2 ImiLando 32 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

Ukuhlaselwa kwelizwe lakoJuda nguSenakeribi

¹ Ngemva kwalezizenzo zobuqotho zikaHezekiya uSenakeribi inkosi yaseAsiriya wafika ukuhlasela uJuda, wamisa maqondana lemizi ebiyelweyo eqonde ukuzithumbela yona.

² Kwathi uHezekiya esebonile ukuba uSenakeribi uqonde ukuzakulwa leJerusalema,

³ wacebisana lenduna zakhe lamaqhawe akhe ukuvala amanzi emithombo eyayingaphandle komuzi; bavumelana laye.

⁴ Kwabuthaniswa abantu abanengi, bavala yonke imithombo lesifula esasigeleza phakathi kwelizwe, bathi: Amakhosi eAsiriya angawazuzi amanzi nxa efika lapha.

⁵ UHezekiya waqinisa wakha wonke umduli owawusudilikile, wakha imiphotshongo phezu kwawo, langaphandle kwawo wakha omunye umduli; waqinisa idundulu elithiwa yiMilo emzini kaDavida. Wenza lezikhali lezihlangu ezinengi.

⁶ Wabekela abantu induna zokulwa, wazibizela egcekeni elingasesangweni lomuzi, waziqinisa esithi:

⁷ Qinani lime isibindi; lingesabi litshaywe luvalo phambi kwenkosi yeAsiriya kanye lempi yonke yayo; ngoba kukhona kithi omkhulu kulaye.

⁸ Yena ulamandla omuntu, kodwa thina sileNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu ukusisiza lokusilwela. Abantu bazuza isibindi ngamazwi kaHezekiya inkosi yakoJuda.

⁹ Ngemva kwalokho uSenakeribi inkosi yaseAsiriya eseLakishi lezimpi zakhe zonke, wathumela inceku zakhe eJerusalema kuHezekiya inkosi yakoJuda lakubo bonke abantu bakoJuda ababeseJerusalema, wathi:

¹⁰ USenakeribi inkosi yaseAsiriya uthi: Lithembeni ukuba lihlalele ukuvinjezelwa eJerusalema na?

¹¹ UHezekiya kalikhohlisi yini ukuba alinikele ukubulawa yindlala langumhawu ngokulitshela ukuthi iNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu izalikhulula esandleni senkosi yaseAsiriya na?

¹² Kasuye yini lo uHezekiya owavala indawo zayo eziphakemeyo zokukhonzela, wadiliza ama‐altare ayo, watshela abakoJuda labaseJerusalema ukuba bafanele bakhuleke phambi kwealtare libe linye, batshisele kulo imihlatshelo na?

¹³ Kalikwazi yini lokho engikwenzileyo mina labokhokho kubo bonke abantu bamanye amazwe na? Onkulunkulu bezizwe zalawomazwe babelawo yini amandla okukhulula amazwe abo esandleni sami na?

¹⁴ Nguwuphi kubo bonke onkulunkulu balezozizwe okhokho abazichithayo owaba lamandla okukhulula abantu bakhe esandleni sami, ukuba uNkulunkulu wenu abe lamandla okulikhulula lina esandleni sami na?

¹⁵ Ngalokhoke lingamvumeli uHezekiya ukuba alikhohlise aliduhise ngalindlela, lingamkholwa, ngoba kakukho unkulunkulu owasiphi isizwe lowawuphi umbuso obe lamandla okukhulula abantu bakhe esandleni sami lesabokhokho bami. Phoke, owenu uNkulunkulu angalikhulula kanjani esandleni sami na?

¹⁶ Inceku zikaSenakeribi zatsho lokunye ngeNkosi uNkulunkulu langenceku yayo uHezekiya.

¹⁷ USenakeribi wagwala incwadi zokuklolodela iNkosi uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli lokuyeyisa wathi: Njengonkulunkulu balezozizwe zalawomazwe abangakhululanga abantu babo esandleni sami, loNkulunkulu kaHezekiya kayikukhulula abantu bakhe esandleni sami.

¹⁸ Inceku zamemeza ngelizwi elikhulu ngolimi lwakoJuda ebantwini baseJerusalema ababephezu komduli ukubethusa lokubesabisa ukuze bawuthumbe umuzi.

¹⁹ Zakhuluma ngoNkulunkulu waseJerusalema njengokukhuluma kwazo ngonkulunkulu bezinye izizwe zasemhlabeni abangumsebenzi wabantu.

Ukukhululwa kwelizwe lakoJuda

²⁰ UHezekiya inkosi loIsaya umprofethi indodana kaAmozi bakhuleka ngenxa yalokhu, ukukhala kwabo kwafinyelela ezulwini.

²¹ INkosi yathumela isithunywa esabulala amaqhawe wonke labaphathi bezimpi lezinduna ezihonqweni zenkosi yaseAsiriya. Yona yabuyela elizweni layo ilenhloni. Isingenile endlini kankulunkulu wayo, abanye kumadodana ayo bayibulalela khona ngomkhonto.

²² Ngokunjalo iNkosi yamsiza uHezekiya labaseJerusalema esandleni sikaSenakeribi inkosi yaseAsiriya lezandleni zezitha zakhe zonke; yabanika ukuthula inxa zonke.

²³ Abanengi baletha iziphiwo eNkosini uNkulunkulu eJerusalema lezinto eziligugu kuHezekiya inkosi yakoJuda okwamenza wahlonitshwa yizo zonke izizwe kusukela kulesosikhathi.

Ukugula kukaHezekiya

²⁴ Ngalezonsuku uHezekiya wagula, waphos’ukufa; wakhuleka eNkosini eyamphendulayo, yamnika isibonakaliso.

²⁵ Kodwa uHezekiya katshengisanga ukubonga ngokuhle enzelwe khona, ngoba inhliziyo yakhe yayisiziphakamisile. Ngakho ulaka lweNkosi lwehlela phezu kwabakoJuda labaseJerusalema.

²⁶ UHezekiya wasezithoba ngenxa yokuziphakamisa kwenhliziyo yakhe, yena labaseJerusalema, ngakho ulaka lweNkosi kalwehlelanga kibo futhi ensukwini zikaHezekiya.

Inkosi yaseBabiloni ithumela izithunywa kuHezekiya

²⁷ UHezekiya wayenothile kakhulu elodumo, wazakhela izindlu zenotho, eyesiliva leyegolide leyamatshe aligugu leyamakha, lezindlu zezihlangu lazo zonke inhlobo zezitsha ezibiza imali enengi;

²⁸ wakha leziphala zamabele lezewayini lezamafutha, lezibaya zenhlobo zonke zenkomo lezezimvu.

²⁹ Wazakhela lemizi, wazidingela izimvu lenkomo ezinengi, ngoba uNkulunkulu wayemnikile inotho enengi kakhulu.

³⁰ Nguye lo uHezekiya owavala umthombo wamanzi angaphezulu eGihoni, wawaqondisa ngasentshonalanga komuzi kaDavida. UHezekiya waphumelela kuyo yonke imisebenzi yakhe.

³¹ Lasendabeni yezithunywa zezikhulu zaseBabiloni ezazithunywe kuye ukuzabuza ngesibonakaliso esasenziwe elizweni, uNkulunkulu wamyekela ukuba azenzele ngokuthanda kwakhe ukuba amhlole, abone konke okusenhliziyweni yakhe.

Ukufa kukaHezekiya

³² Ezinye indaba zikaHezekiya lezenzo zakhe zonke ezinhle zilotshiwe embonweni kaIsaya umprofethi indodana kaAmozi, logwalweni lwamakhosi akoJuda lawakoIsrayeli.

³³ UHezekiya waya kwabaphansi, wangcwatshelwa ngaphezulu kwamaliba amadodana kaDavida; bonke abakoJuda labaseJerusalema bamenzela isililo esikhulu. UManase indodana yakhe waba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe.