USaneheribi ungenela uJuda
1Emva kwalezo zinto naleso sibonelo sokuthembeka kwafika uSaneheribi inkosi yase-Asiriya, 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 ase-Asiriya, afumane amanzi amaningi, na?” 5Waziqinisa, wakha lonke ugange olwaludiliziwe, wabeka imibhoshongo phezu kwalo, nolunye ugange ngaphandle, waqinisa iMilo emzini kaDavide, wenza izikhali nezihlangu eziningi.
6Wabeka izinduna zempi phezu kwabantu, wazibuthela bona esigcawini ngasesangweni lomuzi, wakhuluma kahle kubo, wathi: 7“Qinani, nime isibindi, ningesabi, ningapheli amandla ngenkosi yase-Asiriya 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 yase-Asiriya wathuma izinceku zakhe eJerusalema wayephambi kweLakishi nabo bonke ababusi benaye kuHezekiya inkosi yakwaJuda nakuye wonke uJuda waseJerusalema, wathi:
10“Usho kanje uSaneheribi, inkosi yase-Asiriya, uthi: Nethembani nina, njengokuba nihlala nivinjezelwe eJerusalema, na? 11UHezekiya akaniyengi yini ukuba aninikele, nife ngendlala nangokoma, ethi: ‘UJehova uNkulunkulu wethu uyakusophula esandleni senkosi yase-Asiriya,’ na? 12Yena lowo Hezekiya akasusanga yini izindawo eziphakemeyo nama-altare akhe, wayala uJuda neJerusalema, wathi: ‘Niyakukhuleka phambi kwe-altare linye, nishise impepho,’ na?
13“Anazi yini ukuthi mina nawobaba senzeni kubo bonke abezizwe na? Onkulunkulu babezizwe babe namandla yini nakanjani okophula izwe labo esandleni sami na? 14Ngubani phakathi kwabo bonke onkulunkulu balezo zizwe ezachithwa ngobaba owayenamandla okophula abantu bakhe esandleni sami, ukuze uNkulunkulu wenu anophule nina esandleni sami, na? 15Ngalokho uHezekiya makanganikhohlisi, anganiyengi ngale ndlela, ningakholwa nguye, ngokuba kwakungekho nkulunkulu 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. 17Wayelobe nencwadi yokumhlambalaza uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, 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 ababe sogangeni ukuba babethuse, babesabise, ukuze bawuthathe umuzi. 19Bakhuluma ngoNkulunkulu waseJerusalema njengangawonkulunkulu babantu bomhlaba abangumsebenzi wezandla zabantu.
20UHezekiya inkosi no-Isaya umprofethi, indodana ka-Amose, bakhuleka ngenxa yalokho, bakhala ngasezulwini. 21UJehova wathuma ingelosi eyanquma onke amaqhawe anamandla, nabaholi, nezinduna ekamu* lenkosi yase-Asiriya. Yayisibuyela ezweni layo ijabhile. Isingenile endlini kankulunkulu wayo, ababephume ezibilinini zayo bayibulala khona ngenkemba.
22UJehova wasindisa-ke uHezekiya nabakhileyo eJerusalema esandleni sikaSaneheribi inkosi yase-Asiriya 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
24Ngalezo zinsuku 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 wayemnike impahla eningi kakhulu.
30Yena lowo Hezekiya 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 ka-Isaya umprofethi, indodana ka-Amose, encwadini yamakhosi akwaJuda nakwa-Israyeli. 33UHezekiya wayeselala koyise; bammbela emmangweni wamathuna amadodana kaDavide; wonke uJuda nabakhileyo eJerusalema bamenzela udumo ekufeni kwakhe. UManase indodana yakhe waba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe.
