AMAKHOSI II 18

₁Kwathi ngomnyaka wesithathu kaHosheya indodana kaEla, inkosi yakwaIsrayeli, uHezekiya indodana ka-Ahazi inkosi yakwaJuda waba-yinkosi.

₂Wayeneminyaka engamashumi amabili nanhlanu ekuqaleni kwakhe ukubusa, wabusa iminyaka engamashumi amabili nesishiyagalolunye eJerusalema; igama likanina lalinguAbi indodakazi kaZakariya.

₃Wenza okulungile emehlweni kaJehova njengakho konke akwenzileyo uDavide uyise.

₄Wasusa izindawo eziphakemeyo, wadiliza izinsika, wanquma oAshera*, wachitha inyoka yethusi ayeyenzile uMose, ngokuba abantwana bakwaIsrayeli babeshisa impepho kuyo kwaze kwaba-ngalezozinsuku; yabizwa ngokuthi uNehushitani.

₅Wamethemba uJehova uNkulunkulu wakwaIsrayeli kwaze kwangabakho onjengaye phakathi kwawo onke amakhosi akwaJuda nakuwo ayengaphambi kwakhe.

₆Ngokuba wabambelela kuJehova, akasukanga ekumlandeleni, kepha wagcina imiyalo yakhe uJehova ayala ngayo uMose.

₇UJehova wayenaye; nomaphi lapho eya khona, waphumelela; wayihlubuka inkosi yaseAsiriya, kayikhonzanga.

₈Wachitha amaFilisti kwaze kwabaseGaza nemikhawulo yalo, imibhoshongo yabalindi nemizi ebiyelweyo.

₉Kwathi ngomnyaka wesine wenkosi uHezekiya owawungumnyaka wesikhombisa kaHosheya indodana kaEla, inkosi yakwaIsrayeli, uShalimaneseri inkosi yaseAsiriya wenyuka walivimbezela iSamariya.

₁₀Ngasekupheleni kweminyaka emithathu balithatha; ngomnyaka wesithupha kaHezekiya owawungumnyaka wesishiyagalolunye kaHosheya inkosi yakwaIsrayeli iSamariya lathathwa.

₁₁Inkosi yaseAsiriya yathumbela uIsrayeli eAsiriya, yababeka eHala naseHabori ngasemfuleni waseGozani nasemizini yamaMede,

₁₂ngokuba abalalelanga izwi likaJehova uNkulunkulu wabo, kepha beqa isivumelwano sakhe; konke ayala ngakho uMose inceku kaJehova kabavumanga ukukulalela nokukwenza.

₁₃Ngomnyaka weshumi nane wenkosi uHezekiya, uSaneheribi inkosi yaseAsiriya wenyuka wahlasela yonke imizi ebiyelweyo yakwaJuda, wayithatha.

₁₄UHezekiya inkosi yakwaJuda wathumela enkosini yaseAsiriya eLakishi, wathi: Ngonile; buya kimi; okubeka kimi ngiyakukwenza. Inkosi yaseAsiriya yamnqumela uHezekiya inkosi yakwaJuda amatalenta* angamakhulu amathathu esiliva namatalenta angamashumi amathathu egolide.

₁₅UHezekiya wamnika lonke isiliva elalifunyanwa endlini kaJehova nasengcebeni endlini yenkosi.

₁₆Ngalesosikhathi uHezekiya wanquma izivalo zethempeli likaJehova nezinsika uHezekiya inkosi yakwaJuda ayezinamekile, wakunika inkosi yaseAsiriya.

₁₇Inkosi yaseAsiriya yathuma oTharithani, noRabi-Sarisi, noRabi-Shake ukuba basuke eLakishi, baye enkosini uHezekiya eJerusalema, benempi enkulu. Benyuka bafika eJerusalema. Sebenyukile bafika, bema ngasemseleni wechibi lasenhla elingasendleleni yeNsimu yoMhlanzi.

₁₈Bayibiza inkosi, kwaphumela kubo uEliyakimi indodana kaHilikiya owayephezu kwendlu, noShebina umbhali, noJowa indodana ka-Asafa, umabhalana.

₁₉Wathi kubo uRabi-Shake: Ake nisho kuHezekiya, nithi: Isho kanje inkosi enkulu, inkosi yaseAsiriya, ithi: Yithemba lini leli olethembayo na?

₂₀Wena uyakhuluma, kepha kungamazwi angawomlomo nje lana ngesu nangamandla okulwa. Pho, wethemba-bani, lokhu ungihlubukile, na?

₂₁Manje bheka, wethemba udondolo lwalomhlanga ofecekileyo oyiGibithe; kepha uma umuntu esimelela ngalo, luyakungena esandleni sakhe, lusihlabe; unjalo uFaro inkosi yaseGibithe kubo bonke abamethembayo.

₂₂Kepha uma nithi kimi: Siyamethemba uJehova uNkulunkulu wethu; akusiye yini ozindawo zakhe eziphakemeyo nama-altare akhe akususile uHezekiya, wathi kuJuda nakulo iJerusalema: Niyakukhuleka phambi kwalelialtare eJerusalema, na?

₂₃Ngalokho ake uvumelane nenkosi yami, inkosi yaseAsiriya, ngiyakukunika amahashi ayizinkulungwane ezimbili, uma ungabeka izinkweli kuwo.

₂₄Pho, ungaphindisela emuva kanjani nenduna eyodwa ezincekwini ezincane zenkosi yami na? Nokho wethemba iGibithe ukuthola khona izinqola nabamahashi.

₂₅Manje ngenyukelé yini ngaphandle kukaJehova kulendawo ukuba ngiyichithe na? UJehova wathi kimi: Yenyukela kulelozwe, ulichithe.

₂₆Base bethi uEliyakimi indodana kaHilikiya noShebina noJowa kuRabi-Shake: Ake ukhulume ezincekwini zakho ngesiAramu, ngokuba siyaluzwa, ungakhulumi kithi ngolimi lwabaJuda ezindlebeni zabantu abasogangeni.

₂₇Kepha uRabi-Shake wathi kubo: Inkosi yami ingithumile yini enkosini yakho nakuwena ukukhuluma lawamazwi na? Hayi kulababantu yini abahlezi ogangeni ukuba badle amasimba abo, baphuze umshobingo wabo kanye nani, na?

₂₈Wayesema uRabi-Shake, wamemeza ngezwi elikhulu ngolimi lwabaJuda, wakhuluma wathi: Zwanini amazwi enkosi enkulu, inkosi yaseAsiriya.

₂₉Isho kanje inkosi, ithi: Maningakhohliswa nguHezekiya, ngokuba akayikuba-namandla okunophula esandleni sami;

₃₀futhi uHezekiya makanganenzi nethembe uJehova ngokuthi: UJehova uyakusophula nokusophula, nalomuzi awuyikunikelwa esandleni senkosi yaseAsiriya.

₃₁Ningamlaleli uHezekiya, ngokuba inkosi yaseAsiriya isho kanje, ithi: Yenzani ukuthula nami, niphumele kimi, nidle, kube-yilowo nalowo emvinini wakhe, kube-yilowo nalowo emkhiwaneni wakhe, niphuze, kube-yilowo nalowo amanzi omthombo wakhe,

₃₂ngize ngifike, nginiyise ezweni elinjengezwe lakini, izwe lamabele nelewayini, izwe lesinkwa nelezivini, izwe leminqumo nezinyosi, ukuba niphile, ningafi; futhi ningamlaleli uHezekiya, lapho eniyenga ngokuthi: UJehova uyakusophula.

₃₃Abanye onkulunkulu bezizwe baké bophula nokophula yini izwe lakubo esandleni senkosi yaseAsiriya na?

₃₄Baphi onkulunkulu baseHamati naseAripadi na? Baphi onkulunkulu baseSefarivayimi, nabaseHena, nabaseIva, na? Balophulile iSamariya esandleni sami na?

₃₅Ngobani phakathi kwabo bonke onkulunkulu bamazwe abophulé izwe lakubo esandleni sami ukuba uJehova alophule iJerusalema esandleni sami na?

₃₆Kepha abantu bathula, abamphendulanga ngazwi, ngokuba umyalo wenkosi wathi: Ningamphenduli.

₃₇Base befika uEliyakimi indodana kaHilikiya owayephezu kwendlu, noShebina umlobi, noJowa indodana ka-Asafa, umabhalana, kuHezekiya, izingubo zabo ziklebhukile, bamlandisa amazwi kaRabi-Shake.