UHezekhiya ubonana no-Isaya
1Kwathi bona ikosi uHezekhiya izwe ngalokho, yadabula izambatho zayo, yembatha iinzilo, yanqomba ethempelini lakaSomnini. 2Yathumela u-Eliyakhimu umphathi wesigodlo noTjhebina umabhalana kanye nabaphathi babaphristi ku-Isaya umphorofidi, omsa ka-Amotsi. Boke bebambethe iinzilo. 3Bafese bathi kuye: “Nakhu okutjhiwo nguHezekhiya uthi, ‘Ilanga lanamhlanje ngelamatlhuwo nelokuhlunguphazwa kanye nokurhubutjhwa. Linjengalokha nakufanele kubelethwe abantwana bese kutlhogeka amandla wokubabeletha. 4Mhlamunye uSomnini uZimakho uwezwile woke amezwi akhulunywe mkhulumeli, ogade athunywe mphathakhe ikosi ye-Asiriya bonyana azokuphoqa uZimu ophilako. Kungenzeka bona uSomnini uZimakho azibuyiselele ngamezwi awezwileko lawo. Yeke wena thandazela abantu abaseleko.’ ”
5Kuthe lokha iinkhulu zekosi uHezekhiya nazifika ku-Isaya, 6u-Isaya wathi kizo: “Tjelani umphathenu bona nakhu okutjhiwo nguSomnini, ‘Ungethukwa ngalokho okuzwileko, okumamezwi iinkhulu zekosi ye-Asiriya ezingithuke ngawo. 7Qala-ke! Ngizokudlharumisa ikosi ye-Asiriya, izwe amahlebezi bese ibuyela enarhenayo, ibulawe ngesabula khonapho.’ ”
8Umkhulumeli wezwa bona ikosi ye-Asiriya isukile eLakitjhi, nje-ke wabuyela emuva wayifunyana ilwa neLebhina.
9USanirheribu wafumana umbiko bonyana uTirihakha ikosi yeKutjhe uyeza ukuzomsahlela. Lokha nezwa lokho, wathumela godu iinthunywa kuHezekhiya nelizwi elithi: 10“Tjelani uHezekhiya ikosi yakwaJuda bona angavumeli ukukhohliswa nguzinyanakhe athembele kuye ngokuthi athi, ‘IJerusalema angeze yanikelwa esandleni sekosi ye-Asiriya.’ 11Nginesiqiniseko sokobana uzizwele ngokwakho ukuthi amakhosi we-Asiriya enzeni kizo zoke iinarha, azibhubhisileko. Alo, wena uzakusinda na? 12Abozinyana bezizwe ezabhujiswa bobamkhulu bakhe bazisindisa na? Ngitjho izizwe zeGozani, zeRharani, zeRetsefu nabantu be-Edeni ebegade baseTelasari? 13Iphi ikosi yeRhamathi, ye-Ariphadi neyedorobho leSefarivayimu namkha yeHena nanyana ye-Ava?”
Umthandazo kaHezekhiya
14UHezekhiya wamukela incwadi eenthunyweni wayifunda. Yeke wakhuphukela ethempelini lakaSomnini wafese wayindlala phambi kwakaSomnini. 15Wathandaza kuSomnini wathi: 16“Awu, Somnini Mninimandlawoke, wena Zimu wakwa-Israyeli ohlala phezu kwamakerubhi, nguwe wedwa uZimu ngaphezu kwemibuso yoke yephasi. Udale izulu nephasi. 17Awu, Somnini, akhese ubeke indlebe ulalele, uvule namehlwakho Somnini bese uyabona. Akhese uthi uyalalela woke amezwi uSanirheribu awathumele bona aphoqe uZimu ophilako.
18“Kuliqiniso Somnini, amakhosi we-Asiriya abhudabhude zoke izizwezi kanye neenarha zazo. 19Aphosela abozinyana bazo emlilweni, ababhubhisa ngombana bebanganabujamo bakaZimu kodwana bebaziingodo namatje, izinto ezibunjwe ngezandla. 20Nje-ke Somnini, Zimethu, yewusisindise esandleni sekosi ye-Asiriya ukuze yoke imibuso yephasi yazi bonyana nguwe wedwa uSomnini.”
U-Isaya umemezela ukusindiswa kweJerusalema
21Nje-ke u-Isaya umsa ka-Amotsi wathumela umlayezo kuHezekhiya wathi: “Nakhu okutjhiwo nguSomnini uZimu wakwa-Israyeli, ‘Ngebanga lokobana uthandaze kimi malungana noSanirheribu ikosi ye-Asiriya, 22nanti-ke ilizwi uSomnini alikhulume ngaye:
“ ‘Itlawu eliyiZiyoni,
liyakunyaza beliyakukhwinyisela.
Indodakazi ekuyiJerusalema
ikuthintithela ihloko nawufulatheleko.
23Ngubani omphoqileko bewamethuka na?
Bewurhuwelela bani bewumphakamisele iinhlonze na?
Wenze lokho koCwengileko ka-Israyeli!
24Ngeenceku zakho uphoqe uSomandla!
Uzitjele wathi,
“Ngeenkarana zami ezinengi,
sengiphakamele eenqongweni zeentaba,
ngitjho nemajukujukwini weLibhanoni.
Ngigawule imisedari emide
nemithi ekhethekileko yomsayipurusi.
Ngangena emaweni wayo
nesiminyaminyeni samahlathayo.
25Ngembe imithombo eenarheni ezitjhili,
ngasela amanzi lapho.
Ngebhadulo lami
ngomise yoke imilanjana yeGibhide.”
26“ ‘Awukezwa na?
Ngakuhlela kade lokho.
Ngakujamisa emihleni yekadeni,
nje-ke ngikuphumelelisile,
kobana amadorobho anemithangala,
uwenze aba liqubi lewiliwili,
iye, iinqorho zenyakanyaka.
27Abantu bakhona baphelelwa mamandla,
bakhena bebarhubutjhwa.
Bafana neemila zommango,
nanjengamahlumela asathambileko.
Baba njengotjani etatawini
obubuniswa lilanga busahluma.
28“ ‘Ngazi ukulala nokuvuka kwakho,
ukuphuma nokungena kwakho,
ngitjho nendlela ongibhavumulela ngayo.
29Njengombana ungibhavumulela nje
nokuzikhakhazisa kwakho ngikulemukile,
ngizokufaka isikghopholo sami epumulwenakho
netomu lami ngemlonyenakho.
Ngizokwenza ubuyele emuva ngendlela oze ngayo.
30“ ‘Lokhu-ke kuzakuba litshwayo kuwe Hezekhiya:
“ ‘Nonyaka uzakugoma amakhakhazela,
emnyakeni wesibili ugome okuzimilelako.
Kodwana emnyakeni wesithathu uzakutjala bewuvune,
uzakuhloma iindiribe bewugome iinthelo zazo.
31Godu abasindileko bendlu kaJuda,
bazokuba nemirabhu ngaphasi
bese bahloma iinthelo ngaphezulu
32ngombana abaseleko eJerusalema bazakusabalala
nabasinde entabeni yeZiyoni banabe.
Ukutjhisakalela kwakaSomnini uMninimandlawoke,
kuzakuphelelisa lokhu.
33“ ‘Yeke nakhu okutjhiwo nguSomnini mayelana nekosi ye-Asiriya:
“ ‘Angekhe yangena edorobheneli,
namkha idumuze umsubela la.
Asoze yalisahlela ngokuzivikela ngesihlangu
namkha ilakhele isiqabo magegana nomthangala.
34Izakubuyela emuva ngendlela eze ngayo,
asoze yangena kilelidorobho.’ ”
Watjho njalo uSomnini.
35“Ngizolivikela idorobheli bengilisindise
ngenca yami nangenca kaDavida incekwami!”
36Ingilozi kaSomnini yaphuma yasahlela ekampeni yama-Asiriya abantu abaziinkulungwana ezilikhulu namatjhumi abunane nahlanu. Kwathi abantu nabavukako ekuseni ngakusasa, iindumbu bezilele ubujadajada! 37Nje-ke uSanirheribu ikosi ye-Asiriya wadiliza ikampa wabuyela eNiniva wayokuhlala khona.
38Kwathi ngelinye ilanga asalotjha ethempelini lakazinyanakhe uNisiroki, abesabakhe u-Adrameleki noSaretseri bamhlahlela ngesabula bebabalekela enarheni ye-Ararathi. U-Esarirhadoni umsakhe waba yikosi esikhundleni sakhe.
