Isaiah 37
1 It happened, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and went into Jehovah's house.
Kwathi lapho uHezekhiya, inkosi, esezwe lokhu, wadabula izigqoko zakhe wagqoka amasaka, wasesiya ethempelini likaThixo.
2 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.
Wathuma u-Eliyakhimu umphathi wesigodlo, uShebhina umabhalane labaphristi abangabakhokheli, bonke begqoke amasaka, baya kumphrofethi u-Isaya indodana ka-Amozi.
3 They said to him, "Thus says Hezekiah, 'This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of rejection; for the children have come to the birth, and there is no strength to bring forth.
Bathi kuye, “UHezekhiya uthi: ilanga lanamhla lusuku losizi lokusolwa kanye lehlazo njengalapho abantwana sekufike isikhathi sokuthi bazalwe kodwa amandla okubeletha engekho.
4 It may be Jehovah your 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 your God has heard. Therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.'"
Mhlawumbe uThixo uNkulunkulu wakho izawezwa amazwi omlawuli webutho, onkosi yakhe, inkosi yase-Asiriya, emthume ukuba athuke uNkulunkulu ophilayo, lokuthi uzamthuka ngenxa yamazwi uThixo uNkulunkulu wakho ewazwileyo. Ngakho-ke khulekela insali elokhu iphila.”
5 So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah.
Kwathi izithunywa zenkosi uHezekhiya sezifikile ku-Isaya,
6 Isaiah said to them, "Tell your master, 'Thus says Jehovah, "Do not be afraid of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.
u-Isaya wathi kuzo, “Tshelani inkosi yenu lithi, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo: Ungesabi lokhu okuzwileyo, amazwi lawana izinceku zenkosi yase-Asiriya ezingithuke ngawo.
7 Look, I will put a spirit in him and he will hear news, and will return to his own land. I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land."'"
Lalela! Ngizafaka umoya ozamenza athi nxa esizwa umbiko othile, afune ukubuyela elizweni lakhe, athi angafika khonale ngenze ukuba abulawe ngenkemba.’”
8 So Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah, for he had heard that he was departed from Lachish.
Kwathi lapho umlawuli webutho esezwile ukuthi inkosi yase-Asiriya yayisisukile eLakhishi, laye wasuka wayathola inkosi isilwa leLibhina.
9 He heard news concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, "He has come out to fight against you." When he heard it, he returned and sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,
USenakheribhi wemukela umbiko othi uThirihaka inkosi yaseKhushi, wayesiza ukuba amhlasele. Esezwe lokho wathumela izithunywa kuHezekhiya lombiko othi:
10 "Thus you shall speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, 'Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you, saying, "Jerusalem won't be given into the hand of the king of Assyria."
“Tshela uHezekhiya inkosi yakoJuda ukuthi: Ungavumi ukuthi unkulunkulu omthembileyo akukhohlise esithi, ‘IJerusalema kaliyikunikelwa enkosini yase-Asiriya.’
11 Look, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, by destroying them utterly. Shall you be delivered?
Ngempela usukuzwile okwenziwa ngamakhosi ase-Asiriya emazweni wonke, ewabhidliza okupheleleyo. Wena-ke uzaphepha na?
12 Have the gods of the nations delivered them, which my fathers have destroyed, Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar?
Onkulunkulu bezizwe ezatshabalaliswa ngokhokho bami bake bazikhulula na, onkulunkulu beGozani, iHarani, iRezefi kanye labantu base-Edeni ababeseThelasari?
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 yaseHamathi, inkosi yase-Ariphadi, angaphi amakhosi aseLayiri leSefavayimi, loba eyaseHena kumbe eyase-Iva?”
14 Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it. Then Hezekiah went up to Jehovah's house, and spread it before Jehovah.
UHezekhiya wemukela incwadi eyeza lezithunywa wayibala. Emva kwalokho waya ethempelini leNkosi, wayichaya phambi kukaThixo.
15 Hezekiah prayed to Jehovah, saying,
UHezekhiya wakhuleka kuThixo esithi:
16 "Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, who is enthroned among the cherubim, you are the God, even you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.
“Thixo Somandla, Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli osebukhosini phakathi kwamaKherubhi, wena kuphela nguwe onguNkulunkulu wemibuso yonke yasemhlabeni. Nguwe owenza izulu lomhlaba.
17 Turn your ear, Jehovah, and hear. Open your eyes, Jehovah, and look. Hear all of the words of Sennacherib, who has sent to defy the living God.
Beka indlebe Thixo, uzwe; vula amehlo akho Thixo, ubone. Lalela uzwe wonke amazwi uSenakheribhi awathumele ukuzathuka uNkulunkulu ophilayo.
18 Truly, Jehovah, the kings of Assyria have destroyed all the countries and their land,
Kuliqiniso, Thixo, ukuthi amakhosi ase-Asiriya abatshabalalisa bonke lababantu kanye lamazwe abo.
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.
Aphosele onkulunkulu bawo emlilweni abatshabalalisa, ngoba kungesibo onkulunkulu kodwa yizigodo lamatshe kuphela, okubunjwe ngezandla zabantu.
20 Now therefore, Jehovah our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you are Jehovah, even you only."
Khathesi, Thixo, Nkulunkulu wethu, sikhulule esandleni sakhe, ukuze imibuso yonke emhlabeni ibekwazi ukuthi wena Thixo, nguwe wedwa onguNkulunkulu.”
21 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, "Thus says Jehovah, the God of Israel, 'Because you have prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria,
U-Isaya indodana ka-Amozi wathumela ilizwi kuHezekhiya elithi, “Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli: Ngenxa yokuthi ukhulekile kimi mayelana ngoSenakheribhi inkosi yase-Asiriya,
22 this is the word which Jehovah has spoken concerning him. The virgin daughter of Zion has despised you and ridiculed you. The daughter of Jerusalem has shaken her head at you.
nanti ilizwi uThixo aselikhulume ngaye wathi: INdodakazi eGcweleyo iZiyoni iyakweyisa njalo iyakuklolodela. INdodakazi iJerusalema inqekuza ikhanda layo lapho wena ubaleka.
23 Whom have you defied and blasphemed? Against whom have you exalted your voice and lifted up your eyes on high? Against the Holy One of Israel.
Ngubani lowo omthukileyo wamhlazisa? Ngubani lowo omphakamisele ilizwi lakho wamphakamisela lamehlo akho ngokuzigqaja na? NgoNgcwele ka-Israyeli!
24 By your messengers you have taunted Jehovah, 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. I will cut down its tall cedars and its choice fir trees. I will enter into its farthest height, the forest of its fruitful field.
Ngezithunywa zakho umthukile uThixo. Utshilo njalo ukuthi, ‘Ngezinqola zami ezinengi ngikhwelile eziqongweni zezintaba iziqongo eziphezulu kakhulu zaseLebhanoni. Sengigamule ngawisa izihlahla ezinde zemisedari, izihlahla ezikhethiweyo zamaphayini. Ngifikile eziqongweni zalo ezikhatshana, emaguswini alo amahle kakhulu.
25 I have dug and drunk water, and with the sole of my feet I will dry up all the rivers of Egypt."
Ngigebhile imithombo ezizweni nganatha amanzi khona. Ngezinyawo zami ngomisile zonke izifula zaseGibhithe.’
26 Have you not heard how I have done it long ago, and formed it in ancient times? Now I have brought it to pass, that it should be yours to destroy fortified cities, turning them into ruinous heaps.
Kawuzwanga na? Lokhu ngakumisa endulo. Ngakuceba ensukwini zasendulo; khathesi sengenze ukuba kufezeke, ukuthi usudilize amadolobho avikelweyo aba yizinqwaba zamatshe.
27 Therefore their inhabitants had little power. They were dismayed and confounded. They were like the grass of the field, and like the green herb, like the grass on the rooftops when it is scorched by the east wind.
Abantu bakhona, abangaselamandla, badangele njalo bayangekile. Banjengezilimo ensimini, njengamahlumela aluhlaza, lanjengotshani obuhluma ephahleni lwendlu bubuye butshe bungakakhuli.
28 But I know your sitting down, your going out, your coming in, and your raging against me.
Kodwa ngiyakwazi lapho okhona, lalapho usiza uphinde uhambe; kanye lokuthi ungithukuthelela kangakanani.
29 Because of your raging against me, and because your arrogance has come up into my ears, therefore I will put my hook in your nose and my bridle in your lips, and I will turn you back by the way by which you came.
Ngenxa yokungithukuthelela kwakho langenxa yokuthi ubuqholo bakho sebufikile ezindlebeni zami, ngizafaka umkhala wami emakhaleni akho lamatomu ami emlonyeni wakho, njalo ngizakwenza ubuyele ngendlela oze ngayo.
30 This shall be the sign to you. You will eat this year that which grows of itself, and in the second year that which springs from the same; and in the third year sow and reap and plant vineyards, and eat their fruit.
Lokhu kuzakuba yisibonakaliso kuwe, Hezekhiya: Lonyaka lizakudla okuzikhulela kodwa, ngomnyaka wesibili lidle umkhukhuzela wakhona. Kodwa ngomnyaka wesithathu hlanyelani livune, hlanyelani izivini lidle izithelo zazo.
31 The remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah will again take root downward, and bear fruit upward.
Futhi insali yendlu kaJuda izagxilisa njalo impande phansi ithele izithelo ngaphezulu.
32 For out of Jerusalem a remnant will go forth, and survivors will escape from Mount Zion. The zeal of Jehovah of hosts will perform this.'
Ngoba eJerusalema kuzavela insali, kuthi entabeni iZiyoni kuphume ixuku labasindayo. Ukutshiseka kukaThixo uSomandla kuzakwenza ukuba lokhu kufezeke.
33 Therefore thus says Jehovah concerning the king of Assyria, 'He will not come to this city, nor shoot an arrow there, neither will he come before it with shield, nor cast up a mound against it.
Ngakho-ke mayelana lenkosi yase-Asiriya uThixo uthi: Kasoze angene kulelidolobho loba atshoke umtshoko lapha. Kasoze eze kulo elehawu kumbe akhe umduli wokulivimbezela.
34 By the way that he came, by the same he shall return, and he shall not come to this city,' says Jehovah.
Uzabuyela ngendlela eza ngayo; kasoze angene kulelidolobho, kutsho uThixo.
35 'For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake, and for my servant David's sake.'"
Idolobho leli ngizalivikela ngilihlenge, ngenxa yami langenxa kaDavida inceku yami!
36 The angel of Jehovah went out and struck one hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the camp of the Assyrians. When men arose early in the morning, look, these were all dead bodies.
Lapho-ke ingilosi kaThixo yasuka yayabulala abantu abalikhulu elilamatshumi ayisificaminwembili lanhlanu lezinkulungwane ezihonqweni zama-Asiriya. Kwathi lapho abantu bevuka ekuseni kwakhona bonke kwasekuyizidumbu kuphela!
37 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, went away, returned to Nineveh, and stayed there.
Ngakho uSenakheribhi inkosi yama-Asiriya wasuka ezihonqweni wahamba. Wabuyela eNiniva wahlala khona.
38 It happened, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons struck him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.
Kwathi ngolunye usuku ekhonza ethempelini likaNisirokhi unkulunkulu wakhe, amadodana akhe u-Adrameleki loShareza ambulala ngenkemba asebalekela elizweni lase-Ararathi. U-Esarihadoni indodana yakhe yaba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe.”
