< Isaiah 36 >
1 And it came to pass in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, that Sennacherib the king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah, and seized on them.
Ngomnyaka wetshumi lane wokubusa kwenkosi uHezekhiya, uSenakheribhi inkosi yase-Asiriya wahlasela wonke amadolobho avikelweyo akoJuda wawathumba.
2 And the king of Assyria sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem to king Hezekiah with a strong army. And he halted by the aqueduct of the upper pool on the highway of the washer's field.
Emva kwalokho inkosi yase-Asiriya yathuma umlawuli wayo lebutho elikhulu lisuka eLakhishi lisiya enkosini uHezekhiya eJerusalema. Kwathi umlawuli webutho esemi emgelweni wechibi elingaphezulu, elisendleleni eya eNsimini yoMgezisi,
3 Then came forth unto him Elyakim, the son of Chilkiyahu, who was superintendent over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and Yoach the son of Assaph, the recorder.
u-Eliyakhimu indodana kaHilikhiya umgcini wesigodlo, loShebhina umabhalane kanye loJowa indodana ka-Asafi umbhali, baya kuye.
4 And Rabshakeh said unto them, —Say ye now to Hezekiah, Thus hath said the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherewith thou hast trusted?
Umlawuli webutho wathi kubo, “Tshelani uHezekhiya ukuthi, ‘Nanku okutshiwo yinkosi enkulu, inkosi yase-Asiriya ithi: Uthembeni ngalesisibindi sakho na?
5 I have said, but it was only a word uttered with the lips, [I have] counsel and strength for the war. Now, on whom didst thou trust, that thou rebelledst against me?
Uthi ulamaqhinga lamandla ebutho kodwa ukhuluma amazwi ayize. Uthembe bani uze ungihlamukele nje?
6 Behold, thou trustedst on yon cracked reed-staff, on Egypt; which, if a man lean on it, will enter into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh the king of Egypt to all that trust on him.
Khangela, ngiyazi uthembe iGibhithe, yona enjengomhlanga ozimvava osika isandla somuntu umlimaze nxa eweyamile. Unjalo uFaro inkosi yaseGibhithe kubo bonke abathembele kuye.
7 But if thou shouldst say to me, In the Lord our God have we trusted: is he not the one whose high-places and whose altars Hezekiah hath removed, when he said to Judah and to Jerusalem, Before this altar shall ye prostrate yourselves?
Njalo nxa lisithi kimi, “Thina sithembe uThixo uNkulunkulu wethu,” kasuye yini uHezekhiya asusa izindawo zakhe eziphakemeyo lama-alithare akhe, esithi kuJuda leJerusalema, “Kumele likhonzele phambi kwaleli i-alithari”?
8 And now I pray thee, enter into a contest with my master the king of Assyria, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.
Khathesi woza wenze isivumelwano lenkosi yami, inkosi yase-Asiriya: Ngizakunika amabhiza azinkulungwane ezimbili nxa bekhona abazawagada!
9 How then wilt thou turn back the face of a single chieftain of the least of my masters' servants, while thou hast put thy trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?
Pho ungayehlula njani induna eyodwa yezikhulu ezincane zenkosi yami, lanxa uthembele eGibhithe ekutholeni izinqola zempi labagadi bamabhiza na?
10 And now am I come up without the Lord ['s will] against this land to destroy it? The Lord hath said unto me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.
Phezu kwalokho, kanti ngizehlasela lokuzochitha ilizwe leli kungatshongo uThixo na? UThixo uqobo nguye othe ngizohlasela ilizwe leli ngilichithe.’”
11 Then said Elyakim and Shebna and Yoach unto Rabshakeh, Speak, we pray thee, unto thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and speak not to us in the Jewish language, before the ears of the people that are on the wall.
Ngakho u-Eliyakhimu loShebhina loJowa bathi kumlawuli webutho, “Ake ukhulume ezincekwini zakho ngesi-Aramayikhi ngoba siyasizwa. Ungasikhulumisi ngesiHebheru lababantu abasemdulini besizwa.”
12 But Rabshakeh said, Hath my master then sent me to thy master and to thee to speak these words? is it not rather to the men who sit upon the wall, that they may eat their own excrements, and drink their own urine with you?
Kodwa umlawuli webutho waphendula esithi, “Inkosi yami ingithume ukuba izinto lezi ngizitsho kuphela enkosini yenu lakini, hatshi ebantwini abahlezi emdulini okuzakuthi labo njengani badle ubulongwe babo banathe lomchamo wabo na?”
13 Then stood Rabshakeh up, and called out in a loud voice in the Jewish language, and said, Hear ye the words of the great king, the king of Assyria.
Umlawuli webutho wasukuma wasememeza ngesiHebheru esithi, “Zwanini amazwi enkosi enkulu, inkosi yase-Asiriya!
14 Thus hath said the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you; for he will not be able to deliver you;
Lokhu yikho okutshiwo yinkosi: Lingamvumeli uHezekhiya ukuba alikhohlise. Angeke alikhulule.
15 Neither let Hezekiah induce you to trust in the Lord, saying, The Lord will surely deliver us; this city shall not be given up into the hand of the king of Assyria.
Lingamvumeli uHezekhiya elincenga ukuba lithembele kuThixo lapho esithi ‘Ngempela uThixo uzasikhulula; idolobho leli kaliyikuphiwa esandleni senkosi yase-Asiriya.’”
16 Hearken not to Hezekiah; for thus hath said the king of Assyria, Make a treaty of peace with me, and come out to me; and eat ye every one of his vine, and every one of his fig-tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his cistern;
Lingamlaleli uHezekhiya. Nanku okutshiwo yinkosi yase-Asiriya: Yenza isivumelwano sokuthula lami, uphume uze kimi. Lapho-ke omunye lomunye uzakudla esivinini sakhe lasemikhiweni yakhe, anathe lamanzi emthonjeni wakhe,
17 Until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards.
ngize ngifike ngilithathe, ngilise elizweni elifanana lelakini, ilizwe lamabele lewayini elitsha, ilizwe lesinkwa lezivini.
18 So that Hezekiah may not mislead you, saying, The Lord will deliver us. Have the gods of the nations delivered each his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
“Lingavumeli uHezekhiya ukuthi alikhohlise esithi, ‘UThixo uzasikhulula.’ Kulonkulunkulu wesinye isizwe osewake wakhulula ilizwe lakhe esandleni senkosi yase-Asiriya na?
19 Where are the gods of Chamath and Arpad? where are the gods of Sepharvayim? and have they then delivered Samaria out of my hand?
Bangaphi onkulunkulu baseHamathi le-Ariphadi na? Bangaphi onkulunkulu baseSefavayimi na? Bayikhululile iSamariya esandleni sami na?
20 Who are they among all the gods of these countries, that have delivered their country out of my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?
Nguphi kubo bonke onkulunkulu bamazwe la oke wenelisa ukukhulula ilizwe lakhe kimi na? Pho uThixo angayikhulula njani iJerusalema esandleni sami na?”
21 But they remained silent, and answered him not a word; for it was the king's command, saying, Ye shall not answer him.
Kodwa abantu bathula kabazange batsho lutho, ngoba inkosi yayilaye yathi, “Lingamphenduli.”
22 Then came Elyakim the son of Chilkiyahu, that was superintendent over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and Yoach the son of Assaph, the recorder, to Hezekiah with their clothes rent; and they told him the words of Rabshakeh.
U-Eliyakhimu indodana kaHilikhiya umgcini wesigodlo loShebhina umabhalane loJowa indodana ka-Asafi umbhali, baya kuHezekhiya izigqoko zabo zidabukile bamtshela okwakutshiwo ngumlawuli webutho.