U-Izaya 38

38 ¹Ngalezo zinsuku uHezekiya wagula kakhulu, egula okokufa. Umprofethi u-Isaya indodana ka-Amozi weza kuye wathi: “Usho kanje uBaba wethu: Lungisa indlu yakho, ngokuba uzakufa; ngeke ululame.”

²UHezekiya wabe esephendulela ubuso bakhe odongeni, wakhuleka kuBaba wethu, ³wathi: “Ngiyakucela, Baba wami, khumbula ukuthi ngahamba kanjani phambi kwakho ngokwethembeka nangenhliziyo epheleleyo, ngenza okuhle emehlweni akho.” UHezekiya wakhala kabuhlungu.

⁴Khona-ke lafika izwi likaBaba wethu ku-Isaya, lithi:

⁵“Hamba uyotshela uHezekiya, ‘Usho kanje uBaba wethu, uBaba kakhokho wakho uDavida: Ngiwuzwile umkhuleko wakho, ngizibonile izinyembezi zakho. Ngizakwengeza iminyaka eyishumi nanhlanu ekuphileni kwakho.’ ⁶Ngizakukhulula wena kanye naleli dolobha esandleni senkosi yase-Asiriya; ngizalivikela leli dolobha.

⁷“Lolu luphawu lwakho oluvela kuBaba wethu lokuthi uzakwenza lokho akuthembisile: ⁸Bheka, ngizabuyisela emuva isithunzi ngezinyathelo eziyishumi, lezo ilanga eselehle ngazo ezitebhisini zika-Ahazi.” Ngakho ilanga labuyela emuva izinyathelo eziyishumi, eselehle ngazo.

⁹Umbhalo kaHezekiya inkosi yakwaJuda, emva kokugula kwakhe nokululama kwakhe: ¹⁰Ngathi: “Phakathi nezinsuku zami kumelwe ngidlule emasangweni engcwaba; ngiyemukwa insali yeminyaka yami.” ¹¹Ngathi: “Angiyikumbona uBaba wethu uqobo ezweni labaphilayo; angisayikubuka abantu, phakathi kwalabo abahlala kuleli zwe elidlulayo. ¹²Indawo yami yokuhlala isishuliwe, yasuswa kimi njengetende lomalusi. Ngiyigoqile impilo yami njengomeluki; uyanginquma emshinini wokweluka; kusukela emini kuze kube sebusuku uyangiqeda. ¹³Ngalinda ngokuthula kwaze kwasa, kodwa njengebhubesi uyawaphula onke amathambo ami; kusukela emini kuze kube sebusuku uyangiqeda. ¹⁴Njengenkonjane noma indwa ngiyatshiyoza; ngibubula njengejuba. Amehlo ami ayakhathala ngokubheka phezulu. Baba oBusayo, ngicindezelekile; woba yisibambiso sami sokuphepha!” ¹⁵Ngingathini na? Ukhulumile kimi, yena uqobo ukwenzile. Ngizahamba kancane kuyo yonke iminyaka yami ngenxa yobumunyu bomphefumulo wami. ¹⁶Baba oBusayo, ngalezi zinto abantu bayaphila, nakuzo zonke kukhona ukuphila komoya wami. Ngakho ngibuyisele empilweni, ungiphilise! ¹⁷Impela kwaba kuhle kimi ukuba ngihlupheke ngobumunyu obungaka. Ngothando lwakho wagodla impilo yami egodini lokubhujiswa, ngokuba uziphonsile emuva kwakho zonke izono zami. ¹⁸Ngokuba ingcwaba alinakukudumisa; ukufa akunakuhuba indumiso yakho. Labo abehlela egodini abanakuthemba ukwethembeka kwakho. ¹⁹Abaphilayo, abaphilayo—yibo abakudumisayo, njengoba ngenza namuhla; uyise uyazisa abantwana ngokwethembeka kwakho. ²⁰UBaba wethu uzangisindisa, sizadlala izingoma zami ngeziginci zonke izinsuku zokuphila kwethu, endlini kaBaba wethu.

²¹U-Isaya wayethe: “Mabathathe iqebelengwane lamakhiwane, balibeke ethunjini, uzakululama.” ²²UHezekiya wayebuzile: “Luyini uphawu lokuthi ngizakwenyukela endlini kaBaba wethu?”