UBaba Uyamuzwa Amelaphe uHezekiya
Etshelwa ukuba ahlelisise indlu yakhe, uHezekiya ubhekisa ubuso odongeni, acele uBaba wakhe ukuba akhumbule ukuthi uhambe kanjani. Wengezelelwa iminyaka eyishumi nanhlanu, isithunzi sihlehla emuva njengobufakazi. Bese ekhombisa izithunywa zaseBhabhiloni yonke ingcebo anayo, ezwe ukuthi konke kuzothwalelwa khona.
20 1Ngalezo zinsuku uHezekiya wagula waba seduze nokufa. Umprofethi u-Isaya indodana ka-Amozi weza, wathi: “Usho kanje uBaba wethu: Lungisa indlu yakho; uzakufa, awuyikuphila.”
2UHezekiya wabe esephendulela ubuso bakhe odongeni, wakhuleka kuBaba wethu: 3“Baba, khumbula ukuthi ngihambe phambi kwakho ngokuthembeka, ngenhliziyo ephelele, ngenza okuhle emehlweni akho.” UHezekiya wakhala kabuhlungu.
4U-Isaya engakaphumi egumeni eliphakathi, izwi likaBaba wethu lafika kuye:
5“Buyela uyotshela uHezekiya, umholi wabantu bami: UYihlo, uNkulunkulu kayihlo uDavide, uthi: Ngiwuzwile umkhuleko wakho, ngizibonile izinyembezi zakho. Ngizakukuphulukisa. Ngosuku lwesithathu uzakwenyukela endlini yami. 6Ngizakwengeza iminyaka eyishumi nanhlanu ekuphileni kwakho, ngikukhulule wena kanye nalo muzi esandleni senkosi yase-Asiriya, ngiwuvikele lo muzi ngenxa yami nangenxa yenceku yami uDavide.”
7U-Isaya wathi: “Lethani iqebelengwane lamakhiwane.” Baletha iqebelengwane, balibeka esilondeni, walulama.
8UHezekiya wabuza u-Isaya, wathi: “Siyini isibonakaliso sokuthi uBaba wethu uzakungiphulukisa, nokuthi ngizakwenyukela endlini kaBaba wethu ngosuku lwesithathu?”
9U-Isaya wathi: “Nakhu isibonakaliso sakho esivela kuBaba wethu sokuthi uBaba wethu uzakusigcina isithembiso sakhe: isithunzi sizakuqhubekela phambili izinyathelo eziyishumi, noma sibuyele emuva izinyathelo eziyishumi?”
10UHezekiya waphendula wathi: “Kulula ukuba isithunzi selule izinyathelo eziyishumi; cha, asibuyele emuva izinyathelo eziyishumi.”
11Ngakho umprofethi u-Isaya wakhuleka kuBaba wethu, wasibuyisela emuva isithunzi izinyathelo eziyishumi esase sehlile ngazo esitebhisini sika-Ahazi.
UHezekiya Wamukela Izithunywa zaseBabiloni
12Ngaleso sikhathi uBherodaki-baladani indodana kaBaladani, inkosi yaseBabiloni, wathumela izincwadi nesipho kuHezekiya, ngoba wayezwile ukuthi uHezekiya wayegulile. 13UHezekiya wabamukela, wababonisa yonke indlu yakhe yengcebo: isiliva, igolide, amakha, amafutha amahle, yonke indlu yezikhali zakhe, konke okusezinqolobaneni zakhe. Kwakungekho lutho esigodlweni sakhe nasembusweni wakhe wonke uHezekiya angababonisanga lona.
14U-Isaya umprofethi weza enkosini uHezekiya, wabuza wathi: “Bathini laba bantu, futhi bavelaphi?” UHezekiya wathi: “Bavela ezweni elikude, eBabiloni.”
15“Babonani esigodlweni sakho?” kubuza u-Isaya. “Konke okusesigodlweni sami,” kuphendula uHezekiya. “Akukho lutho engcebweni yami engingababonisanga lona.”
16U-Isaya wabe esethi kuHezekiya: “Yizwa izwi likaBaba wethu:
17Kuyeza izinsuku lapho konke okusesigodlweni sakho, konke okwabekelelwa ngokhokho bakho kwaze kwaba manje, kuzakuthwalelwa eBabiloni. Akuyikusala lutho, usho uBaba wethu. 18Abanye bamadodana akho, inzalo yakho, bazakuthathwa bayokhonza njengabathenwa esigodlweni senkosi yaseBabiloni.”
19UHezekiya wathi: “Lihle izwi likaBaba wethu olikhulumile.” Ngokuba wacabanga wathi: “Kanti ngeke yini kube khona ukuthula nokulondeka ezinsukwini zami?”
20Ezinye izenzo zikaHezekiya, wonke amandla akhe, nokuthi wenza kanjani ichibi nomsele ukuze angenise amanzi emzini—akulotshiwe yini encwadini yezindaba zemihla ngemihla yamakhosi akwaJuda? 21UHezekiya walala nokhokho bakhe, uManase indodana yakhe waba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe.
