2 Amakhosi 19
1 Kwathi lapho uHezekhiya, inkosi, esezwe lokhu, wadabula izigqoko zakhe wagqoka amasaka, wasesiya ethempelini likaThixo.
When King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and went into Yahweh’s house.
2 Wathuma u-Eliyakhimu umphathi wesigodlo, uShebhina umabhalane labaphristi abangabakhokheli, bonke begqoke amasaka, baya kumphrofethi u-Isaya indodana ka-Amozi.
He sent Eliakim, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz.
3 Bathi kuye, “UHezekhiya uthi: ilanga lanamhla lusuku losizi lokusolwa kanye lehlazo njengalapho abantwana sekufike isikhathi sokuthi bazalwe kodwa amandla okubeletha engekho.
They said to him, “Hezekiah says, ‘Today is a day of trouble, of rebuke, and of rejection; for the children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to deliver them.
4 Mhlawumbe uThixo uNkulunkulu wakho izawezwa wonke amazwi omlawuli webutho, onkosi yakhe, inkosi yase-Asiriya, emthume ukuba athuke uNkulunkulu ophilayo, lokuthi uzamthuka ngenxa yamazwi uThixo uNkulunkulu wakho awazwileyo. Ngakho-ke khulekela insali elokhu iphila.”
It may be Yahweh your God will hear all the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master has sent to defy the living God, and will rebuke the words which Yahweh your God has heard. Therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.’”
5 Kwathi izithunywa zenkosi uHezekhiya sezifikile ku-Isaya,
So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah.
6 u-Isaya wathi kuzo, “Tshelani inkosi yenu lithi, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo: Ungesabi lokhu okuzwileyo, amazwi lawana izinceku zenkosi yase-Asiriya ezingithuke ngawo.
Isaiah said to them, “Tell your master this: ‘Yahweh says, “Don’t be afraid of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.
7 Lalela! Ngizafaka umoya ozamenza athi nxa esizwa umbiko othile, afune ukubuyela elizweni lakhe, athi angafika khonale ngenze ukuba abulawe ngenkemba.’”
Behold, I will put a spirit in him, and he will hear news, and will return to his own land. I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.”’”
8 Kwathi lapho umlawuli webutho esezwile ukuthi inkosi yase-Asiriya yayisisukile eLakhishi, laye wasuka wayathola inkosi isilwa leLibhina.
So Rabshakeh returned and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah; for he had heard that he had departed from Lachish.
9 USenakheribhi wemukela umbiko othi uThirihaka, inkosi yaseKhushi, wayesiza ukuba amhlasele. Ngakho wathumela njalo izithunywa kuHezekhiya lombiko othi:
When he heard it said of Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, “Behold, he has come out to fight against you,” he sent messengers again to Hezekiah, saying,
10 “Tshela uHezekhiya inkosi yakoJuda ukuthi: Ungavumi ukuthi unkulunkulu omthembileyo akukhohlise esithi, ‘IJerusalema kaliyikunikelwa enkosini yase-Asiriya.’
“Tell Hezekiah king of Judah this: ‘Don’t let your God in whom you trust deceive you, saying, Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.
11 Ngempela usukuzwile okwenziwa ngamakhosi ase-Asiriya emazweni wonke, ewabhidliza okupheleleyo. Wena-ke uzaphepha na?
Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, by destroying them utterly. Will you be delivered?
12 Onkulunkulu bezizwe ezatshabalaliswa ngokhokho bami bake bazikhulula na onkulunkulu beGozani, leHarani, leRezefi kanye labantu base-Edeni ababeseThelasari?
Have the gods of the nations delivered them, which my fathers have destroyed—Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the children of Eden who were in Telassar?
13 Ingaphi inkosi yaseHamathi, inkosi yase-Ariphadi, angaphi amakhosi aseLayiri leSefavayimi, loba eyaseHena kumbe eyase-Iva?”
Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivvah?’”
14 UHezekhiya wamukela incwadi eyeza lezithunywa wayibala. Emva kwalokho waya ethempelini leNkosi, wayichaya phambi kukaThixo.
Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it. Then Hezekiah went up to Yahweh’s house, and spread it before Yahweh.
15 UHezekhiya wakhuleka kuThixo esithi: “Thixo, Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, osebukhosini phakathi kwamaKherubhi, wena kuphela nguwe onguNkulunkulu wemibuso yonke yasemhlabeni. Nguwe owenza izulu lomhlaba.
Hezekiah prayed before Yahweh, and said, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, who are enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, even you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.
16 Beka indlebe, Thixo, uzwe; vula amehlo akho Thixo, ubone. Lalela uzwe amazwi uSenakheribhi awathumele ukuzathuka uNkulunkulu ophilayo.
Incline your ear, Yahweh, and hear. Open your eyes, Yahweh, and see. Hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to defy the living God.
17 Kuliqiniso, Thixo, ukuthi amakhosi ase-Asiriya azitshabalalisa lezizizwe kanye lamazwe azo.
Truly, Yahweh, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands,
18 Aphosele onkulunkulu bawo emlilweni abatshabalalisa, ngoba kungesibo onkulunkulu kodwa yizigodo lamatshe kuphela, okubunjwe ngezandla zabantu.
and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were no gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. Therefore they have destroyed them.
19 Khathesi, Thixo, Nkulunkulu wethu, sikhulule esandleni sakhe, ukuze imibuso yonke emhlabeni ibekwazi, ukuthi wena wedwa, Thixo, unguNkulunkulu.”
Now therefore, Yahweh our God, save us, I beg you, out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, Yahweh, are God alone.”
20 U-Isaya indodana ka-Amozi wathumela ilizwi kuHezekhiya elithi: “Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli: Ngiwuzwile umkhuleko wakho mayelana loSenakheribhi inkosi yase-Asiriya.
Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, says ‘You have prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria, and I have heard you.
21 Nanti ilizwi uThixo aselikhulume ngaye: ‘Ndodakazi eGcweleyo iZiyoni iyakweyisa njalo iyakuklolodela. Ndodakazi iJerusalema inqekuza ikhanda layo lapho wena ubaleka.
This is the word that Yahweh has spoken concerning him: ‘The virgin daughter of Zion has despised you and ridiculed you. The daughter of Jerusalem has shaken her head at you.
22 Ngubani lowo omthukileyo wamhlazisa? Ngubani lowo omphakamisele ilizwi lakho wamphakamisela lamehlo akho ngokuzigqaja na? NgoNgcwele ka-Israyeli!
Whom have you defied and blasphemed? Against whom have you exalted your voice and lifted up your eyes on high? Against the Holy One of Israel!
23 Ngezithunywa zakho umthukile uThixo. Utshilo njalo ukuthi, “Ngezinqola zami ezinengi ngikhwelile eziqongweni zezintaba, iziqongo eziphezulu kakhulu zaseLebhanoni. Sengigamule ngawisa izihlahla ezinde zemisedari, izihlahla ezikhethiweyo zamaphayini. Ngifikile eziqongweni zalo ezikhatshana, emaguswini alo amahle kakhulu.
By your messengers, you have defied the Lord, and have said, “With the multitude of my chariots, I have come up to the height of the mountains, to the innermost parts of Lebanon, and I will cut down its tall cedars and its choice cypress trees; and I will enter into his farthest lodging place, the forest of his fruitful field.
24 Ngigebhile imithombo ezizweni nganatha amanzi khona. Ngezinyawo zami ngomisile zonke izifula zaseGibhithe.”’”
I have dug and drunk strange waters, and I will dry up all the rivers of Egypt with the sole of my feet.”
25 “‘Kawuzwanga na? Lokhu ngakumisa endulo. Ngakuceba ensukwini zasendulo; khathesi sengenze ukuba kufezeke, ukuthi usudilize amadolobho avikelweyo aba yizinqwaba zamatshe.
Haven’t you heard how I have done it long ago, and formed it of ancient times? Now I have brought it to pass, that it should be yours to lay waste fortified cities into ruinous heaps.
26 Abantu bakhona, abangaselamandla, badangele njalo bayangekile. Banjengezilimo ensimini, njengamahlumela aluhlaza, lanjengotshani obuhluma ephahleni lwendlu bubuye butshe bungakakhuli.
Therefore their inhabitants had little power. They were dismayed and confounded. They were like the grass of the field and like the green herb, like the grass on the housetops and like grain blasted before it has grown up.
27 Kodwa ngiyakwazi lapho okhona, lalapho usiza uphinde uhambe; kanye lokuthi ungithukuthelela kangakanani.
But I know your sitting down, your going out, your coming in, and your raging against me.
28 Ngenxa yokungithukuthelela kwakho langenxa yokuthi ubuqholo bakho sebufikile ezindlebeni zami ngizafaka umkhala wami emakhaleni akho lamatomu ami emlonyeni wakho, njalo ngizakwenza ubuyele ngendlela oze ngayo.’
Because of your raging against me, and because your arrogance has come up into my ears, therefore I will put my hook in your nose, and my bridle in your lips, and I will turn you back by the way by which you came.’
29 Lokhu kuzakuba yisibonakaliso kuwe, Hezekhiya: Lonyaka lizakudla okuzikhulela kodwa, ngomnyaka wesibili lidle umkhukhuzela wakhona. Kodwa ngomnyaka wesithathu hlanyelani livune, hlanyelani izivini lidle izithelo zazo.
“This will be the sign to you: This year, you will eat that which grows of itself, and in the second year that which springs from that; and in the third year sow and reap, and plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
30 Futhi insali yendlu kaJuda izagxilisa njalo impande phansi ithele izithelo ngaphezulu.
The remnant that has escaped of the house of Judah will again take root downward, and bear fruit upward.
31 Ngoba eJerusalema kuzavela insali, kuthi entabeni iZiyoni kuphume ixuku labasindayo. Ukutshiseka kukaThixo uSomandla kuzakwenza ukuba lokhu kufezeke.
For out of Jerusalem a remnant will go out, and out of Mount Zion those who shall escape. Yahweh’s zeal will perform this.
32 Ngakho-ke mayelana lenkosi yase-Asiriya uThixo uthi: ‘Kasoze angene kulelidolobho loba atshoke umtshoko lapha. Kasoze eze kulo elehawu kumbe akhe umduli wokulivimbezela.
“Therefore Yahweh says concerning the king of Assyria, ‘He will not come to this city, nor shoot an arrow there. He will not come before it with shield, nor cast up a mound against it.
33 Uzabuyela ngendlela eza ngayo, kasoze angene kulelidolobho, kutsho uThixo.
He will return the same way that he came, and he will not come to this city,’ says Yahweh.
34 Idolobho leli ngizalivikela ngilihlenge, ngenxa yami langenxa kaDavida inceku yami.’”
‘For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for my servant David’s sake.’”
35 Ngalobobusuku ingilosi kaThixo yasuka yayabulala abantu abalikhulu elilamatshumi ayisificaminwembili lanhlanu lezinkulungwane ezihonqweni zama-Asiriya. Kwathi lapho abantu bevuka ekuseni kwakhona bonke kwasekuyizidumbu kuphela!
That night, Yahweh’s angel went out and struck one hundred eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians. When men arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies.
36 Ngakho uSenakheribhi inkosi yama-Asiriya wasuka ezihonqweni wahamba. Wabuyela eNiniva wahlala khona.
So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, went home, and lived at Nineveh.
37 Kwathi ngolunye usuku ekhonza ethempelini likaNisirokhi unkulunkulu wakhe, amadodana akhe u-Adrameleki loShareza ambulala ngenkemba asebalekela elizweni lase-Ararathi. U-Esarihadoni indodana yakhe yaba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe.
As he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. Esar Haddon his son reigned in his place.
