U-Isaya
37 INkosi uHezekhiya yathi ikuzwa lokho yadabula izigqoko zayo yagqoka isembatho sesaka yasisiya endlini kaJehova.+ 2 Ngemva kwalokho yathuma u-Eliyakhimu owayengumphathi wendlu yenkosi,* loShebhina unobhala, labaphristi abakhokhelayo ukuthi baye kumphrofethi u-Isaya+ indodana ka-Amozi. Bahamba begqoke izembatho zamasaka. 3 Bafika bathi kuye: “Nanku okutshiwo nguHezekhiya, ‘Leli lilanga lokuhlupheka lokuchothozwa kanye lehlazo. Sifanana lowesifazana osekumele abelethe kodwa ongelawo amandla okubeletha.+ 4 Engxenye uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho uzawezwa amazwi kaRabhishakhe othunywe yinkosi yakhe, inkosi ye-Asiriya ukuthi azochothoza uNkulunkulu ophilayo,+ abesemjezisa ngenxa yawo wonke amazwi uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho awazwileyo. Ngakho thandazela+ abasindileyo abasele elizweni.’”+
5 Izinceku zeNkosi uHezekhiya zafika ku-Isaya,+ 6 u-Isaya wasesithi kuzo: “Nanku okumele likutshele inkosi yenu, ‘UJehova uthi: “Ungethuswa+ ngamazwi owazwileyo, amazwi akhulunywe yizinceku zenkosi ye-Asiriya+ zingithethisa. 7 Ngizafaka umcabango engqondweni yayo.* Izakuzwa umbiko ibuyele elizweni layo+ njalo ngizakwenza ukuthi ibulawe ngenkemba elizweni layo.”’”+
8 URabhishakhe wathi esezwile ukuthi inkosi ye-Asiriya isisukile eLakhishi, wabuyela kuyo wayithola isilwa leLibhina.+ 9 Inkosi ye-Asiriya yasisizwa ukuthi uThirihakha inkosi yaseTopiya uzokulwa layo. Yathi isikuzwile lokhu yaphinda yathuma izithunywa kuHezekhiya+ isithi: 10 “Nanku okumele likutshele uHezekhiya inkosi yakoJuda, ‘Ungavumi ukuthi uNkulunkulu wakho omthembileyo akuyenge esithi: “IJerusalema ayisoze inikelwe esandleni senkosi ye-Asiriya.”+ 11 Ngithemba uzwile ukuthi amakhosi e-Asiriya asetshaye abhuqa zonke izizwe azitshabalalisa.+ Pho wena nguwe ongasila yini? 12 Onkulunkulu bezizwe ezatshabalaliswa ngokhokho bami benelisa yini ukukhulula lezozizwe?+ Ingaphi iGozani, leHarani,+ leRezefi kanye labantu base-Edeni ababeseTheli-asari? 13 Ingaphi inkosi yeHamathi, lenkosi ye-Ariphadi, lenkosi yamadolobho eSefavayimi,+ lenkosi yeHena leye-Iva?’”
14 UHezekhiya wathatha izincwadi ezazibuye lezithunywa wazibala. Ngemva kwalokho wahamba lazo endlini kaJehova wazichaya phambi kukaJehova.+ 15 UHezekhiya waseqalisa ukuthandaza kuJehova+ wathi: 16 “Awu Jehova wamabutho,+ Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, wena ohlezi esihlalweni sobukhosi ngaphezu* kwamakherubhi. Nguwe wedwa uNkulunkulu weqiniso kuyo yonke imibuso esemhlabeni. Nguwe owenza amazulu lomhlaba. 17 Awu Jehova lalela uzwe!+ Vula amehlo akho ubone,+ awu Jehova! Zwana wonke amazwi athunyelwe nguSenakheribhi echothoza uNkulunkulu ophilayo.+ 18 Awu Jehova, kuliqiniso sibili ukuthi amakhosi e-Asiriya asetshabalalise zonke izizwe+ kanye lelizwe lawo. 19 Asephosele onkulunkulu bazo emlilweni+ ngoba bebengayisibo onkulunkulu beqiniso kodwa bebeyizigodo lamatshe, izinto ezibazwe ngezandla zomuntu.+ Yikho bebatshabalalisile. 20 Kodwa khathesi awu Jehova Nkulunkulu wethu, sisindise esandleni sakhe ukuze yonke imibuso esemhlabeni yazi ukuthi nguwe wedwa uNkulunkulu, awu Jehova.”+
21 U-Isaya indodana ka-Amozi wathumela ilizwi kuHezekhiya esithi: “Nanku okutshiwo nguJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ‘Ngenxa yokuthi ukhuleke kimi ungitshela ngoSenakheribhi inkosi ye-Asiriya,+ 22 nanti ilizwi elikhulunywe nguJehova mayelana laye:
“Intombi egcweleyo yaseZiyoni iyakweyisa njalo iyakuhoza.
Indodakazi yeJerusalema iyakukhangela inikine ikhanda.
23 Ngubani omchothozileyo+ wamthethisa?
Ngubani omphakamisele ilizwi,+
Wamphakamisela lamehlo akho uzikhukhumeza?
Lokhu ukwenze koNgcwele ka-Israyeli!+
24 Uthume izinceku zakho ukuthi zichothoze uJehova,+ wathi,
‘Ngizaqansa ngiyefika eziqongweni zezintaba,+
Ngikhwele ngiye ezindaweni ezikhatshana zeLebhanoni
Ngilezinqola zami zempi ezinengi.
Ngizagamula imisedari yayo emide, lezihlahla zayo zomjunipha ezinhle.
Ngizahamba ngize ngiyefika eziqongweni zayo, emaguswini ayo amnyama.
25 Ngizagebha imigodi yamanzi, nginathe amanzi amanengi,
Ngizakomisa izifula zeGibhithe* ngenyawo zami.’
26 Kanti awuzwanga yini? Lokhu kwamiswa* kudaladala.
Ngakulungiselela* kusukela ezinsukwini ezadlulayo,+
Khathesi sengizakuletha.+
Wena uzakwenza amadolobho avikelwe ngemiduli abe ngamanxiwa.+
27 Abantu abahlala kuwo bazaswela lokuthi babambe ngaphi.
Bazabanjwa ngumhedehede babe lenhloni.
Bazakuba njengezimila zeganga lotshani obuluhlaza,
Babe njengotshani obumile ephahleni obutshiswe ngumoya wempumalanga.
28 Kodwa mina ngikwazi mhlophe, ngiyakwazi nxa uhlala kumbe uphuma loba ungena+
Lalapho ungithukuthelele,+
29 Ngoba sengikuzwile ukubhonga kwakho lokuthukuthela kwakho.+
Yikho ngizafaka iwuka yami emakhaleni akho, ngikufake lamatomu ami+ emlonyeni,
Ngikuqhube ngikubuyisele ngendlela obuye ngayo.”
30 “‘Nanku ozabona* ngakho ukuthi lokhu kuzakwenzakala: Lonyaka lizakudla amabele azimilele wodwa,* besekusithi ngomnyaka olandelayo lidle amabele azihlumele wodwa. Kodwa ngomnyaka wesithathu lizahlanyela livune, lilime amasimu amagilebisi lidle izithelo zawo.+ 31 Abantu bendlu yakoJuda abaseleyo+ elizweni bazatshonisa impande zabo phansi njalo bathele izithelo, 32 ngoba abaseleyo bazaphuma eJerusalema, labasindileyo bazaphuma entabeni iZiyoni.+ UJehova wamabutho uzatshisekela ukukwenza lokho.+
33 “‘Ngakho nanku okutshiwo nguJehova ngenkosi ye-Asiriya:+
“Ayisoze ingene edolobheni leli,+
Loba itshoke umtshoko kulo,
Ayisoze ibuye ithwele ihawu,
Loba yakhe idundulu lokulihlasela.”’+
34 ‘Izabuyela ngendlela ebuye ngayo;
Ayisoze ingene edolobheni leli,’ kutsho uJehova.
35 ‘Ngizalivikela idolobho leli+ ngilisindise ngenxa yebizo lami,+
Langenxa yenceku yami uDavida.’”+
36 Ngakho-ke ingilosi kaJehova yafika yabulala amadoda angu-185 000 enkambeni yama-Asiriya. Abantu bathi bevuka ekuseni babona sekuyizidumbu zodwa.+ 37 USenakheribhi inkosi yase-Asiriya wasesuka wabuyela eNiniva+ wayahlala khona.+ 38 Ngelinye ilanga wathi esakhotheme ekhonza endlini kankulunkulu* wakhe uNizirokhi, amadodana akhe u-Adrameleki loSharezeri ambulala ngenkemba,+ asebaleka aya elizweni le-Ararathi.+ Ngemva kwalokho indodana yakhe u-Esa-hadoni+ yathatha ubukhosi.