2 IZikhronike 32

32 ¹Emva kwalezi zinto nalezi zenzo zokuthembeka, uSanheribi, inkosi yase-Asiriya, wahlasela uJuda, wavimbezela imizi yakhona evikelekileyo, ehlose ukuyifohlela yena. ²Kwathi uHezekiya ebona ukuthi uSanheribi usefikile, ezimisele ukulwa neJerusalema, ³wabonisana nezikhulu zakhe namaqhawe akhe mayelana nokuvimba imithombo engaphandle komuzi, base bemsiza. ⁴Kwabuthana abantu abaningi, bavimba yonke imithombo nomfula owawugeleza phakathi kwezwe, bebuza bethi: “Kungani amakhosi ase-Asiriya kufanele eze athole amanzi amaningi kangaka?”

⁵Wasebenza kanzima ukwakha kabusha zonke izingxenye ezibhidlikileyo zodonga, waphakamisa imibhoshongo kulo, wakha olunye udonga ngaphandle, waqinisa iMilo lomuzi kaDavide, wenza nezikhali nezihlangu eziningi. ^a a v5 IMilo kwakuyisakhiwo samatafula omhlabathi nezindonga zokusekela ezazakhiwe emthambeka wegquma loMuzi kaDavide. ⁶Wabeka abalawuli bempi phezu kwabantu, wababuthela endaweni evulekileyo yesango lomuzi, wabakhuthaza wathi: ⁷“Yibani namandla nesibindi. Ningesabi ningethuki ngenxa yenkosi yase-Asiriya nalo lonke ixuku layo, ngokuba baningi abakithi kunalabo abakuye. ⁸Kuye kukhona nje ingalo yenyama; kodwa kithi kukhona uBaba wethu, ukuba asisize alwe izimpi zethu.” Abantu bathembela emazwini kaHezekiya inkosi yakwaJuda.

USanheribi Uklolodela uBaba wethu

⁹Emva kwalokhu, ngesikhathi evimbezele iLakishi nawo wonke amabutho akhe, uSanheribi inkosi yase-Asiriya wathuma izinceku zakhe eJerusalema, kuHezekiya inkosi yakwaJuda nakuye wonke uJuda owayelapho, zathi: ¹⁰“Usho kanje uSanheribi inkosi yase-Asiriya, uthi: Nithembeleni, lokhu nihlezi nivinjezelwe eJerusalema? ¹¹Akanikhohlisi yini uHezekiya, eninikela ekufeni ngendlala nangokoma, lapho ethi: ‘USimakade uNkulunkulu wethu uyakusisindisa esandleni senkosi yase-Asiriya’? ¹²Akusiye yini uHezekiya owasusa izindawo zakhe eziphakemeyo nama-altare akhe, etshela uJuda neJerusalema ukuthi bakhuleke e-altareni elilodwa bashise iminikelo khona? ¹³Anazi yini engakwenza mina nobaba kuzo zonke izizwe zamanye amazwe? Onkulunkulu bezizwe zazo babekwazi yini ukophula amazwe azo esandleni sami? ¹⁴Yimuphi unkulunkulu wezizwe obaba abazinikela ekubhujisweni owakwazi ukusindisa abantu bakhe esandleni sami? Pho uNkulunkulu wenu angakusindisa kanjani esandleni sami? ¹⁵Ningavumeli uHezekiya anikhohlise noma aniyenge kanjena, ningamkholwa: akekho unkulunkulu wesinye isizwe nombuso owakwazi ukophula abantu bakhe esandleni sami noma esandleni sobaba—ikakhulukazi uNkulunkulu wenu ngeke anophule esandleni sami!”

¹⁶Izinceku zakhe zakhuluma okuningi nangokweqile ngokumelene noBaba wethu nangokumelene nenceku yakhe uHezekiya. ¹⁷USanheribi wabhala nezincwadi ethuka uBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ekhuluma ngokumelene naye, ethi: “Onkulunkulu bezizwe abazange babophule abantu babo esandleni sami; ngokunjalo noNkulunkulu kaHezekiya ngeke abophule abantu bakhe esandleni sami.” ¹⁸Bamemeza ngezwi elikhulu ngolimi lwakwaJuda kubantu baseJerusalema ababephezu kodonga, ukuze babesabise babethusise, ukuze bawuthathe umuzi. ¹⁹Bakhuluma ngoNkulunkulu waseJerusalema njengabonkulunkulu bezizwe zomhlaba, umsebenzi wezandla zabantu.

²⁰Khona-ke inkosi uHezekiya nomprofethi u-Isaya indodana ka-Amozi bakhuleka ngalokhu, bakhala ezulwini. ²¹Ngakho uBaba wethu wathuma ingelosi eyabulala wonke amaqhawe anamandla, abalawuli, nezikhulu ekamu lenkosi yase-Asiriya. USanheribi wabuyela ekhaya enamahloni, kwathi lapho engena ethempelini likankulunkulu wakhe, abanye bamadodana akhe uqobo bambulala khona ngenkemba. ²²Ngakho uBaba wethu wamsindisa uHezekiya nabantu baseJerusalema esandleni sikaSanheribi inkosi yase-Asiriya nakubo bonke abanye, wabanakekela nhlangothi zonke. ²³Abaningi baletha izipho kuBaba wethu eJerusalema, nengcebo kuHezekiya inkosi yakwaJuda; emva kwalokho zonke izizwe zamhlonipha kakhulu uHezekiya.

Ukugula, Ukuzidla, Nempumelelo KukaHezekiya

²⁴Ngalezo zinsuku uHezekiya wagula waze wacishe wafa; wakhuleka kuBaba wethu, owamphendula, wamnika isibonakaliso. ²⁵Kodwa uHezekiya akazange abuyisele okuhle okwakwenziwe kuye; inhliziyo yakhe yazidla, ngakho intukuthelo yafika phezu kwakhe naphezu kukaJuda neJerusalema. ²⁶UHezekiya wazithoba ngenxa yokuzidla kwenhliziyo yakhe, yena nabantu baseJerusalema, ngakho ulaka lukaBaba wethu alufikanga kubo ezinsukwini zikaHezekiya.

²⁷UHezekiya waba nengcebo enkulu nodumo. Wakha izinqolobane zesiliva, zegolide, zamatshe ayigugu, zamakha, zezihlangu, nezinye izinto eziyigugu, ²⁸izinqolobane zokuvuna kwamabele, newayini elisha, namafutha; izibaya zazo zonke izinhlobo zemfuyo; nezibaya zemihlambi. ²⁹Wazakhela imizi, wazuza imihlambi eminingi yezimvu neyezinkomo, ngokuba uBaba wethu wamnika ingcebo enkulu kakhulu. ³⁰UHezekiya wavimba umthombo ophezulu waseGihoni, waqondisa amanzi phansi ohlangothini lwasentshonalanga lomuzi kaDavide. Waphumelela kukho konke akwenza. ³¹Kwathi lapho ababusi baseBhabhiloni bethuma izithunywa kuye bebuza ngesibonakaliso esasenzeke ezweni, uBaba wethu wamyeka wasala yedwa, ukuze amvivinye nokuze azi konke okusenhliziyweni yakhe.

³²Ezinye izenzo zikaHezekiya nemisebenzi yakhe yokuthembeka kulotshiwe embonweni ka-Isaya umprofethi, indodana ka-Amozi, eNcwadini yamaKhosi akwaJuda nakwa-Israyeli. ³³UHezekiya walala nokhokho bakhe, wangcwatshwa emathuneni aphezulu amadodana kaDavide. Wonke uJuda nabahlali baseJerusalema bamhlonipha ekufeni kwakhe. Indodana yakhe uManase yathatha isikhundla sakhe.