Bible Society of South Africa
Benescke Janse van Rensburg

Live Happy … Today – Day 12

Live happy ... trusting God

Se(di)ngolwa (t)sa Bibele

2 DIKGOSI 18

Puso ya Hesekiya, kgosi ya Juda

(2 Dik. 29:1,2; 31:1)

1Hesekiya, mora wa Akase, kgosi ya Juda, o ne a qale ho busa ka selemo sa boraro sa puso ya Hoshea, mora wa Ela, kgosi ya Iseraele. 2O ne a ena le dilemo tse mashome a mabedi a metso e mehlano ha a qala ho busa, mme a busa ka dilemo tse mashome a mabedi a metso e robong, a le Jerusalema. Lebitso la mmae e ne e le Abi, moradi wa Sakariya. 3Hesekiya a etsa tse lokileng mahlong a Morena, jwalokaha Davida, ntataemoholo, a ne a ile a etsa.

4A fedisa dibaka tseo ho rapellwang medimo ya bohata ho tsona, a pshatla difika tseo ba di kgumamelang, a rathaka le ditshwantsho tsa Ashera. A pshatla le noha ya lethose e neng e etswe ke Moshe, a e etsa mokungwane, hobane ho fihlela mohlang oo, setjhaba sa Iseraele se ne se tjhesetsa noha eo mokubetso. Noha eo e ne e reilwe lebitso la Nehushetane. 5Hesekiya a tshepa Morena Modimo wa Iseraele. Hara dikgosi tsa Juda tse ileng tsa mo hlahlama, esita le tse bileng teng pele ho yena, ha ho a ka ha eba le kgosi, le e nngwe, e kileng ya tshwana le yena. 6O ne a kgomaretse Morena, a sa phetse ho mo latela. A boloka melao eo Morena a neng a e laetse Moshe. 7Morena a ba le Hesekiya, mme a atleha ho tsohle tseo a neng a di etsa. Yaba Hesekiya o fetohela kgosi ya Asiria, o hana ho e sebeletsa. 8A hlola Bafilesita ho ya fihla Gasa, a hapa metse le metsana yohle ya yona.

9Ka selemo sa bone sa puso ya kgosi Hesekiya, seo e neng e le sa bosupa sa puso ya Hoshea, mora wa Ela, kgosi ya Iseraele, Salemanesere, kgosi ya Asiria, a futuhela Samaria, a e etsetsa thibella. 10Kamora dilemo tse tharo a e hapa. Samaria ya hapuwa ka selemo sa botshelela sa puso ya Hesekiya, e leng sa borobong sa puso ya Hoshea, kgosi ya Iseraele. 11Kgosi ya Asiria ya thopa Baiseraele, ya ba isa naheng ya Asiria. Ya ba bea Hala, le pela noka ya Habore, e Gosane; ya ba bea le metseng ya Bamede. 12Tsena di ile tsa etsahala hobane Baiseraele ba ne ba sa ka ba mamela lentswe la Morena Modimo wa bona. Ba ne ba ile ba roba selekane sa Morena; le tsohle tseo Moshe, mohlanka wa Morena, a neng a ba laetse tsona, ba ne ba sa ka ba di mamela, leha e le ho di phetha.

Baasiria ba sokela baahi ba Jerusalema

(2 Dik. 32:1-19; Esa. 36:1-22)

13Ka selemo sa leshome le metso e mene sa puso ya kgosi Hesekiya, Saneheribe, kgosi ya Asiria, a futuhela metse yohle ya Juda, e neng a haheleditswe, mme a e hapa. 14Hesekiya, kgosi ya Juda, a romela molaetsa Lakishe, ho kgosi ya Asiria, a re: “Ke sitilwe; ke a o kopa: Ako kgaotse ho mphutuhela, mme ke tla ntsha lekgetho leo o le batlang.” Kgosi ya Asiria ya re ho kgosi ya Juda e ntshe lekgetho la silefera e boima ba dikilo tsa dikete tse leshome, le kgauta e boima ba dikilo tse sekete. 15Hesekiya a mo nea silefera yohle e neng e le ka Tempeleng ya Morena, le e neng e le ka letloleng la ntlo ya kgosi.

16Ka yona nako eo, Hesekiya, kgosi ya Juda, a manolla kgauta eo a neng a e manehile mamating a Tempele ya Morena, le hodima dikosene, a e romela ho kgosi ya Asiria.

17Jwale kgosi ya Asiria ya romela lebotho le leholo, le tlohang Lakishe, ho ya futuhela kgosi Hesekiya, a le Jerusalema. Lebotho leo le ne le tswile le mookamedi wa balaodi, le molaodi wa mabotho, le molaodi wa ntwa. Ba nyolohela Jerusalema, ba fihla ba emisa moseleng wa letshana le kahodimo, pela mmila o yang setsheng sa Mohlatswi wa Masela. 18Yare hoba ba bitse kgosi, ha tla ho bona Eliakime, mora wa Hilekiya, eo e neng e le mookamedi wa lelapa la kgosi, le Shebena, eo e neng e le mongodi wa lekgotla, le Jowa, mora wa Asafo, eo e neng e le mongodi wa diketsahalo.

19Molaodi wa ntwa a re ho bona: “Bolellang Hesekiya, le re ho yena: ‘Kgosi e kgolo, kgosi ya Asira, e bua tjena, e re: Ntshepedi-ya-ntshepe, eo o nang le yona kgotodiyeng, ke efe? 20O re o na le boeletsi le bonatla ntweng, empa polelo ena ke ya molomo feela. Ebe o tshepile mang, ha o mphetohetse tjee? 21Bona mona, o tshepile Egepeta, e leng lere la lehlaka le peperaneng, le hlabang seatla sa motho ya itshetlehang ka lona. Faro, kgosi ya Egepeta, o jwalo ho bohle ba mo tshepileng. 22Empa haeba o re ho nna: Re tshepile Morena Modimo wa rona, na hase yena eo Hesekiya a heleditseng dibaka tsa hae tsa borapedi, le dialetare tsa hae, a ba a re ho baahi ba Juda le ho ba Jerusalema: Le tla rapella kapele ho aletare ee, le le Jerusalema?

23“ ‘Ka baka leo, ke o tswela kgomo: Etsa ditumellano le monga ka, kgosi ya Asiria, mme ke tla o nea dipere tse dikete tse pedi, haeba o na le ba ka di palamang. 24Haeba o tshepile hore Egepeta e tla o nea dikariki tsa ntwa le bapalami, ebe o ka tseba ho phekgola molaodi leha a le mong feela wa bahlanka ba eisehang ba monga ka? 25Na ke futuhetse naha ee, ho tla e timetsa, e se ka taelo ya Morena? Morena o ile a re ho nna: Futuhela naha ena, o e timetse!’ ”

26Jwale bo-Eliakime, mora wa Hilekiya, le Shebena, le Jowa, ba re ho molaodi wa ntwa: “Re a o kopa: Ako bue Searame le bahlanka ba hao, hobane re a se tseba. O se ke wa bua Seheberu moo batho bana ba lerakong ba ntseng ba utlwa.”

27Empa molaodi wa ntwa a re ho bona: “Na monga ka o nthomme ho monga lona, le ho lona feela, ho tla bua mantswe aa? Tjhe, o nthomme le ho banna bano ba dutseng hodima lerako, ba tla ja masepa a bona, ba nwe le moroto wa bona, jwalokaha le lona le tla etsa jwalo.”

28Yaba molaodi wa ntwa o a ema, o howeletsa haholo ka puo ya Seheberu, o re: “Mamelang polelo ya kgosi e kgolo, kgosi ya Asiria! 29Kgosi e bua tjena: ‘Le se ke la thetswa ke Hesekiya, hobane a ke ke a le pholosa matsohong a ka. 30Le se ke la dumela ha Hesekiya a re le tshepe Morena, a re: Morena o tla fela a re namolele, le motse ona o ke ke wa newa kgosi ya Asiria.’

31“Le se ke la mamela Hesekiya, hobane kgosi ya Asiria e bua tjena: ‘Etsang selekane le nna, le ineele, ebe le tla ho nna. Motho ka mong o tla ja morara wa hae, motho ka mong a je feiye ya hae, motho ka mong a nwe le metsi a sediba sa hae, 32ho fihlela ke le isa naheng e kang ya lona, e leng naha e nang le koro le veine e ntjha; naha e nang le dijo le masimo a morara; naha e nang le ole ya mohlwaare le mahe a dinotshi, hore le tle le phele, le se ke la shwa.

“ ‘Le se ke la mamela Hesekiya ha a ntse a le thetsa, a re: Morena o tla re namolela! 33Hara medimo ya ditjhaba tsee, na o teng o kileng wa lopolla naha ya wona matsohong a kgosi ya Asiria? 34E kae medimo ya Hamate le ya Arepade? E kae medimo ya Sefarafaime, le Hena, le Ifa? Na e namoletse Samaria matsohong a ka? 35Ke modimo ofe, hara medimo ya dinaha tsee, o kileng wa lopolla naha ya oona matsohong a ka, hoo jwale le hopolang hore Morena o tla lopolla Jerusalema matsohong a ka?’ ”

36Empa setjhaba sa kgutsa tu! sa se ke sa mo araba, hobane taelo ya kgosi e ne e itse: “Le se ke la mo araba!”

37Jwale bo-Eliakime, mora wa Hilekiya, eo e neng e le mookamedi wa lelapa la kgosi, le Shebena, eo e neng e le mongodi wa lekgotla, le Jowa, mora wa Asafo, eo e neng e le mongodi wa diketsahalo, ba fihla ho Hesikiya, ba hahotse diaparo tsa bona, mme ba mo phetela dipolelo tsa molaodi wa ntwa.

2 DIKGOSI 18SSO89SOBula ka mmadi wa Bibele

Pesalema 46

10O fedisa dintwa

ho isa pheletsong tsa lefatshe;

o robakanya diqha, a pome marumo,

a tjhese dithebe mollong, a re:

11“Kgaotsang, le tsebe

hore nna ke Modimo,

ke tla okamela ditjhaba,

ke okamele lefatshe.”

Pesalema 46:10-11SSO89SOBula ka mmadi wa Bibele

Here is an excerpt from an e-mail from Johan, a Verse-a-Day reader from Kazakhstan, in response to Day 11s piece in which we are reminded that God’s ways are not our ways:

Johan: “My stepfather, whom I loved dearly, fell ill and was hospitalised a while ago. At the same time, a visiting minister held special services at our church. One night, after the church service, the minister invited all sick people (or those who wanted to stand in for a sick loved one) to go forward, so he could pray for us. I immediately went on my stepfather’s behalf.

The preacher prayed for everyone in the line. When he got to me, he did not pray for me, but moved onto the next person. I left, feeling very disappointed. When I got home, I received a call from my mother with the news that my stepfather had passed away after a heart attack.

I went back to church the following evening. After the service, I asked the minister why he did not pray for me the previous night. He told me that God showed him that my stepfather was seriously ill. If he prayed for him, my stepfather would have lived to die a much worse death later on.

During the autopsy, they discovered that my stepdad had cancer. It was never diagnosed when he was alive. I now know that God spared him from that.

God is sovereign. When it feels like he is not answering our prayers, he might actually be protecting us!”

Johan is right. God always knows best. It was demonstrated in King Hezekiah’s life as well. Hezekiah was a righteous and godly man who reigned in the heyday of Judah. In 2 Kings 18, we read that he fell seriously ill. On his deathbed, he begged God not to end his life. God heard his prayer and extended his life for 15 years more.

At first, this sounds great. However, look closer to the 15 “extra years” and you will find that pride entered Hezekiah’s life. He forgot to give God the honour when he boasted with the Babylonians about his wealth and possessions. In addition, his son Manasseh was born. Manasseh became the evil king later on, deeply involved with the occult, which caused severe punishment on the nation. Would Hezekiah have been better off if his life was not extended? Quite possibly, yes.

What are you begging God for today? Sometimes we need to remind ourselves of the words in Psalm 46:10-11: “‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’ The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”

God is yesterday, today and forever the same. He is love and he wants what is best for your life. Therefore, do not try to kick a door open. Apart from hurting your foot, you might not even like what is waiting behind the door. Instead, rely on God. He knows the future and he will protect you, if you allow Him to. God bless.

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