< Isaiah 37 >

1 And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he tore his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of Jehovah.
Kwasekusithi inkosi uHezekhiya isikuzwile, yadabula izigqoko zayo, yazembesa ngesaka, yangena endlini yeNkosi.
2 And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz.
Yasithuma uEliyakhimi umphathi wendlu, loShebina umabhalane, labadala babapristi bembethe amasaka, kuIsaya umprofethi indodana kaAmozi.
3 And they said to him, Thus says Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of blasphemy, for the sons have come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.
Basebesithi kuye: Utsho njalo uHezekhiya: Lolusuku lusuku lohlupho lolokusolwa lolokweyiswa, ngoba abantwana sebefikile emlonyeni wesizalo, kanti akulamandla okubeletha.
4 It may be Jehovah thy God will hear the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master has sent to defy the living God, and will rebuke the words which Jehovah thy God has heard. Therefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that is left.
Mhlawumbe iNkosi, uNkulunkulu wakho, izawezwa amazwi kaRabi-Shake, onkosi yeAsiriya, inkosi yakhe, emthume ukuthuka uNkulunkulu ophilayo, lokusola ngamazwi iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ewazwileyo. Ngakho phakamisa umkhuleko ngensali etholakeleyo.
5 So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah.
Ngakho inceku zenkosi uHezekhiya zafika kuIsaya.
6 And Isaiah said to them, Thus shall ye say to your master, Thus says Jehovah: Be not afraid of the words that thou have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.
UIsaya wasesithi kuzo: Lizakutsho njalo enkosini yenu: Itsho njalo iNkosi: Ungesabi amazwi owezwileyo, inceku zenkosi yeAsiriya ezingithuke ngawo.
7 Behold, I will put a spirit in him, and he shall hear news, and shall return to his own land. And I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.
Khangela, ngizafaka umoya kuyo, njalo izakuzwa ihungahunga, ibuyele elizweni layo; njalo ngizayenza ukuthi iwe ngenkemba elizweni layo.
8 So Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah, for he had heard that he was departed from Lachish.
URabi-Shake wasebuyela, wafica inkosi yeAsiriya isilwa imelene leLibhina; ngoba wayezwile ukuthi isisukile eLakishi.
9 And he heard say concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, He has come out to fight against thee. And when he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,
Wasesizwa ngoTirihaka inkosi yeEthiyophiya kuthiwa: Uphumile ukuzakulwa lawe. Esekuzwile wathuma izithunywa kuHezekhiya esithi:
10 Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, Let not thy God in whom thou trust deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.
Lizakhuluma kanje kuHezekhiya inkosi yakoJuda lithi: UNkulunkulu wakho othembele kuye kangakukhohlisi esithi: IJerusalema kayiyikunikelwa esandleni senkosi yeAsiriya.
11 Behold, thou have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, by destroying them utterly. And shall thou be delivered?
Khangela, wena usuzwile ukuthi amakhosi eAsiriya enzeni kuwo wonke amazwe ngokuwatshabalalisa. Wena-ke uzakhululwa yini?
12 Have the gods of the nations delivered them, which my fathers have destroyed, Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the sons of Eden who were in Telassar?
Onkulunkulu bezizwe bazikhulula yini obaba abazichithayo, iGozani leHarani leRezefi, labantwana beEdeni ababeseTelasari?
13 Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivvah?
Ingaphi inkosi yeHamathi, lenkosi yeArpadi, lenkosi yomuzi weSefavayimi, iHena, leIva?
14 And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it. And Hezekiah went up to the house of Jehovah, and spread it before Jehovah.
UHezekhiya wasesemukela izincwadi esandleni sezithunywa, wazifunda, wenyukela endlini yeNkosi; uHezekhiya wasezichaya phambi kweNkosi.
15 And Hezekiah prayed to Jehovah, saying,
UHezekhiya wasekhuleka eNkosini, esithi:
16 O Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, who sit above the cherubim, thou are the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. Thou have made heaven and earth.
Nkosi yamabandla, Nkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, ohlala phakathi kwamakherubhi, nguwe wedwa onguNkulunkulu wayo yonke imibuso yomhlaba; wena wenze amazulu lomhlaba.
17 Incline thine ear, O Jehovah, and hear. Open thine eyes, O Jehovah, and see, and hear all the words of Sennacherib, who has sent to defy the living God.
Thoba indlebe yakho, Nkosi, uzwe, vula amehlo akho, Nkosi, ubone; uzwe wonke amazwi kaSenakheribi awathumele ukuklolodela uNkulunkulu ophilayo.
18 Of a truth, Jehovah, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the countries, and their land,
Qiniso, Nkosi, amakhosi eAsiriya achithile zonke izizwe lamazwe azo;
19 and have cast their gods into the fire. For they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. Therefore they have destroyed them.
aphosela onkulunkulu bazo emlilweni, ngoba babengeyisibo onkulunkulu, kodwa umsebenzi wezandla zabantu, izigodo lamatshe; ngalokho bababhubhisa.
20 Now therefore, O Jehovah our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou are Jehovah, even thou only.
Ngakho-ke, Nkosi Nkulunkulu wethu, sisindise esandleni sakhe, ukuze yonke imibuso yomhlaba yazi ukuthi wena wedwa uyiNkosi.
21 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, Thus says Jehovah, the God of Israel, Whereas thou have prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria,
UIsaya indodana kaAmozi wasethumela kuHezekhiya, esithi: Itsho njalo iNkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Lokho okukhuleke kimi ngoSenakheribi inkosi yeAsiriya,
22 this is the word which Jehovah has spoken concerning him: The virgin daughter of Zion has despised thee and laughed thee to scorn. The daughter of Jerusalem has shaken her head at thee.
leli yilizwi iNkosi elikhulume ngaye: Intombi emsulwa, indodakazi yeZiyoni iyakudelela, iyakuklolodela; indodakazi yeJerusalema inikina ikhanda ngemva kwakho.
23 Whom have thou defied and blasphemed? And against whom have thou exalted thy voice and lifted up thine eyes on high? Even against the Holy One of Israel.
Ngubani omeyisileyo wamhlambaza? Njalo uphakamisele bani ilizwi, waphakamisela amehlo akho phezulu? Umelene loNgcwele kaIsrayeli.
24 By thy servants thou have defied the Lord, and have said, With the multitude of my chariots I have come up to the height of the mountains, to the innermost parts of Lebanon. And I will cut down the tall cedars of it, and the choice fir trees of it, and I will enter into its farthest height, the forest of its fruitful field.
Uklolodele iNkosi ngesandla sezinceku zakho, wathi: Ngobunengi bezinqola zami mina ngenyukele endaweni ephakemeyo yezintaba, ezinhlangothini zeLebhanoni. Njalo ngizagamula imisedari yayo emide, ikhethelo lezihlahla zamafiri ayo, ngingene ekuphakameni kwemingcele yayo, igusu leKharmeli layo.
25 I have dug and drunk water, and with the sole of my feet I will dry up all the rivers of Egypt.
Mina ngagebha, nganatha amanzi, langengaphansi yenyawo zami ngomisa yonke imifula yendawo evinjelweyo.
26 Have thou not heard how I have done it long ago, and formed it of ancient times? Now I have brought it to pass, that it should be thine to lay waste fortified cities into ruinous heaps.
Kawuzwanga yini ukuthi ngakwenza endulo, ngakubumba ensukwini zendulo? Khathesi ngikufikisile, ukuthi ube ngowokudiliza imizi evikelweyo ibe zinqumbi zamanxiwa.
27 Therefore their inhabitants were of small power. They were dismayed and confounded. They were as the grass of the field, and as the green herb. As the grass on the housetops, and as a field of grain before it is grown up.
Ngakho abahlali bayo babelesandla esifitshane, besaba, baba lenhloni, baba njengotshani beganga, lemibhida eluhlaza, utshani bempahla, lamabele ahanguliweyo engakami.
28 But I know thy sitting down, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy raging against me.
Kodwa ngiyakwazi ukuhlala kwakho, lokuphuma kwakho, lokungena kwakho, lokungithukuthelela kwakho.
29 Because of thy raging against me, and because thine arrogance has come up into my ears, therefore I will put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou came.
Ngenxa yokungithukuthelela kwakho, lokuthi umsindo wakho wenyukele endlebeni zami, ngizakufaka umkhala wami emakhaleni akho, letomu lami endebeni zakho, ngikwenze ubuyele ngendlela oweza ngayo.
30 And this shall be the sign to thee. Ye shall eat this year that which grows of itself, and in the second year that which springs of the same, and in the third year sow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of it.
Lokhu-ke kuzakuba yisibonakaliso kuwe; lonyaka uzakudla okuzikhulelayo; langomnyaka wesibili umkhukhuzela; kuthi ngomnyaka wesithathu lihlanyele, livune, lihlanyele izivini, lidle izithelo zazo.
31 And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward.
Lokuphephileyo kwendlu yakoJuda okuseleyo kuzaphinda kugxumeke impande phansi, kuthele izithelo ngaphezulu.
32 For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and out of mount Zion those who shall escape. The zeal of Jehovah of hosts will perform this.
Ngoba kuzaphuma eJerusalema insali, lokuphephileyo entabeni yeZiyoni. Ukutshiseka kweNkosi yamabandla kuzakwenza lokhu.
33 Therefore thus says Jehovah concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come to this city, nor shoot an arrow there. Neither shall he come before it with shield, nor cast up a mound against it.
Ngakho, utsho njalo uJehova ngenkosi yeAsiriya: Kayiyikungena kulumuzi, kayiyikutshoka umtshoko khona, kayiyikuza phambi kwawo ilesihlangu, kayiyikubuthelela idundulu maqondana lawo.
34 By the way that he came, by the same he shall return, and he shall not come to this city, says Jehovah.
Ngendlela eyeza ngayo, ngayo izabuyela, njalo kayiyikungena kulo umuzi, itsho iNkosi.
35 For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake, and for my servant David's sake.
Ngoba ngizawuvikela lumuzi ukuwusindisa, ngenxa yami, langenxa kaDavida inceku yami.
36 And the agent of Jehovah went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and eighty-five thousand. And when men arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies.
Khona kwaphuma ingilosi yeNkosi, yatshaya enkambeni yamaAsiriya abazinkulungwane ezilikhulu lamatshumi ayisificaminwembili lanhlanu. Kwathi bevuka ekuseni kakhulu, khangela-ke, bonke babeyizidumbu ezifileyo.
37 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh.
Ngakho uSenakheribi inkosi yeAsiriya wasuka, wahamba ebuyela, wahlala eNineve.
38 And it came to pass, as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword, and they escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esar-haddon his son reigned in his stead.
Kwasekusithi ekhonza endlini kaNisiroki unkulunkulu wakhe, oAdrameleki loSharezeri amadodana akhe bamtshaya ngenkemba; bona basebephephela elizweni leArarathi. UEsarihadoni indodana yakhe wasebusa esikhundleni sakhe.

< Isaiah 37 >