U-Izaya 37

37 ¹Kwathi lapho inkosi uHezekiya ikuzwa lokhu, yaklebhula izingubo zayo, yembatha indwangu yokulila, yangena endlini kaBaba wethu. ²Wathuma u-Eliyakimu umphathi wesigodlo, noShebna umbhali, nabapristi abakhulu bembethe amasaka, kumprofethi u-Isaya indodana ka-Amozi. ³Bathi kuye: “UHezekiya uthi: Namuhla lusuku losizi, nokusolwa, nokweyiswa. Abantwana sebefike esikhathini sokuzalwa, kodwa awekho amandla okubabeletha. ⁴Mhlawumbe uBaba wakho uyakuwezwa amazwi kaRabishake, lowo inkosi yakhe inkosi yase-Asiriya emthume ukuba aklolode kuBaba ophilayo, futhi uyakuwakhuza amazwi awezwile. Ngakho phakamisa umthandazo ngenxa yensali esele.” ^a a v4 URabishake yisiqu — induna enkulu yempi yenkosi yase-Asiriya — hhayi igama lomuntu.

⁵Kwathi lapho izinceku zenkosi uHezekiya zifika ku-Isaya,

⁶u-Isaya wathi kuzo: “Tshelani inkosi yenu ukuthi: uBaba wethu uthi: Ningawesabi amazwi eniwezwile, lapho izinceku zenkosi yase-Asiriya zingihlambalaze ngawo. ⁷Bheka, ngiyakufaka umoya kuye, ukuze ezwe umbiko, abuyele ezweni lakibo, bese ngimwisa ngenkemba khona lapho.”

⁸URabishake wabuya, wafica inkosi yase-Asiriya ilwa neLibhina, njengoba wayezwile ukuthi inkosi isisukile eLakishi. ⁹Inkosi yezwa ngoThirihaka inkosi yaseKushi, kuthiwa: “Uphumele ukulwa nawe.” Ekuzwa lokhu, yathuma izithunywa kuHezekiya, yathi: ¹⁰“Tshelani uHezekiya inkosi yakwaJuda ukuthi: Mangangakukhohlisi uNkulunkulu wakho omethembayo, ethi, ‘IJerusalema ngeke iwele esandleni senkosi yase-Asiriya.’ ¹¹Wena uzwile lokho amakhosi ase-Asiriya akwenza emazweni onke, ewachitha nya. Pho wena, uyakophulwa yini? ¹²Onkulunkulu bezizwe babophula yini labo obaba bami ababachitha: iGozani, iHarani, iResefi, nabantu base-Edeni abaseTelasari? ¹³Iphi inkosi yaseHamati, inkosi yase-Aripadi, inkosi yaseSefarivayimi, iHena, ne-Iva?”

Kwendlalwa Phambi kukaBaba

¹⁴UHezekiya wayithatha incwadi ezandleni zezithunywa, wayifunda, wenyukela endlini kaBaba wethu, wayendlala phambi kukaBaba wethu. ¹⁵UHezekiya wakhuleka kuBaba wethu, wathi: ¹⁶“Baba wamabutho asezulwini, Baba ka-Israyeli, wena ohlezi esihlalweni sobukhosi phezu kwamakherubi — nguwe wedwa onguBaba wethu phezu kwayo yonke imibuso yomhlaba; nguwe owenza izulu nomhlaba. ¹⁷Thoba, Baba wethu, uzwe; vula amehlo akho, Baba wethu, ubone; uzwe wonke amazwi kaSenakheribi, awawathumele ukuba aklolode kuBaba ophilayo. ¹⁸Yiqiniso, Baba wethu, amakhosi ase-Asiriya azichithile zonke izizwe nawo amazwe azo, ¹⁹aphonsa onkulunkulu bazo emlilweni — ngoba babengebona onkulunkulu, kodwa babengumsebenzi wezandla zabantu, umuthi netshe; ngakho abachitha. ²⁰Manje, Baba wethu, sisindise esandleni sakhe, ukuze yonke imibuso yomhlaba yazi ukuthi nguwe wedwa onguBaba wethu.”

UBaba Uyaphendula

²¹Khona-ke u-Isaya indodana ka-Amozi wathumela kuHezekiya, wathi: Nakhu akushoyo uBaba ka-Israyeli: Ngenxa yokuba ukhulekile kimi ngoSenakheribi inkosi yase-Asiriya,

²²yileli izwi uBaba wethu alikhulumile ngaye: “Uyakudelela, uyakweyisa — intombi, indodakazi yaseZiyoni; emva kwakho inikina ikhanda — indodakazi yaseJerusalema. ²³Ubani omklolodele wamhlambalaza? Umelene nobani lapho uphakamisa izwi lakho, waphakamisela amehlo akho ngokuzidla? Umelene noNgcwele ka-Israyeli! ²⁴Ngezinceku zakho umklolodele uBaba oyiNkosi, futhi uthe, ‘Ngezinqola zami eziningi ngenyukele ezingqongweni zezintaba, emikhawulweni ekude yaseLebhanoni. Ngagawula imisedari yayo emide kunayo yonke, nemisayipuresi yayo ekhethekileyo; ngafika engqongweni yayo ekude kakhulu, ehlathini layo elishukene. ²⁵Ngemba imithombo ngaphuza amanzi; ngengaphansi yonyawo lwami ngomisa yonke imifula yaseGibhithe.’ ²⁶Awuzwanga yini? Kudala ngakwenza lokhu; kwasendulo ngakuceba. Manje sengikwenzile ukuba kwenzeke, ukuthi wena uphendule imizi ebiyelwe ngezindonga ibe yizinqwaba zamanxiwa. ²⁷Abahlali bayo, abaphucwe amandla abo, besaba baphela amandla, bajabhiswa; babenjengezimila zasendle, njengotshani obusha, njengotshani obusophahleni, obubuna bungakakhuli. ²⁸Kodwa ngiyakwazi ukuhlala kwakho phansi, ukuphuma kwakho, nokungena kwakho, nokungifuthelela kwakho. ²⁹Ngenxa yokuthi ungifuthelela mina, nokuzidla kwakho sekufinyelele ezindlebeni zami, ngiyakufaka ugwegwe lwami ekhaleni lakho netomu lami emlonyeni wakho, ngikubuyisele emuva ngendlela oze ngayo.

³⁰“Yilolu uphawu lwakho: kulo nyaka niyakudla lokho okuzikhulelayo, ngonyaka wesibili lokho okuhluma kukho, ngonyaka wesithathu hlwanyelani nivune, tshalani izivini nidle izithelo zazo. ³¹Insali esele yendlu yakwaJuda iyakuphinda yendlale izimpande phansi, ithele izithelo phezulu. ³²Ngokuba eJerusalema kuyakuphuma insali, nasentabeni iZiyoni kuphume iqembu labasindileyo. Intshiseko kaBaba wamabutho asezulwini iyakukwenza lokhu.

³³Ngakho uBaba wethu usho kanje ngenkosi yase-Asiriya: Ngeke ingene kulo muzi, ingeke icibishele umcibisholo lapha, ingeke ibhekane nawo ngesihlangu, ingeke yakhe uthango lokuvimbezela ngakuwo. ³⁴Iyakubuya ngendlela eze ngayo; ngeke ingene kulo muzi, kusho uBaba wethu. ³⁵Ngokuba ngiyakuwuvikela lo muzi ukuze ngiwusindise wona, ngenxa yami nangenxa kaDavide inceku yami.”

³⁶Khona-ke isithunywa sikaBaba wethu saphuma, sabulala abayizinkulungwane eziyikhulu namashumi ayisishiyagalombili nanhlanu ekamu lama-Asiriya; kwathi abantu bevuka ekuseni kakhulu, bheka, konke kwakugcwele izidumbu. ³⁷Ngakho uSenakheribi inkosi yase-Asiriya wasuka, wahamba wabuyela ekhaya, wahlala eNineve. ³⁸Kwathi lapho ekhuleka ethempelini likankulunkulu wakhe uNisiroki, amadodana akhe u-Adrameleki noSharezeri bamgwaza ngenkemba, babalekela ezweni lase-Ararati. Indodana yakhe u-Esarihadoni yabusa esikhundleni sakhe.