosi enkulu, inkosi yase-Asiriya!
Then Rabshakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jews’ language, and spoke, saying, “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria.
29 Lokhu yikho okutshiwo yinkosi: Lingamvumeli uHezekhiya ukuba alikhohlise. Angeke alikhulule.
The king says, ‘Don’t let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you out of his hand.
30 Lingamvumeli uHezekhiya elincenga ukuba lithembe kuThixo lapho esithi, ‘Ngempela uThixo uzasikhulula; idolobho leli kaliyikuphiwa esandleni senkosi yase-Asiriya.’
Don’t let Hezekiah make you trust in Yahweh, saying, “Yahweh will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.”
31 Lingamlaleli uHezekhiya. Nanku okutshiwo yinkosi yase-Asiriya: Yenza isivumelwano sokuthula lami, uphume uze kimi. Lapho-ke omunye lomunye uzakudla esivinini sakhe lasemkhiweni wakhe anathe lamanzi emthonjeni wakhe,
Don’t listen to Hezekiah.’ For the king of Assyria says, ‘Make your peace with me, and come out to me; and everyone of you eat from his own vine, and everyone from his own fig tree, and everyone drink water from his own cistern;
32 ngize ngifike ngilithathe, ngilise elizweni elifanana lelakini, ilizwe lamabele lewayini elitsha, ilizwe lesinkwa lezivini, ilizwe lezihlahla zama-oliva loluju. Khethani impilo hatshi ukufa, Lingamlaleli uHezekhiya, ngoba uyalikhohlisa nxa esithi, ‘UThixo uzasikhulula.’
until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and of honey, that you may live and not die. Don’t listen to Hezekiah when he persuades you, saying, “Yahweh will deliver us.”
33 Kambe ukhona unkulunkulu wesinye isizwe osewake wakhulula ilizwe lakhe esandleni senkosi yase-Asiriya na?
Has any of the gods of the nations ever delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
34 Bangaphi onkulunkulu baseHamathi le-Ariphadi na? Bangaphi onkulunkulu baseSefavayimi labaseHena labase-Iva na? Bayikhululile iSamariya esandleni sami na?
Where are the gods of Hamath and of Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivvah? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?
35 Nguphi kubo bonke onkulunkulu bamazwe la oke wenelisa ukukhulula ilizwe lakhe kimi na? Pho uThixo angayikhulula njani iJerusalema esandleni sami na?”
Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of my hand, that Yahweh should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?’”
36 Kodwa abantu bathula kabazange batsho lutho, ngoba inkosi yayilaye yathi, “Lingamphenduli.”
But the people stayed quiet, and answered him not a word; for the king’s commandment was, “Don’t answer him.”
37 U-Eliyakhimu indodana kaHilikhiya umgcini wesigodlo loShebhina umabhalane loJowa indodana ka-Asafi umbhali, baya kuHezekhiya izigqoko zabo zidabukile bamtshela okwakutshiwo ngumlawuli webutho.
Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, came with Shebna the scribe and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him Rabshakeh’s words.
