Yesibili YamaKhosi
18 Ngomnyaka wesithathu wokubusa kwakaHotjheya+ indodana ka-Ela ikosi yakwa-Israyeli, uHezekiya+ indodana yeKosi u-Arhazi+ waba yikosi yakwaJuda. 2 Bekaneminyaka ema-25 nakaba yikosi, wabusa iminyaka ema-29 eJerusalema. Igama lakanina bekungu-Abi* indodakazi kaZakariya.+ 3 Wasolo enza okuhle emehlweni kaJehova+ njengombana kwenza uDavida ukhokhwakhe.+ 4 Nguye owasusa iindawo eziphakemeko,+ waphula iinsika ezicwengileko, waqunta nesigodo esicwengileko.*+ Waphihliza inyoka yekhopha eyenziwa nguMosi+ ngombana bekube sikhatheso abantu bakwa-Israyeli bebayithunyisela intuthu yomhlatjelo begodu beyibizwa ngokuthi sithombe senyoka yekhopha.* 5 Bekathemba uJehova+ uZimu ka-Israyeli; azange kube nomunye onjengaye hlangana nawo woke amakhosi wakwaJuda eza ngemva kwakhe namkha phambi kwakhe. 6 Wakakarela kuJehova.+ Azange aphambuke ekumlandeleni; waraga nokulalela imiyalo uJehova ayinikela uMosi. 7 UJehova bekanaye. Kuphi nakuphi lapha ebekaya khona, bekenza ngokuhlakanipha. Wahlubuka ekosini ye-Asiriya, wabhala ukuyisebenzela.+ 8 Wahlula namaFilista+ bekwayokufika eGaza neendaweni ezingaphasi kwalo, ukusuka esithaleni ukuya edorobheni elivikelekileko.*
9 Ngomnyaka wesine wokubusa kweKosi uHezekiya, okumnyaka wekhomba wokubusa kwakaHotjheya+ indodana ka-Ela ikosi yakwa-Israyeli, uTjhalimaneseri iKosi ye-Asiriya wakhuphuka wayokusahlela iSamariya begodu wathoma ukulivimbezela.+ 10 Balithumba+ ekupheleni kweminyaka emithathu; ngomnyaka wesithandathu wokubusa kwakaHezekiya, obekumnyaka wethoba wokubusa kweKosi yakwa-Israyeli uHotjheya, iSamariya lathunjwa. 11 Yeke ikosi ye-Asiriya yasa abantu bakwa-Israyeli ekudingisweni+ e-Asiriya, yabahlalisa eRhalarhi neRhabhori emlanjeni iGozani nemadorobheni wamaMede.+ 12 Lokhu kungombana azange alalele ilizwi lakaJehova uZimakhe kodwana wasolo aphula isivumelwano sakhe, koke uMosi inceku kaJehova ayala ngakho.+ Azange alalele namkha enze lokho akutjhoko.
13 Ngomnyaka we-14 wokubusa kweKosi uHezekiya, uSanirheribu ikosi ye-Asiriya+ weza bona ayokulwa nawo woke amadorobho avikelekileko wakwaJuda begodu wawathumba.+ 14 Nje-ke iKosi yakwaJuda uHezekiya wathumela ilizwi ekosini ye-Asiriya eLakitjhi, yathi: “Ngitjhaphile. Lisa ukulwa nami, ngizokunikela nanyana yini ongihlawulisa yona.” Ikosi ye-Asiriya yahlawulisa iKosi yakwaJuda uHezekiya amatalende* wesiliva ama-300 namatalende wegolide ama-30. 15 Yeke uHezekiya wakhupha loke isiliva ebelingafumaneka endlini kaJehova nemabulungelweni wamagugu wendlu yekosi.*+ 16 Ngesikhatheso uHezekiya wakhupha iminyango yethempeli+ lakaJehova namagoseni iKosi yakwaJuda uHezekiya ngokwayo ebeyiwanameke+ ngegolide, wayinikela ikosi ye-Asiriya.
17 Ngemva kwalokho, ikosi ye-Asiriya yathumela uTarithani,* uRabisari* noRabitjhaki* nebutho elikhulu basuka eLakitjhi+ baya eKosini uHezekiya eJerusalema.+ Bakhuphukela eJerusalema bajama ngemseleni wesiziba esiphezulu, esisendleleni ekulu yesimu yomhlanzi wezambatho.+ 18 Bathi nababiza ikosi bona iphume, u-Eliyakhimu+ indodana kaRhilikhiya, obekamphathi wesigodlo, uTjhebina+ unobhala noJowarhi indodana ka-Asafa umtloli wezenzakalo baphuma baya kibo.
19 Nje-ke uRabitjhaki wathi kibo: “Ngibawa nithi kuHezekiya, ‘Ikosi ekulu, ikosi ye-Asiriya, ithi: “Khuyini ekwenza uzithembe kangaka?+ 20 Uthi, ‘Ngineqhinga begodu nginamandla wokulwa ipi,’ kodwana mamezwi angatjho litho lawo. Uthembele kubani, bona ungaba nesibindi sokuphikisana nami?+ 21 Qala! Uthembele emhlangeni ophukileko lo, iGibhide,+ umuntu nakangazisekela ngawo ungangena esandleni sakhe umhlabe. Unjalo-ke uFaro ikosi yeGibhide kibo boke abathembela kuye. 22 Naningathi kimi, ‘Sithembele kuJehova uZimethu,’+ kghani akusinguye na loyo uHezekiya asuse iindawo zakhe eziphakemeko nama-aldarakhe,+ khisibe ngapha uthi kuJuda neJerusalema, ‘Khothamani phambi kwe-aldareli eJerusalema’?”’+ 23 Nje-ke ngibawa nibheje nekosami, ikosi ye-Asiriya: Ngizoninikela iinjomani ezizii-2 000 nange nizokukghona ukufumana abakhweli beenjomani abaneleko.+ 24 Alo-ke, ningamhlula njani ngitjho nombusi munye ongomncani eensebenzini zekosami, kukulapho nithembela eGibhide bona nifumane iinkarana nabakhweli beenjomani? 25 Inga-kghani ngizizele ngaphandle kwemvumo kaJehova bona ngikhuphuke ngizokujamelana nendawo le bona ngiyitjhabalalise? UJehova ngokwakhe uthe kimi, ‘Khuphuka bona ujamelane nenarha le begodu uyitjhabalalise.’”
26 Khonokho u-Eliyakhimu indodana kaRhilikhiya noTjhebina+ noJowarhi bathi kuRabitjhaki:+ “Sibawa ukhulume neensebenzi zakho ngesi-Aramu*+ ngombana siyasizwisisa; ungakhulumi nathi ngelimi lamaJuda kulalele abantu abasebodeni.”+ 27 Kodwana uRabitjhaki wathi kibo: “Kghani ikosami ingithume ekosinenu nakini kwaphela bona ngikhulume amezwi la? Kghani ayikangithumeli nebantwini abahlezi ebodeni, abazokudla ubuthuvi babo begodu basele nomhlambulukwabo kunye nani na?”
28 Ngemva kwalokho, uRabitjhaki wasikima bewarhuwelela ngelimi lesiJuda, wathi: “Lalelani ilizwi lekosi ekulu, ikosi ye-Asiriya.+ 29 Nakhu ikosi ekutjhoko, ‘Ningamvumeli uHezekiya anikhohlise ngombana angekhe akghone ukunisindisa esandleni sami.+ 30 Godu ningamvumeli uHezekiya anenze bona nithembe uJehova ngokuthi: “Nakanjani uJehova uzosisindisa begodu idorobheli angekhe linikelwe esandleni sekosi ye-Asiriya.”+ 31 Ningamlaleli uHezekiya ngombana ikosi ye-Asiriya ithi: “Yenzani ukuthula nami, nizinikele kimi, ngamunye wenu uzokudla emthinakhe wamadiribe nemthinakhe wamafeyi begodu uzokusela amanzi epetsinakhe, 32 bekube kulapho ngiza, nginisa enarheni enjengeyenu,+ inarha yeenthoro neyewayini elitjha, inarha yoburotho namasimu wamadiribe, inarha yemithi yama-oliva neliju. Yeke nizokuphila ningafi. Ningamlaleli uHezekiya ngombana uyanikhohlisa nakathi, ‘UJehova uzosisindisa.’ 33 Abozimu bezinye iintjhaba bazisindisile na iinarha zabo esandleni sekosi ye-Asiriya? 34 Baphi abozimu beRhamathi+ ne-Ariphadi? Baphi abozimu beSefarivayimu,+ beHena nebe-Ava? Bayisindisile na iSamariya esandleni sami?+ 35 Ngimuphi uzimu kibozimu boke beenarha osindise inarhakhe esandleni sami, okunenza nicabange ukuthi uJehova angasindisa iJerusalema esandleni sami?”’”+
36 Kodwana abantu bathula azange bamphendule ngombana umyalo wekosi bewuthi, “Ningamphenduli.”+ 37 Kodwana u-Eliyakhimu indodana kaRhilikhiya, obekamphathi wesigodlo, uTjhebina unobhala noJowarhi indodana ka-Asafa umtloli wezenzakalo bafika kuHezekiya izambatho zabo zidabukile bamtjela amezwi kaRabitjhaki.