USaneheribi ungenela uJuda
1Emva kwalezozinto nalesosibonelo sokuthembeka kwafika uSaneheribi inkosi yaseAsiriya, wangena kwaJuda, wamisa malungana nemizi ebiyelweyo, wathi uyakuzifohlela yona.
2Lapho uHezekiya esebona ukuthi uSaneheribi ufikile nokuthi uqonda ukulwa neJerusalema,
3welulekana nezikhulu zakhe namaqhawe akhe ukuba bavimbe amanzi emithombo eyayingaphandle komuzi; bamsiza.
4Kwabuthana abantu abaningi, bavimba yonke imithombo, nomfudlana owawugobhoza phakathi nezwe, bathi: Kungangani ukuba kufike amakhosi aseAsiriya, afumane amanzi amaningi, na?
5Waziqinisa, wakha lonke ugange olwaludiliziwe, wabeka imibhoshongo phezu kwalo, nolunye ugange ngaphandle, waqinisa iMilo emzini kaDavide, wenza izikhalo nezihlangu eziningi.
6Wabeka izinduna zempi phezu kwabantu, wazibuthela bona esigcawini ngasesangweni lomuzi, wakhuluma kahle kubo, wathi:
7Qinani, nime isibindi, ningesabi, ningapheli amandla ngenkosi yaseAsiriya nangesixuku sonke esinayo, ngokuba onathi mkhulu kunonaye;
8okunaye yingalo yenyama; okunathi nguJehova uNkulunkulu wethu ukuba asisize, alwe izimpi zethu; abantu bencika emazwini kaHezekiya inkosi yakwaJuda.
9Emva kwalokho uSaneheribi inkosi yaseAsiriya wathuma izinceku zakhe eJerusalema — wayephambi kweLakishi nabo bonke ababusi benaye — kuHezekiya inkosi yakwaJuda nakuye wonke uJuda waseJerusalema, wathi:
10Usho kanje uSaneheribi inkosi yaseAsiriya, uthi: Nethembani nina, njengokuba nihlala nivinjezelwe eJerusalema, na?
11UHezekiya akaniyengi yini ukuba aninikele, nife ngendlala nangokoma, ethi: UJehova uNkulunkulu wethu uyakusophula esandleni senkosi yaseAsiriya, na?
12Yena lowoHezekiya akasusanga yini izindawo eziphakemeyo nama-altare akhe, wayala uJuda neJerusalema, wathi: Niyakukhuleka phambi kwealtare linye, nishise impepho, na?
13Anazi yini ukuthi mina nawobaba senzeni kubo bonke abezizwe na? Onkulunkulu babezizwe babenamandla yini nakanjani okophula izwe labo esandleni sami na?
14Ngubani phakathi kwabo bonke onkulunkulu balezozizwe ezachithwa ngobaba owayenamandla okophula abantu bakhe esandleni sami, ukuze uNkulunkulu wenu anophule nina esandleni sami, na?
15Ngalokho uHezekiya makanganikhohlisi, anganiyengi ngalendlela, ningakholwa nguye, ngokuba kwakungekhonkulunkulu nakusiphi isizwe noma kumuphi umbuso owayenamandla okophula abantu bakhe esandleni sami nasesandleni sawobaba; kakhulu kangakanani anganophula esandleni sami uNkulunkulu wenu na?
16Izinceku zakhe zazikhuluma nokunye okuphambene noJehova uNkulunkulu nenceku yakhe uHezekiya.
17Wayelobé nencwadi yokumhlambalaza uJehova uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, wakhuluma okuphambene naye, wathi: Njengalokho onkulunkulu babezizwe bengabophulanga abantu babo esandleni sami, kanjalo uNkulunkulu kaHezekiya akayikubophula abantu bakhe esandleni sami.
18Bamemeza ngezwi elikhulu ngolimi lwabaJuda kubantu baseJerusalema ababesogangeni ukuba babethuse, babesabise, ukuze bawuthathe umuzi.
19Bakhuluma ngoNkulunkulu waseJerusalema njengangawonkulunkulu babantu bomhlaba abangumsebenzi wezandla zabantu.
20UHezekiya inkosi noIsaya umprofethi, indodana ka-Amose, bakhuleka ngenxa yalokho, bakhala ngasezulwini.
21UJehova wathuma ingelosi eyanquma onke amaqhawe anamandla, nabaholi, nezinduna ekamu* lenkosi yaseAsiriya. Yayisibuyela ezweni layo ijabhile. Isingenile endlini kankulunkulu wayo, ababephumé ezibilinini zayo bayibulala khona ngenkemba.
22UJehova wasindisa-ke uHezekiya nabakhileyo eJerusalema esandleni sikaSaneheribi inkosi yaseAsiriya nasesandleni sabo bonke abanye, wabahola nxazonke.
23Abaningi baletha izipho kuJehova eJerusalema namagugu kuHezekiya inkosi yakwaJuda, waze waphakanyiswa emehlweni abo bonke abezizwe ngasemuva.
Ukugula nokufa kukaHezekiya
24Ngalezozinsuku uHezekiya wagula waze waba-sengozini yokufa; wakhuleka kuJehova; yena wakhuluma kuye, wamnika isibonakaliso.
25Kepha uHezekiya akabuyiselanga okuhle okwenzelwe yena, ngokuba inhliziyo yakhe yayikhukhumele; ngalokho kwaba-khona ulaka phezu kwakhe, naphezu kukaJuda, naphezu kweJerusalema.
26Kepha lapho uHezekiya esezithoba ekukhukhumaleni kwenhliziyo yakhe, yena nabakhileyo eJerusalema, ulaka lukaJehova alubehlelanga emihleni kaHezekiya.
27UHezekiya wayenengcebo nodumo oluningi kakhulu, wazenzela izindlu zesiliva, nezegolide, nezamatshe angamagugu, nezamakha, nezezihlangu, nezezinto zonke ezinxanelekayo,
28nezinqolobane zezithelo zamabele nezewayini nezamafutha, nezibaya zezinhlobo zonke zezilwane, nezindawo zezimvu.
29Wazenzela nemizi, nemfuyo yezimvu, nezinkomo eziningi, ngokuba uNkulunkulu wayemniké impahla eningi kakhulu.
30Yena lowoHezekiya wavimbezela umthombo wasenhla wamanzi aseGihoni, wawaqondisa ngasentshonalanga komuzi kaDavide. UHezekiya waphumelela emisebenzini yakhe yonke.
31Kanjalo namaqondana nezithunywa zezikhulu zaseBabele ezathumela kuye ukubuza ngesibonakaliso esenziwa ezweni uNkulunkulu wamshiya ukumvivinya nje ukuba azi konke okusenhliziyweni yakhe.
32Ezinye izindaba zikaHezekiya nezenzo zakhe ezinhle, bheka, zilotshiwe embonweni kaIsaya umprofethi, indodana ka-Amose, encwadini yamakhosi akwaJuda nakwaIsrayeli.
33UHezekiya wayeselala koyise; bammbela emmangweni wamathuna amadodana kaDavide; wonke uJuda nabakhileyo eJerusalema bamenzela udumo ekufeni kwakhe. UManase indodana yakhe waba-yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe.
