Isaiah 38
1 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was near death. And so, Isaiah, the son of Amoz, the prophet, entered to him, and he said to him: “Thus says the Lord: Put your house in order, for you shall die, and you shall not live.”
Ngalezonsuku uHezekhiya wagula eselengela ekufeni. Umphrofethi u-Isaya, indodana ka-Amozi waya kuye wathi, “Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo: Lungisa indlu yakho ngoba uzakufa, awuyikusila.”
2 And Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and he prayed to the Lord.
UHezekhiya waphenduka wakhangela emdulini wakhuleka kuThixo esithi,
3 And he said: “I beg you, Lord, I beseech you, to remember how I walked before you in truth and with a whole heart, and that I have done what is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept with a great weeping.
“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 say to Hezekiah: Thus says the Lord, the God of David, your father: I have heard your prayer, and I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your days.
“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 rescue you and this city from the hand of the king of the Assyrians, and I will protect it.
Njalo ngizakukhulula wena, kanye ledolobho leli ezandleni zenkosi yase-Asiriya. Ngizavikela idolobho leli.
7 And this will be a sign for you from the Lord, that the Lord will do this word, which he has spoken:
Lesi yisibonakaliso sikaThixo kuwe sokuthi uThixo uzakwenza njengokuthembisa kwakhe:
8 Behold, I will cause the shadow of the lines, which has now descended on the sundial of Ahaz, to move in reverse for ten lines.” And so, the sun moved backward by ten lines, through the degrees by which 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 The writing of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, after he had fallen ill and had recovered from his sickness:
La ngamazwi alotshwa nguHezekhiya inkosi yakoJuda emva kokuba esesilile ekuguleni kwakhe:
10 “I said: In the middle of my days, I will go to the gates of Hell. So I sought 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 not see the Lord God in the land of the living. I will no longer behold man, nor the habitation of rest.
Ngathi, “Angiyikumbona futhi uThixo ngokwakhe elizweni labaphilayo; angisayikubabona futhi abantu bakithi loba ngibe lalabo abahlala kulumhlaba.
12 My longevity has been taken away; it has been folded up and taken from me, like the tent of a shepherd. My life has been cut off, as if by a weaver. While I was still beginning, he cut me off. From morning until evening, you have marked out my limits.
Njengethente lomelusi indlu yami idiliziwe ngayithathelwa. Njengomaluki impilo yami ngiyigoqile, ungisusile osungulweni; emini lebusuku ungenze ngaphela.
13 I hoped, even until morning. Like a lion, so has he crushed all my bones. From morning until evening, you have marked my limits.
Ngalinda ngokubekezela kwaze kwasa, kodwa amathambo ami uwephule wonke njengesilwane; emini lebusuku ungenze ngaphela.
14 I will cry out, like a young swallow. I will meditate, like a dove. My eyes have been weakened by gazing upward. O Lord, I suffer violence! Answer in my favor.
Ngakhala njengenkonjane kumbe ihemu, ngabubula njengejuba elililayo. Amehlo ami afiphele ngokukhangela phezulu. Awu Thixo, ngikhathazekile, woza ungisize!”
15 What can I say, or what would he answer me, since he himself has done this? I will acknowledge to you all my years, in the bitterness of my soul.
Kodwa ngingathini na? Ukhulumile kimi, wena ngokwakho ukwenzile lokhu. Ngizahamba ngokuzithoba ekuphileni kwami konke ngenxa yobuhlungu bomoya wami.
16 O Lord, if such is life, and if the life of my spirit is of such a kind, may you correct me and may you cause me to live.
Thixo, abantu baphila ngezinto ezinje; lomoya wami uthola ukuphila kuzo. Wangibuyisela empilweni wangenza ngaphila.
17 Behold, in peace my bitterness is most bitter. But you have rescued my soul, so that it would not perish. 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 Hell will not confess to you, and death will not praise you. Those who descend into the pit will not hope for your truth. (Sheol h7585)
Ngoba ingcwaba alingeke likubonge lokufa akungeke kukudumise; labo abangena emgodini abangeke bathemba ubuqotho bakho. (Sheol h7585)
19 The living, the living, these will give praise to you, as I also do this day! The father will make the truth known to the sons.
Abaphilayo, ngempela abaphilayo, bayakudumisa njengalokhu engikwenzayo lamuhla; abazali batshela abantwababo ngobuqotho bakho.
20 O Lord, save me! And we will sing our psalms, all the days of our life, in the house of the Lord.”
UThixo uzangisindisa; njalo sizahlabelela ngamachacho kuzozonke insuku zokuphila kwethu ethempelini likaThixo.
21 Now Isaiah had ordered them to take a paste of figs, and to spread it like plaster over the wound, so that he would be healed.
U-Isaya wayethe, “Lungisani isigaqa semikhiwa usifake phezu kwethumba, uzasila.”
22 And Hezekiah said, “What will be the sign that I may go up to the house of the Lord?”
UHezekhiya wayebuze wathi, “Kuyini okuzakuba yisibonakaliso sokuthi ngizakhwela ngiye phezulu ethempelini likaThixo na?”
