USenaheribhi Ungena Ngendlovuyangena KwaJuda
1Emveni kwalezo zinto nesibonelo sokuthembeka kwafika uSenaheribhi, inkosi yase-Asiriya, wangena kwaJuda, wakanisa maqondana nemizi ebiyelweyo, wathi uzongena kuyo ngendlovuyangena. 2Kwathi lapho uHezekiya ebona ukuthi uSenaheribhi uthelekile, nokuthi uqonde ukulwa neJerusalema, 3welulekana nezikhulu zakhe namaqhawe akhe ukuba bavimbe amanzi emithonjeni eyayingaphandle komuzi; nempela bamsiza. 4Kwabuthana abantu abaningi, bayivimba yonke imithombo nomfudlana owawugobhoza phakathi nezwe, bathi: “Kungenzeka kanjani ukuba kufike amakhosi ase-Asiriya bese ethola amanzi amaningi na?”
5UHezekiya waziqinisa, wakha lonke ugange lomuzi olwaludiliziwe, wamisa imibhoshongo phezu kwalo; wakha nolunye ugange ngaphandle. Waqinisa iMilo emzini kaDavide, wenza izikhali nezihlangu okuningi.
6Wabeka izinduna zempi phezu kwabantu, wabiza imbizo esigcawini ngasesangweni lomuzi, wakhuluma kahle kubo, wathi: 7“Qinani, nime isibindi, ningesabi, ningadangali ngenxa yenkosi yase-Asiriya nangenxa yesixuku ehamba naso, ngokuba mkhulu onathi kunalowo onaye. 8Ngamandla omuntu nje anaye, kodwa uSimakade uNkulunkulu wethu unathi ukuba asisize, alwe izimpi zethu.”
Abantu bencika emazwini kaHezekiya, inkosi yakwaJuda.
9Emveni kwalokho lapho uSenaheribhi, inkosi yase-Asiriya, esevimbezele iLakhishi ngamabutho akhe wonke, wathumela izinceku zakhe eJerusalema kuHezekiya, inkosi yakwaJuda, nakuwo wonke uJuda owayeseJerusalema, nomyalezo othi: 10“Usho kanje uSenaheribhi, inkosi yase-Asiriya, uthi: nethembelephi, njengokuba nihlala nivinjezelwe eJerusalema na? 11UHezekiya akaniyengi yini ukuba aninikele, nife yindlala nokoma, ethi: ‘USimakade uNkulunkulu wethu uyakusisindisa esandleni senkosi yase-Asiriya na?’
12“Yena lowo Hezekiya akasusanga yini izindawo eziphakemeyo nama-althare akhe, wayala uJuda neJerusalema, wathi: ‘Niyakukhuleka phambi kwe-althare linye, nishise impepho kulo na?’
13“Anazi yini ukuthi mina nobaba senzani kubo bonke abantu bamazwe na? Onkulunkulu babo baba nawo yini amandla okusindisa izizwe namazwe azo esandleni sami? 14Ngubani phakathi kwabo bonke onkulunkulu balezi zizwe ezabhujiswa ngobaba owayenamandla okusindisa abantu bakhe esandleni sami, okwenza nicabange ukuthi uNkulunkulu wenu nina uzonisindisa esandleni sami na? 15Ngakho-ke ningamvumeli uHezekiya anikhohlise, aniyenge ngale ndlela; ningakholwa nguye, ngokuba akuzange kube khona nkulunkulu kunoma yisiphi isizwe nombuso owaba namandla okusindisa abantu bakhe esandleni sami, nasesandleni sobaba. Nina-ke nicabanga ukuthi owenu uNkulunkulu anganisindisa esandleni sami na?”
16Izinceku zakhe zakhuluma okunye okuphambene noSimakade uNkulunkulu, nenceku yakhe, uHezekiya. 17Wayelobe izincwadi zokweyisa uSimakade uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, nangoHezekiya, ethi: “Njengalokhu onkulunkulu bezizwe namazwe bengabasindisanga abantu babo esandleni sami, kanjalo noNkulunkulu kaHezekiya akayukubasindisa abantu bakhe esandleni sami.”
18Bamemeza ngezwi elikhulu ngolimi lwabaJuda, kubantu baseJerusalema ababesogangeni ukuba babethuse, babesabise, ukuze bawuthathe umuzi. 19Bakhuluma ngoNkulunkulu waseJerusalema njengonkulunkulu babantu bomhlaba abangumsebenzi wezandla zabantu.
20UHezekiya inkosi, no-Izaya umphrofethi, indodana ka-Amose, bakhuleka ngenxa yalokhu, bakhala bebhekise ezulwini. 21USimakade wathumela ingelosi eyabhubhisa wonke amaqhawe anamandla, nabaholi, nezinduna enkanjini yenkosi yase-Asiriya. Yabuyela ezweni layo ijabhile. Isingenile endlini kankulunkulu wayo, abozalo lwayo bayibulala ngenkemba khona lapho.
22USimakade wamsindisa kanjalo uHezekiya nezakhamuzi zaseJerusalema esandleni sikaSenaheribhi, inkosi yase-Asiriya, nasesandleni sabo bonke abanye, wabahola nxazonke. 23Abaningi baletha iminikelo kuSimakade eJerusalema namagugu kuHezekiya inkosi yakwaJuda, waba nodumo kubo bonke abezizwe ngaleso sikhathi.
Ukudunguzela KukaHezekiya
24Ngalezo zinsuku uHezekiya wagula wabangwa nezibi. Wayesekhuleka kuSimakade; uSimakade wakhuluma kuye, wamnika isibonakaliso.
25UHezekiya akenzanga okuhle njengoba ayenzelwe okuhle, waphakama enhliziyweni yakhe, ngakho-ke ulaka lukaSimakade lwaba phezu kwakhe nakuJuda neJerusalema. 26UHezekiya wayithobisa inhliziyo yakhe eyayisikhukhumele, yena nezakhamuzi zaseJerusalema, ngakho-ke ulaka lukaSimakade alwehlelanga kubo emihleni kaHezekiya.
Umcebo KaHezekiya Nodumo Lwakhe
27UHezekiya wayecebile futhi enodumo olukhulu, wazakhela izindlu zesiliva, ezegolide, ezamatshe ayigugu, ezamakha, ezezihlangu nezazo zonke izinto ezinxanelekayo. 28Wakha nezinqolobane zokusanhlamvu, ezewayini elisha, ezamafutha, izibaya zezinhlobo zonke zezilwane, nezindawo zezimvu. 29Wazakhela imizi, waba nemfuyo, izimvu nezinkomo eziningi, ngokuba uNkulunkulu wayemnike impahla eningi kakhulu.
30UHezekiya wavimba umthombo ongenhla wamanzi eGihoni, wawaqondisa entshonalanga yomuzi kaDavide. UHezekiya waphumelela kuyo yonke imisebenzi yakhe ayeyenza. 31Kanjalo maqondana nezithunywa zezikhulu zaseBhabhele ezathumela kuye ukuyobuza ngesibonakaliso esenzeka ezweni, uNkulunkulu wamshiya emvivinya, ukuze azi konke okusenhliziyweni yakhe.
Ukukhothama KukaHezekiya
32Ezinye izindaba zikaHezekiya nezenzo zakhe ezinhle; bheka, zilotshiwe embonweni ka-Izaya umphrofethi, indodana ka-Amose, encwadini yamakhosi akwaJuda nawakwa-Israyeli. 33UHezekiya wayesekhothama, bamngcwaba emmangweni wamadlinza ozalo lukaDavide, wonke uJuda nezakhamuzi zaseJerusalema bamhlonipha emngcwabeni wakhe. UManase, indodana yakhe, waba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe.
