Isaiah 38
1 In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came to him and said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Put your house in order, for you are about to die; you will not recover.’”
Ngalezonsuku uHezekhiya wagula eselengela ekufeni. Umphrofethi u-Isaya, indodana ka-Amozi waya kuye wathi, “Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo: Lungisa indlu yakho ngoba uzakufa, awuyikusila.”
2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD,
UHezekhiya waphenduka wakhangela emdulini wakhuleka kuThixo esithi,
3 saying, “Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before You faithfully and with wholehearted devotion; I have done what was good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
“Khumbula, Thixo, ukuthi ngihambe phambi kwakho ngokuthembeka langokuzinikela ngenhliziyo yami yonke, njalo ngenze okuhle emehlweni akho.” UHezekhiya wakhala kabuhlungu.
4 And the word of the LORD came to Isaiah, saying,
Emva kwalokho kwafika ilizwi likaThixo ku-Isaya lisithi:
5 “Go and tell Hezekiah that this is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: ‘I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life.
“Yana kuHezekhiya uthi kuye, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo, uNkulunkulu kayihlo uDavida, uthi: Ngiwuzwile umkhuleko wakho, njalo ngizibonile lezinyembezi zakho. Ngizakwengezelela iminyaka elitshumi lanhlanu ekuphileni kwakho.
6 And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city.
Njalo ngizakukhulula wena, kanye ledolobho leli ezandleni zenkosi yase-Asiriya. Ngizavikela idolobho leli.
7 This will be a sign to you from the LORD that He will do what He has promised:
Lesi yisibonakaliso sikaThixo kuwe sokuthi uThixo uzakwenza njengokuthembisa kwakhe:
8 I will make the sun’s shadow that falls on the stairway of Ahaz go back ten steps.’” So the sunlight went back the ten steps it had descended.
Ngizakwenza umthunzi obangelwe lilanga ubuyele emuva amanyathelo alitshumi umthunzi owehle ngawo emakhwelelweni ka-Ahazi.’” Ngakho ukukhanya kwelanga kwabuyela emuva ngamanyathela alitshumi elaselikhothame ngawo.
9 This is a writing by Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery:
La ngamazwi alotshwa nguHezekhiya inkosi yakoJuda emva kokuba esesilile ekuguleni kwakhe:
10 I said, “In the prime of my life I must go through the gates of Sheol and be deprived of the remainder of my years.” (Sheol h7585)
Ngathi, “Ebuhleni bokuphila kwami kumele ngedlule emasangweni okufa ngamukwe iminyaka yami eseleyo na?” (Sheol h7585)
11 I said, “I will never again see the LORD, even the LORD, in the land of the living; I will no longer look on mankind with those who dwell in this world.
Ngathi, “Angiyikumbona futhi uThixo ngokwakhe elizweni labaphilayo; angisayikubabona futhi abantu bakithi loba ngibe lalabo abahlala kulumhlaba.
12 My dwelling has been picked up and removed from me like a shepherd’s tent. I have rolled up my life like a weaver; He cuts me off from the loom; from day until night You make an end of me.
Njengethente lomelusi indlu yami idiliziwe ngayithathelwa. Njengomaluki impilo yami ngiyigoqile, ungisusile osungulweni; emini lebusuku ungenze ngaphela.
13 I composed myself until the morning. Like a lion He breaks all my bones; from day until night You make an end of me.
Ngalinda ngokubekezela kwaze kwasa, kodwa amathambo ami uwephule wonke njengesilwane; emini lebusuku ungenze ngaphela.
14 I chirp like a swallow or crane; I moan like a dove. My eyes grow weak as I look upward. O Lord, I am oppressed; be my security.”
Ngakhala njengenkonjane kumbe ihemu, ngabubula njengejuba elililayo. Amehlo ami afiphele ngokukhangela phezulu. Awu Thixo, ngikhathazekile, woza ungisize!”
15 What can I say? He has spoken to me, and He Himself has done this. I will walk slowly all my years because of the anguish of my soul.
Kodwa ngingathini na? Ukhulumile kimi, wena ngokwakho ukwenzile lokhu. Ngizahamba ngokuzithoba ekuphileni kwami konke ngenxa yobuhlungu bomoya wami.
16 O Lord, by such things men live, and in all of them my spirit finds life. You have restored me to health and have let me live.
Thixo, abantu baphila ngezinto ezinje; lomoya wami uthola ukuphila kuzo. Wangibuyisela empilweni wangenza ngaphila.
17 Surely for my own welfare I had such great anguish; but Your love has delivered me from the pit of oblivion, for You have cast all my sins behind Your back.
Ngeqiniso kwaba lusizo kimi ukuzwa ubuhlungu obungaka. Ngothando lwakho wangivikela emgodini wokutshabalaliswa; izono zami zonke uzibeke ngemva kwakho.
18 For Sheol cannot thank You; Death cannot praise You. Those who descend to the Pit cannot hope for Your faithfulness. (Sheol h7585)
Ngoba ingcwaba alingeke likubonge lokufa akungeke kukudumise; labo abangena emgodini abangeke bathemba ubuqotho bakho. (Sheol h7585)
19 The living, only the living, can thank You, as I do today; fathers will tell their children about Your faithfulness.
Abaphilayo, ngempela abaphilayo, bayakudumisa njengalokhu engikwenzayo lamuhla; abazali batshela abantwababo ngobuqotho bakho.
20 The LORD will save me; we will play songs on stringed instruments all the days of our lives in the house of the LORD.
UThixo uzangisindisa; njalo sizahlabelela ngamachacho kuzozonke insuku zokuphila kwethu ethempelini likaThixo.
21 Now Isaiah had said, “Prepare a lump of pressed figs and apply it to the boil, and he will recover.”
U-Isaya wayethe, “Lungisani isigaqa semikhiwa usifake phezu kwethumba, uzasila.”
22 And Hezekiah had asked, “What will be the sign that I will go up to the house of the LORD?”
UHezekhiya wayebuze wathi, “Kuyini okuzakuba yisibonakaliso sokuthi ngizakhwela ngiye phezulu ethempelini likaThixo na?”
