2 AMakhosi 19

19 ¹Kwathi inkosi uHezekiya ikuzwa lokhu, yaklebhula izingubo zayo, yembatha indwangu yamasaka, yangena endlini kaBaba wethu. ²Yathuma u-Eliyakimi umphathi wesigodlo, noShebina umbhali, nabapristi abakhulu, bonke bembethe izingubo zokulila, baya kumprofethi u-Isaya indodana ka-Amozi. ³Bathi kuye: “UHezekiya uthi: Lolu usuku lokukhathazeka, nokukhuzwa, nokuhlazeka; abantwana bafike esikhathini sokuzalwa, kodwa awukho amandla okubazala. ⁴Mhlawumbe uBaba wakho uyakuwezwa onke amazwi enduna yempi, ethunywe yinkosi yayo, inkosi yase-Asiriya, ukuba iklolodele uBaba ophilayo, uyakuwalahla amazwi awezwile. Ngakho khuleka ngensali esasele.”

⁵Kwathi izinceku zenkosi uHezekiya zifika ku-Isaya,

⁶u-Isaya wathi kuzo: “Yitsheleni inkosi yenu ukuthi uBaba wethu uthi: Ungesabi amazwi owezwile, izinceku zenkosi yase-Asiriya ezingithuke ngawo. ⁷Bheka, ngifaka umoya kuyo: iyakuzwa umbiko, ibuyele ezweni layo, lapho ngiyakuyiwisa ngenkemba.”

⁸Kwathi induna yempi isizwa ukuthi inkosi yase-Asiriya isisukile eLakishi, yabuyela, yayifica ilwa neLibhina. ⁹Inkosi yezwa ngoThirihaka inkosi yaseKushi kuthiwa: “Bheka, uphumele ukulwa nawe.” Ngakho yaphinda yathuma izithunywa kuHezekiya, ithi: ¹⁰“Yitsheleni uHezekiya inkosi yakwaJuda, nithi: Unkulunkulu wakho omethembayo makangakukhohlisi, ethi iJerusalema ngeke inikelwe esandleni senkosi yase-Asiriya. ¹¹Bheka, uzwile lokho amakhosi ase-Asiriya akwenza emazweni onke, ewachitha nya. Pho, wena uyakukhululwa na? ¹²Onkulunkulu bezizwe obaba bami ababachitha babakhulula na—iGozani, neHarana, neRezefi, nabantu base-Edeni ababeseThelasari? ¹³Iphi inkosi yaseHamati, nenkosi yase-Arpadi, nenkosi yomuzi waseSefarivayimi, neyaseHena, neyase-Iva?”

UHezekiya Ukwendlala Phambi KukaBaba

¹⁴UHezekiya wathatha incwadi esandleni sezithunywa, wayifunda. Wayesekhuphukela endlini kaBaba wethu, wayendlala phambi kwakhe. ¹⁵UHezekiya wakhuleka phambi kukaBaba wethu, wathi: “Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ohlezi phezu kwamakherubi, nguwe wedwa onguNkulunkulu phezu kwayo yonke imibuso yomhlaba; wena wenza izulu nomhlaba. ¹⁶Thoba indlebe yakho, Baba wethu, uzwe; vula amehlo akho, ubone. Yizwa amazwi kaSenakeribi awathumele ukuba aklolodele uBaba ophilayo. ¹⁷Ngempela, Baba wethu, amakhosi ase-Asiriya azichitha izizwe namazwe azo, ¹⁸aphonsa onkulunkulu bazo emlilweni; ngokuba babengebona onkulunkulu, kodwa babengumsebenzi wezandla zabantu, umuthi netshe. Ngakho abachitha. ¹⁹Manje, Baba wethu, sisindise esandleni sakhe, ukuze yonke imibuso yomhlaba yazi ukuthi nguwe wedwa onguNkulunkulu.”

UBaba Uthobisa Ukuzidla KukaSenakeribi

²⁰U-Isaya indodana ka-Amozi wathumela kuHezekiya, wathi: “Usho kanje uBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli: Ngiwuzwile umkhuleko wakho kimi ngoSenakeribi inkosi yase-Asiriya. ²¹Yileli izwi uBaba wethu alikhuluma ngaye: Intombi eyiNtombi yaseZiyoni iyakudelela, iyakuklolodela; iNdodakazi yaseJerusalema iyanikina ikhanda ngemuva kwakho. ²²Ngubani omklolodileyo nomhlambalazileyo? Nguwuphi omphakamisele izwi lakho, waphakamisela amehlo akho ngokuzidla? YoNgcwele ka-Israyeli! ²³Ngezithunywa zakho umklolodele uBaba oyiNkosi, washo wathi: Ngezinqola zami zempi eziningi ngikhuphukele ezingqungqulwini zezintaba, ezindaweni ezikude zaseLebhanoni. Ngigawule imisedari yayo emide kunayo yonke, nemisayipuresi yayo ekhethekileyo. Ngifinyelele endaweni yayo ephakeme kunazo zonke, ehlathini layo elishicilelene. ²⁴Ngimbile imithombo, ngaphuza amanzi ezinye izizwe; ngamathe ezinyawo zami ngomisile yonke imifula yaseGibhithe. ²⁵Awukuzwanga na? Kwasekudala ngakwenza; kwasezinsukwini zasendulo ngakuceba. Manje sengikufezile, ukuba imizi ebiyelweyo uyiphendule izinqwaba zamanxiwa. ²⁶Abakhileyo kuyo, benqunywe amandla, besaba, baba namahloni. Baba njengezimila zasendle, njengamahlumela aluhlaza athambileyo, njengotshani obuhluma ophahleni lwezindlu, obuhangulwa bungakakhuli. ²⁷Kodwa ngiyakwazi ukuhlala kwakho phansi, nokuphuma kwakho, nokungena kwakho, nokungifuthekela kwakho. ²⁸Ngenxa yokungifuthekela kwakho, nokuzidla kwakho okufinyelele ezindlebeni zami, ngiyakufaka ihhuku lami emakhaleni akho, netomu lami ezindebeni zakho, ngikubuyisele ngendlela oze ngayo.

²⁹Nalesi isibonakaliso sakho, Hezekiya: kulo nyaka niyakudla okuzimilelayo, ngomnyaka olandelayo okuhluma kukho; ngomnyaka wesithathu, hlwanyelani nivune, nitshale izivini, nidle izithelo zazo. ³⁰Insali yendlu yakwaJuda eyakusala iyakuphinda igxile ezansi, ithele izithelo phezulu. ³¹Ngokuba eJerusalema kuyakuphuma insali, nasentabeni iZiyoni iqeqebana labasindileyo. Intshiseko kaBaba wamabutho asezulwini iyakukwenza lokhu.

³²“Ngakho usho kanje uBaba wethu ngenkosi yase-Asiriya: Ngeke ingene kulo muzi, ingeke icibishele umcibisholo lapha, ingeke iwuhlasele ngesihlangu, ingeke imisele udonga lokuwuvimbezela. ³³Ngendlela eze ngayo iyakubuyela; ngeke ingene kulo muzi, kusho uBaba wethu. ³⁴Ngiyakuwuvikela lo muzi, ngiwusindise, ngenxa yami, nangenxa yenceku yami uDavide.”

³⁵Ngabo lobo busuku ingelosi kaBaba wethu yaphuma, yabulala abangu-185 000 ekamu lama-Asiriya. Ekuseni, lapho bevuka—nampa bonke befile, beyizidumbu. ³⁶Ngakho uSenakeribi inkosi yase-Asiriya wasuka, wabuyela. Wabuyela eNineve, wahlala khona. ³⁷Kwathi esakhuleka ethempelini likankulunkulu wakhe uNisiroki, amadodana akhe u-Adrameleki noSharezeri ambulala ngenkemba, abalekela ezweni lase-Ararati. Indodana yakhe u-Esari-Hadoni yabusa esikhundleni sakhe.