USanirheribu wethusela iJerusalema
1Ngemva kokwethembeka kwekosi uHezekhiya ekwenzeni umsebenzi omuhle kaZimu, kwasuka uSanirheribu ikosi ye-Asiriya wasahlela inarha yakwaJuda. Wavimbezela amadorobho anemithangala, adlumbana bona uzawahlula azithathele wona. 2Kuthe lokha uHezekhiya nabona bonyana uSanirheribu ufikile begodu ufuna ukulwa neJerusalema, 3wakhulumisana neenkhulu zakhe kanye nabarholi bamabutho kobana bavale amanzi avela emithonjeni ngaphandle kweJerusalema. Ngambala basekela iqhinga lakhe. 4Kweza isiqubuthu samadoda savala yoke imithombo nemisele eletha amanzi edorobheni sathi: “Afeke! Asingalisi amakhosi we-Asiriya afumane amanzi kithapha!”
5UHezekhiya waqinisa ubuphephelo bedorobho: Wavuselela umthangala ogirikileko bewakha neenthala zabalindi phezu kwawo. Wakha omunye umthangala magegana nalowo ngaphandle waqinisa nendunduma eMzini kaDavida. Wenza nequbi leenkhali kanye neenhlangu.
6Wakhetha iinkhulu zamabutho bona ziqale abantu bezibabuthele ndawonye phambi kwakhe ecabazini elisesangweni ledorobho, wabakhuthaza ngamezwi la: 7“Qinani nibe nesibindi. Ningesabi namkha niphele amandla ngebanga lekosi ye-Asiriya kanye nesinyokotho samabuthwayo ngombana thina sinamandla amakhulu kunabo. 8Yena uhlome ngeenkhwepha zenyama kodwana thina siqine ngoSomnini uZimethu ozosisiza abe alwe izipi zethu.” Abantu baqina isibindi ngamezwi kaHezekhiya ikosi yakwaJuda.
9USanirheribu ikosi ye-Asiriya nalo loke ibutho lakhe bavimbezela iLarhitjhi. Wathumela abazenda bakhe eJerusalema kuHezekhiya ikosi yakwaJuda nabo boke abantu bakwaJuda egade balapho kobana base umyalezo othi: 10“Nakhu okutjhiwo nguSanirheribu ikosi ye-Asiriya, ‘Nizathi nithembeni nanikokomele eJerusalemapho njengombana ivinjezelwe nje? 11UHezekhiya uyanidurhisa kobana nife ngendlala nangomrhawu lokha nathi batjho uSomnini uZimenu uzanisindisa esandleni sekosi ye-Asiriya. 12Akusuye uHezekhiya ngokwakhe osuse iindunduma nama-aldari kazinyana loyo wathi ebantwini bakwaJuda nebeJerusalema kumele balotjhe phambi kwe-aldari linye bebatjhise netjhwalo kilo na? 13Niyazi bonyana mina nabobaba sabenzani abantu beenarha ezinye. Nabozinyana babo azange bebakghone ukusindisa iinarha zabo esandleni sami! 14Ngiwuphi-ke phakathi kwabo boke abozinyana bezizwezo abobamkhulu abazirhayilako owakhe wakghona ukusindisa abantu bakhe esandleni samesi? Alo, nidlumbana bonyana uzinyanenu loyo yena anganisindisa esandleni sami na? 15Yeke ningavumeli ukukhohliswa nguHezekhiya anidurhise ngalendlela. Ningamkholwa ngombana abe akunazinyana wanamkha ngisiphi isizwe namkha umbuso owakhe wakghona ukusindisa abantu bakhe esandleni sami namkha sabobamkhulu. Alo, yini-ke into engenziwa nguzinyanenu loyo ukunisindisa esandleni sami?’ ”
16Abazenda bakaSanirheribu baragela phambili ngokusatukela uSomnini uZimu kanye nencekwakhe uHezekhiya.
17Ikosi uSanirheribu godu yatlola iincwadi yanyefula uSomnini uZimu wakwa-Israyeli yathi: “Njengombana abozinyana babantu beenarha ezinye bangazange bakghone ukusindisa abantu babo esandleni samapha, nozinyana kaHezekhiya angeze asindisa abantu bakhe kesamesi isandla.”
18Basuka lapho barhuwelela abantu beJerusalema egade basemthangaleni ngesiJuda kobana babethusele ukuze babaleke bese bona bathumbe idorobho. 19Bakhuluma ngoZimu weJerusalema inga bakhuluma ngabosingazimu babantu bephaseli, izinto ezenziwe ngezandla zomuntu.
20Ikosi uHezekhiya kanye nomphorofidi u-Isaya umsa ka-Amosi balilela uZimu ezulwini ngomthandazo ngendaba le. 21USomnini uZimu wathumela ingilozi eyafika yarhayila zoke iintsitsirimba kanye nabarholi neenkhulu ekampeni yekosi ye-Asiriya. USanirheribu wabuyela enarheni yekhabo atjhwabhele umsila. Wathi lokha nathi ungena ngethempelini lakazinyanakhe, amanye wamadodanakhe ambulala ngesabula.
22USomnini wamsindisa njalo-ke uHezekhiya nabantu beJerusalema esandleni sakaSanirheribu ikosi ye-Asiriya nesandleni sabo boke abanye. USomnini wabatjheja mahlangothi woke. 23Abantu abanengi baletha iminikelo kuZimu eJerusalema. Godu bapha noHezekhiya ikosi yakwaJuda izipho ezikhethekileko. Ukusukela ngesikhatheso zoke izizwe zamhlonipha zamazisa khulu.
Ukuzikhukhumeza, ukuphumelela kanye nokufa kwakaHezekhiya
24Emihleni leyo uHezekhiya wagulela ukufa. Wathandaza kuSomnini, uSomnini wamphendula bewamnikela nesibonakaliso esimkarisomraro. 25Kodwana uHezekhiya wazikhukhumeza, azange atjheje isirhawu uSomnini ambonise sona. Ngalokho itukuthelo kaSomnini yehlela phezu kwakhe nebantwini bakwaJuda nebeJerusalema. 26Yeke uHezekhiya waphenduka ekuzikhukhumezeni, nabantu beJerusalema benza njalo. Ngalokho itukuthelo kaSomnini azange isehlela phezu kwabo emihleni kaHezekhiya.
27UHezekhiya bekanjinge begodu ahlonipheka khulu. Wazihlelela izindlu zamagugu wafaka isiliva lakhe, igolide, amatje aligugu, iinungo, iinhlangu nakho koke okuligugu. 28Wakha nezakhiwo kobana abulunge isivuno seenthoro, sesitjhidela sewayini kanye nesamafutha we-oliva. Wakha neembaya zemihlobohlobo yeenlwana ezikulu nezincani. 29Wakha imizi wazuza nezimvu ezinengi kanye neenkomo ngombana uZimu gade ambusise ngobunjinga obukhulu.
30Nguye uHezekhiya lo owavimba amanzi wesiyalu esingehla somthombo weGirhoni; wakhambisa amanzi ngomsele ngaphasi kwehlabathi wawadosela ngetjingalanga yoMuzi kaDavida. Waphumelela kikho koke akwenzako. 31Kodwana kwathi lokha ababusi beBhabheli nabathumela abazenda kuHezekhiya bona babuze ngetshwayo lomkarisomraro owenzeke enarheni, uZimu wamsukela ngombana gade amlinga afuna ukubona koke okusehliziywenakhe.
32Ezinye izehlakalo zokubusa kwakaHezekhiya kanye nezenzo zakhe zokuzinikela kutlolwe embonweni womphorofidi u-Isaya umsa ka-Amosi encwadini yamakhosi wakwaJuda newakwa-Israyeli. 33UHezekhiya wahlongakala, wabulungwa embundwini emazindleni weenzukulwana zakaDavida. Woke uJuda nabantu beJerusalema bamhlonipha ekuhlongakaleni kwakhe. UManase indodanakhe wathatha ubukhosi emva kwakhe.
