2 Emakhosi 18

₁Ngemnyaka wesitsatfu waHosheya, umsa wa-Ela, inkhosi yaka-Israyeli, Hezekiya, umsa wa-Ahazi, inkhosi yakaJuda, wacala kubusa. ₂Abeneminyaka lengema-25 budzala, nakabekwa kuba yinkhosi. Wabusela eJerusalema iminyaka lengema-29. Libito lenina bekungu-Abiya, indvodzakati yaZakhariya. ₃Hezekiya wenta lokuhle emehlweni aSimakadze, wenta njengobe kwakwenta uyisemkhulu Davide. ₄Wadzilita tindzawo letiphakeme tekukhontela tithico, wabhidlita tithicomatje, wagawula tinsika tabo-Ashera, waphahlata inyoka yelitfusi leyayakhiwe nguMosi, ngobe kwaze kwaba ngungaleso sikhatsi solomane ema-Israyeli atfuncisa imphepho kuyo, kwakutsiwa nguNehushtani libito layo.

₅Hezekiya wametsemba Simakadze Nkulunkulu wema-Israyeli. Kute nayinye inkhosi leyaba njengaye kuwo onkhe emakhosi akaJuda, langembili kwakhe nalangasemva kwakhe. ₆Hezekiya wabambelela kuSimakadze, akazange ayekele kumlandzela, wayigcina yonkhe imitsetfo yaSimakadze labeyinike Mosi. ₇Simakadze waba naye, wamphumelelisa kuko konkhe labekwenta. Wayivukela inkhosi yase-Asiriya wangete wayihlehlela. ₈Wahlasela, wehlula emaFilisti kusukela etimbonisweni kuye emadolobheni latinqaba, waze wefika eGaza nasesifundzeni sayo.

₉Kwatsi ngemnyaka wesine wekubusa kwaHezekiya, lekwakungumnyaka wesikhombisa waHosheya, umsa wa-Ela, inkhosi yaka-Israyeli, wesuka Shalmaneseri, inkhosi yase-Asiriya, washuca wahlasela iSamariya wayivimbetela. ₁₀Kwatsi emvakweminyaka lemitsatfu ema-Asiriya ayitfumba. Ngako iSamariya yatfunjwa ngemnyaka wesitfupha waHezekiya lekwakungumnyaka wemfica waHosheya, inkhosi yaka-Israyeli. ₁₁Inkhosi yase-Asiriya yatfumba baka-Israyeli yabayisa e-Asiriya, labanye yafike yababeka eHala, labanye eGozani ngasemfuleni iHabori, nalabanye emadolobheni emaMede. ₁₂Loku kwenteka, ngobe babengakamlaleli Simakadze Nkulunkulu wabo, kodvwa basephula sivumelwane sakhe, konkhe loko Mosi, inceku yaSimakadze, labebayale ngako. Abazange balalele imiyalo yakhe, futsi abahambanga nangayo.

₁₃Ngemnyaka weli-14 wekubusa kwenkhosi Hezekiya, kwesuka Senaheribi, inkhosi yase-Asiriya, wahlasela onkhe emadolobha latinqaba akaJuda, wawatfumba. ₁₄Ngako Hezekiya, inkhosi yakaJuda, wase utfumela umlayeto enkhosini yase-Asiriya, eLakhishi, watsi: “Ngonile. Ngicolele, ngitakunika konkhe lokufuna kimi.” Inkhosi yase-Asiriya yamgulula Hezekiya, inkhosi yakaJuda, ngekumkhokhisa emakhilogremu labengaba ti-10 000 etinhlavu tesiliva, kanye nemakhilogremu labengaba yinkhulungwane yetinhlavu tegolide. ₁₅Ngako Hezekiya wayinika yonkhe isiliva leyatfolakala ethempelini laSimakadze kanye nasendlini yengcebo yasesigodlweni.

₁₆Ngaleso sikhatsi Hezekiya, inkhosi yakaJuda, wahhibita yonkhe igolide labembese ngayo tivalo kanye netinsika tetivalo tasethempelini laSimakadze, wakunika inkhosi yase-Asiriya.

₁₇Inkhosi yase-Asiriya yatfumela khenela wayo, nendvuna yemabutfo, nendvuna lenkhulu yemphi kanye nalelikhulu libutfo lemphi, lelesuka eLakhishi yaya enkhosini, Hezekiya, eJerusalema. Lemphi yefika eJerusalema yakanekisa emseleni wesitiba lesisenhla, emgwacweni loya eNsimini yeMgezi Wetingubo. ₁₈Befika lapho babita inkhosi, kwaphuma bo-Eliyakimu, umsa waHilkiya, indvuna yesigodlo, naShebna labengumabhalane, naJowa, umsa wa-Asafa, umbhalisi, baya kubo.

₁₉Indvuna lenkhulu yemphi yafike yakhuluma kubo, yatsi: “Tjelani Hezekiya, nitsi: ‘Naku lokushiwo yinkhosi lenkhulu, inkhosi yase-Asiriya, itsi: Ulibeke kubani litsemba lakho? ₂₀Utsi unemasu nemabutfo emphi lanemandla, kodvwa ukhuluma lite nje. Ngubani lona lowetsembele kuye kutsi ungaze uvukele mine? ₂₁Buka la, nyalo wetsembele eGibhithe, kulolubhatu lwendvuku yemhlanga lolugwaza sandla semuntfu lumlimate, nakatsi ubambelela kulo! Unjalo-ke Faro, inkhosi yaseGibhithe, kubo bonkhe labetsembela kuye. ₂₂Nangabe utsi kimi: “Setsembele kuSimakadze Nkulunkulu wetfu,” akusiye yini lona Hezekiya ladzilita tindzawo takhe letiphakeme tekukhontela nemalati akhe, atsi kubakaJuda nebaseJerusalema: “Kufanele nikhonte embikwanali lilati leliseJerusalema?”

₂₃“ ‘Buya-ke nyalo, wente sivumelwane nemphatsi wami, inkhosi yase-Asiriya: Ngitakunika emahhashi lati-2 000, nawungaba nebantfu labangawagibela. ₂₄Ungayeyisa yini yona yinye nje kuto tonkhe tindvuna letincane temphatsi wami, nome ngabe wetsembele eGibhithe ngetincola temphi kanye nebagibeli bemahhashi? ₂₅Ngetulu kwaloko nje, kantsi lapha ngitele kutawuhlasela nekubhubhisa lendzawo ngaphandle kwaSimakadze yini? Simakadze nguye cobo lwakhe longitjele kutsi angishuce ngite kulelive ngitekulibhubhisa.’ ”

₂₆Bo-Eliyakimu, umsa waHilkiya, naShebna, naJowa bakhuluma kulendvuna lenkhulu yemphi, batsi: “Sicela umane ukhulume ngesiSiriya etincekwini takho, ngobe ngulona lulwimi lesiluvako. Ungakhulumi natsi ngesiHebheru kuva bonkhe labantfu labalapha etulu elubondzeni.”

₂₇Kodvwa lendvuna lenkhulu yemphi yabaphendvula yatsi: “Kantsi inkhosi yami beyingitfume kini nalenkhosi yenu nodvwa yini kutsi ngitewukhuluma lamagama? Beyingakangitfumi yini nakubo labantfu labalapha etulu elubondzeni, nabo labanjengani, labatawudla emangcoliso abo, baphindze banatse nemichamo yabo?”

₂₈Lendvuna lenkhulu yemphi yase iyasukuma yamemeta ngesiHebheru, yatsi: “Lalelani emavi enkhosi lenkhulu, inkhosi yase-Asiriya! ₂₉Naku lokushiwo yinkhosi, itsi: ‘Ningacali niyengwe nguHezekiya. Ngeke anisindzise esandleni sami. ₃₀Ningavumi kutsi Hezekiya aniyenge netsembele kuSimakadze, nakatsi: “Simakadze utasephula ngempela, lelidolobha lingeke linikelwe esandleni senkhosi yase-Asiriya.” ’

₃₁“Inkhosi yase-Asiriya itsi: ‘Ningamlaleli Hezekiya, yentani sivumelwane nami, niphume nite kimi, nguleyo naleyo ndvodza-ke iyawube seyitidlela kahle esivinini sayo, nasemkhiwaneni wayo, inatse nemanti laphuma emtfonjeni wayo, ₃₂ngize ngifike nginitsatse nginimikise eveni lelifanana nelenu, live lelinalokutinhlavu, nalelineliwayini lelisha, live lesinkhwa neletivini, live letihlahla temincumo neluju lwetinyosi: Khetsani kuphila kunekufa.’

“Ningamlaleli Hezekiya, ngobe uyanedukisa nakatsi: ‘Simakadze utasikhulula.’ ₃₃Ukhona yini nkulunkulu wanome ngusiphi sive lowake wakhulula live lakhe esandleni senkhosi yase-Asiriya? ₃₄Baphi bonkulunkulu baseHamathi ne-Aphadi? Baphi bonkulunkulu baseSefavayimu, neHena, nebase-Ava? Bayisindzisile yini iSamariya esandleni sami? ₃₅Ngumuphi kubo bonkhe labonkulunkulu balamave lowake wakhona kusindzisa live lakhe esandleni sami? Simakadze-ke yena angayisindzisa kanjani iJerusalema esandleni sami?”

₃₆Kodvwa labantfu babindza nje batsi gudvu, bangete basho lutfo, ngobe inkhosi yayibadvonse ngendlebe, yatsi: “Ningacali nimphendvule.”

₃₇Bo-Eliyakimu, umsa waHilkiya, labeyindvuna yesigodlo, naShebna labengumabhalane, kanye naJowa, umsa wa-Asafa, labengulobhalisako, bahamba bayawubikela Hezekiya, sebadzabule tingubo tabo, bafike bamtjela konkhe lokwakushiwo yindvuna lenkhulu yemphi yase-Asiriya.