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Umbono Ngokukhululwa KweJerusalema
1 Kwathi lapho uHezekhiya, inkosi, esezwe lokhu, wadabula izigqoko zakhe wagqoka amasaka, wasesiya ethempelini likaThixo.
2 Wathuma u-Eliyakhimu umphathi wesigodlo, uShebhina umabhalane labaphristi abangabakhokheli, bonke begqoke amasaka, baya kumphrofethi u-Isaya indodana ka-Amozi.
3 Bathi kuye, “UHezekhiya uthi: ilanga lanamhla lusuku losizi lokusolwa kanye lehlazo njengalapho abantwana sekufike isikhathi sokuthi bazalwe kodwa amandla okubeletha engekho.
4 Mhlawumbe uThixo uNkulunkulu wakho izawezwa wonke amazwi omlawuli webutho, onkosi yakhe, inkosi yase-Asiriya, emthume ukuba athuke uNkulunkulu ophilayo, lokuthi uzamthuka ngenxa yamazwi uThixo uNkulunkulu wakho awazwileyo. Ngakho-ke khulekela insali elokhu iphila.”
5 Kwathi izithunywa zenkosi uHezekhiya sezifikile ku-Isaya,
6 u-Isaya wathi kuzo, “Tshelani inkosi yenu lithi, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo: Ungesabi lokhu okuzwileyo, amazwi lawana izinceku zenkosi yase-Asiriya ezingithuke ngawo.
7 Lalela! Ngizafaka umoya ozamenza athi nxa esizwa umbiko othile, afune ukubuyela elizweni lakhe, athi angafika khonale ngenze ukuba abulawe ngenkemba.’ ”
8 Kwathi lapho umlawuli webutho esezwile ukuthi inkosi yase-Asiriya yayisisukile eLakhishi, laye wasuka wayathola inkosi isilwa leLibhina.
9 USenakheribhi wemukela umbiko othi uThirihaka, inkosi yaseKhushi, wayesiza ukuba amhlasele. Ngakho wathumela njalo izithunywa kuHezekhiya lombiko othi:
10 “Tshela uHezekhiya inkosi yakoJuda ukuthi: Ungavumi ukuthi unkulunkulu omthembileyo akukhohlise esithi, ‘IJerusalema kaliyikunikelwa enkosini yase-Asiriya.’
11 Ngempela usukuzwile okwenziwa ngamakhosi ase-Asiriya emazweni wonke, ewabhidliza okupheleleyo. Wena-ke uzaphepha na?
12 Onkulunkulu bezizwe ezatshabalaliswa ngokhokho bami bake bazikhulula na onkulunkulu beGozani, leHarani, leRezefi kanye labantu base-Edeni ababeseThelasari?
13 Ingaphi inkosi yaseHamathi, inkosi yase-Ariphadi, angaphi amakhosi aseLayiri leSefavayimi, loba eyaseHena kumbe eyase-Iva?”
Umkhuleko KaHezekhiya
14 UHezekhiya wamukela incwadi eyeza lezithunywa wayibala. Emva kwalokho waya ethempelini leNkosi, wayichaya phambi kukaThixo.
15 UHezekhiya wakhuleka kuThixo esithi: “Thixo, Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, osebukhosini phakathi kwamaKherubhi, wena kuphela nguwe onguNkulunkulu wemibuso yonke yasemhlabeni. Nguwe owenza izulu lomhlaba.
16 Beka indlebe, Thixo, uzwe; vula amehlo akho Thixo, ubone. Lalela uzwe amazwi uSenakheribhi awathumele ukuzathuka uNkulunkulu ophilayo.
17 Kuliqiniso, Thixo, ukuthi amakhosi ase-Asiriya azitshabalalisa lezizizwe kanye lamazwe azo.
18 Aphosele onkulunkulu bawo emlilweni abatshabalalisa, ngoba kungesibo onkulunkulu kodwa yizigodo lamatshe kuphela, okubunjwe ngezandla zabantu.
19 Khathesi, Thixo, Nkulunkulu wethu, sikhulule esandleni sakhe, ukuze imibuso yonke emhlabeni ibekwazi, ukuthi wena wedwa, Thixo, unguNkulunkulu.”
U-Isaya Uphrofetha Ngokuwa KukaSenakheribi
20 U-Isaya indodana ka-Amozi wathumela ilizwi kuHezekhiya elithi: “Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli: Ngiwuzwile umkhuleko wakho mayelana loSenakheribhi inkosi yase-Asiriya.
21 Nanti ilizwi uThixo aselikhulume ngaye:
‘Ndodakazi eGcweleyo iZiyoni
iyakweyisa njalo iyakuklolodela.
Ndodakazi iJerusalema
inqekuza ikhanda layo lapho wena ubaleka.
22 Ngubani lowo omthukileyo wamhlazisa?
Ngubani lowo omphakamisele ilizwi lakho
wamphakamisela lamehlo akho ngokuzigqaja na?
NgoNgcwele ka-Israyeli!
23 Ngezithunywa zakho
umthukile uThixo.
Utshilo njalo ukuthi,
“Ngezinqola zami ezinengi
ngikhwelile eziqongweni zezintaba,
iziqongo eziphezulu kakhulu zaseLebhanoni.
Sengigamule ngawisa izihlahla ezinde zemisedari,
izihlahla ezikhethiweyo zamaphayini.
Ngifikile eziqongweni zalo ezikhatshana,
emaguswini alo amahle kakhulu.
24 Ngigebhile imithombo ezizweni
nganatha amanzi khona.
Ngezinyawo zami
ngomisile zonke izifula zaseGibhithe.” ’ ”
Ukubhidlizwa kweSenakheribhi
25 “ ‘Kawuzwanga na?
Lokhu ngakumisa endulo.
Ngakuceba ensukwini zasendulo;
khathesi sengenze ukuba kufezeke,
ukuthi usudilize amadolobho avikelweyo
aba yizinqwaba zamatshe.
26 Abantu bakhona, abangaselamandla,
badangele njalo bayangekile.
Banjengezilimo ensimini,
njengamahlumela aluhlaza,
lanjengotshani obuhluma ephahleni lwendlu
bubuye butshe bungakakhuli.
27 Kodwa ngiyakwazi lapho okhona,
lalapho usiza uphinde uhambe;
kanye lokuthi ungithukuthelela kangakanani.
28 Ngenxa yokungithukuthelela kwakho
langenxa yokuthi ubuqholo bakho sebufikile ezindlebeni zami
ngizafaka umkhala wami emakhaleni akho
lamatomu ami emlonyeni wakho,
njalo ngizakwenza ubuyele
ngendlela oze ngayo.’
29 Lokhu kuzakuba yisibonakaliso kuwe, Hezekhiya:
Lonyaka lizakudla okuzikhulela kodwa,
ngomnyaka wesibili lidle umkhukhuzela wakhona.
Kodwa ngomnyaka wesithathu hlanyelani livune,
hlanyelani izivini lidle izithelo zazo.
30 Futhi insali yendlu kaJuda
izagxilisa njalo impande phansi ithele izithelo ngaphezulu.
31 Ngoba eJerusalema kuzavela insali,
kuthi entabeni iZiyoni kuphume ixuku labasindayo.
Ukutshiseka kukaThixo uSomandla kuzakwenza ukuba lokhu kufezeke.
32 Ngakho-ke mayelana lenkosi yase-Asiriya uThixo uthi:
‘Kasoze angene kulelidolobho
loba atshoke umtshoko lapha.
Kasoze eze kulo elehawu
kumbe akhe umduli wokulivimbezela.
33 Uzabuyela ngendlela eza ngayo,
kasoze angene kulelidolobho,
kutsho uThixo.
34 Idolobho leli ngizalivikela ngilihlenge,
ngenxa yami langenxa kaDavida inceku yami.’ ”
35 Ngalobobusuku ingilosi kaThixo yasuka yayabulala abantu abalikhulu elilamatshumi ayisificaminwembili lanhlanu lezinkulungwane ezihonqweni zama-Asiriya. Kwathi lapho abantu bevuka ekuseni kwakhona bonke kwasekuyizidumbu kuphela!
36 Ngakho uSenakheribhi inkosi yama-Asiriya wasuka ezihonqweni wahamba. Wabuyela eNiniva wahlala khona.
37 Kwathi ngolunye usuku ekhonza ethempelini likaNisirokhi unkulunkulu wakhe, amadodana akhe u-Adrameleki loShareza ambulala ngenkemba asebalekela elizweni lase-Ararathi. U-Esarihadoni indodana yakhe yaba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe.