< 2 Kings 18 >

1 After King Hoshea had been ruling Israel for almost three years, Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz, began to rule Judah.
Mugore rechitatu raHoshea mwanakomana waEra Mambo weIsraeri, Hezekia mwanakomana waAhazi mambo weJudha akatanga kutonga.
2 He was 25 years old when he became the king [of Judah] and he ruled from Jerusalem for 29 years. His mother was Abijah, the daughter of [a man whose name was] Zechariah.
Akanga ava namakore makumi maviri namashanu paakava mambo, uye akatonga muJerusarema kwamakore makumi maviri namapfumbamwe. Zita ramai vake rainzi Abhiya mwanasikana waZekaria.
3 Hezekiah did things that Yahweh considered to be right, like his ancestor King David had done.
Akaita zvakanaka pamberi paJehovha, sezvakanga zvaita baba vake Dhavhidhi.
4 He destroyed the places where people worshiped Yahweh on the tops of hills, and he broke into pieces the stone pillars [for worshiping the goddess Asherah]. He also broke into pieces the bronze [replica/statue of a] snake that Moses had made. He did that because the people had named it Nehushtan, and they were burning incense in front of it to honor it.
Akabvisa matunhu akakwirira, akaputsa matombo okunamata, uye akatema matanda aAshera. Akaputsa nyoka yendarira yakanga yaitwa naMozisi, nokuti kusvikira panguva iyoyo vaIsraeri vakanga vachipisira zvinonhuhwira kwairi. (Yakanga ichinzi Nehushitani.)
5 Hezekiah trusted in Yahweh, the God whom the Israelis [worshiped.] There was no king who ruled Judah before him or after him who was as [devoted to Yahweh as] he was.
Hezekia akanga achivimba naJehovha, Mwari waIsraeri. Kwakanga kusina akafanana naye pakati pamadzimambo ose eJudha, vakamutangira kana vakamutevera.
6 He remained loyal to Yahweh and never disobeyed him. He carefully obeyed all the commandments that Yahweh had given to Moses.
Akanamatira kuna Jehovha uye haana kurega kumutevera; akachengeta mirayiro yakapiwa Mozisi naJehovha.
7 Yahweh always (helped/was with) him. He was successful in everything that he did. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and refused to (pay taxes to him/do what the king of Assyria wanted him to do).
Uye Jehovha aiva naye; akabudirira pane zvose zvaakaita. Akamukira mambo weAsiria akasazomushandira.
8 His army defeated [the soldiers of] Philistia as far [south] as Gaza [city] and the nearby villages. They conquered the entire area, from the smallest watchtower to the largest cities surrounded by walls.
Akakunda vaFiristia, kubva pachirindo chavarindi kusvikira kuguta rakakomberedzwa, zvichienda kuGaza nenyika yayo.
9 After King Hezekiah had been ruling Judah for almost four years, and when King Hoshea had been ruling Israel for almost seven years, [the army of] King Shalmaneser of Assyria invaded Israel and surrounded Samaria [city].
Mugore rechina ramambo Hezekia, iro raiva gore rechinomwe raHoshea mwanakomana waEra mambo weIsraeri, Sharimaneseri mambo weAsiria akaenda kundorwa neSamaria akarikunda.
10 In the third year they captured the city. That was when Hezekiah has been ruling Judah for almost six years, and when Hoshea had been ruling Israel for almost nine years.
Pakupera kwamakore matatu vaAsiria vakaritora. Saka Samaria yakatorwa mugore rechitanhatu raMambo Hezekia, iro rakanga riri gore rechipfumbamwe raHoshea mambo weIsraeri.
11 The king of Assyria commanded that the people of Israel be taken to Assyria. Some of them were taken to Halah [town], some were taken to a place near the Habor [River] in [the] Gozan [region], and some were taken to cities where the Mede people-group live.
Mambo weAsiria akavatapa akavaendesa kuAsiria akandovagarisa muHara, muGozani paRwizi rweHabhori nomumaguta avaMedhesi.
12 That happened because the Israelis did not obey Yahweh their God. They disobeyed the agreement that Yahweh had made with their ancestors, and all the laws that Moses, the man who served Yahweh [very well], had told them to obey. They would not obey those laws; they would not even listen to them.
Izvi zvakaitika nokuti vakanga vasina kuteerera Jehovha Mwari wavo, asi vakanga vadarika sungano yake nezvose zvakanga zvarayirwa naMozisi muranda waJehovha. Vakaramba kunzwa mirayiro kana kuiita.
13 After King Hezekiah had been ruling Judah for almost 14 years, [the army of] King Sennacherib of Assyria attacked all the cities in Judah that had walls around them. They [did not capture Jerusalem, but they] captured all the other cities.
Mugore regumi namana rokutonga kwamambo Hezekia, Senakeribhi mambo weAsiria akarwisa maguta ose eJudha akakomberedzwa namasvingo akaatora.
14 King Hezekiah sent a message to Sennacherib, while Sennacherib was in Lachish, saying “What I have done was wrong. Please [tell your soldiers to] stop attacking us. If you do that, I will pay you whatever you tell me to.” So the king of Assyria said that Hezekiah must pay to him (ten tons/9,000 kg.) of silver and (one ton/900 kg.) of gold.
Saka Hezekia mambo weJudha akatuma shoko kuna mambo weAsiria paRakishi achiti, “Ndakakanganisa hangu. Ibvai henyu kwandiri, uye ndicharipa zvose zvamuchareva kwandiri.” Mambo weAsiria akaripisa Hezekia mambo weJudha mutero wamazana matatu amatarenda esirivha namatarenda egoridhe makumi matatu.
15 So Hezekiah gave to him all the silver that was in the temple and that was stored in the king’s palace.
Saka Hezekia akamupa sirivha yose yakawanikwa mutemberi yaJehovha nomumatura omumuzinda wamambo.
16 Hezekiah’s men also stripped the gold from the doors of the temple and the gold that he himself had put on the doorposts, and he sent all that gold to the king of Assyria.
Panguva iyoyo Hezekia mambo weJudha akabvisa goridhe raakanga afukidza naro makonhi nembiru dzamakonhi etemberi yaJehovha, akazvipa kuna mambo weAsiria.
17 But the king of Assyria sent a large army with some of his important officials from Lachish [city] to [persuade] King Hezekiah [to surrender]. When they arrived at Jerusalem, they stood alongside the aqueduct/channel in which water flows from the upper pool into Jerusalem, near the road to the field where the women wash clothes.
Mambo weAsiria akatuma mukuru wehondo, nomukuru wavabati uye nomukuru wavatariri, nehondo huru, kubva kuRakishi kuti vaende kuna mambo Hezekia kuJerusarema. Vakakwira kuJerusarema vakamira pamugero weDziva roKumusoro, mumugwagwa unoenda kuMunda woMusuki.
18 They sent a message requesting King Hezekiah to come to them, but the king sent three of his officials [to talk to them]. He sent Hilkiah’s son Eliakim, who supervised the palace; Shebna, the official secretary; and Asaph’s son Joah, who communicated the king’s messages to the people.
Vakadana mambo; uye Eriakimi mwanakomana waHirikia mutariri womuzinda wamambo, naShebhina munyori, naJoa mwanakomana waAsafi munyori wenhoroondo vakabuda vakaenda kwavari.
19 One of Sennacherib’s important officials told them to take this message to Hezekiah: “This is what the king of Assyria, the great king, says: ‘What are you trusting in [to rescue you] [RHQ]?
Mukuru wavatariri akati kwavari, “Udzai Hezekia kuti: “‘Zvanzi namambo mukuru, mambo weAsiria: Chaunovimba nacho chii?
20 You say that you have weapons to fight us, and some country promises [to help you], [and that will enable you to defeat us, ] but that is only talk [RHQ]. Who do you think will help you to rebel against my [soldiers from Assyria]?
Unoti unogona kuronga uye une simba rokurwa, asi uri kungotaura mashoko asingazari mukombe. Uri kuvimba naaniko, kuti undimukire?
21 Listen to me! You are relying on [the army of] Egypt. But that is like [MET] using a broken reed for a walking stick on which you could lean. But it would pierce the hand of anyone who would lean on it! That is what the king of Egypt would be like for anyone who relied on him [for help].
Tarira zvino, wakasendamira paIjipiti, uya mudonzvo werutsanga rwakatsemuka runobaya ruoko rwomunhu ruchimupa ronda kana asendamira parwuri! Ndizvo zvakaita Faro mambo weIjipiti kuna vose vanosendamira paari.
22 But perhaps you will say to me, “No, we are (relying on/trusting in) Yahweh our God [to help us].” [I would reply, ] “Is he not the one whom you [insulted by] tearing down his shrines and altars and forcing everyone in Jerusalem and [other places in] Judah to worship only in front of the altar [in Jerusalem]?”’
Asi kana ukati kwandiri, “Tinovimba naJehovha Mwari wedu,” ko, haazi iye ane matunhu akakwirira nearitari dzakabviswa naHezekia, achiti kuJudha neJerusarema, “Munofanira kunamata pamberi pearitari iyi muJerusarema here?”
23 So I suggest that you make a deal between you and my master/boss, the king of Assyria. I will give you 2,000 horses, but [I do not think that] you are able to find 2,000 of your men who can ride on them!
“‘Chiuya zvino, uite chitsidzo natenzi wangu, mambo weAsiria. Ndichakupa zviuru zviviri zvamabhiza, kana uchigona kuisa vatasvi pamusoro pawo!
24 You are expecting the king of Egypt to send chariots and men riding horses [to assist you]. But they certainly would not [RHQ] be able to resist/defeat even the most insignificant/unimportant official in the army of Assyria!
Ungagona seiko kukunda mumwe wamachinda madiki atenzi wangu kunyange dai uchivimba neIjipiti kuti uchapiwa ngoro navatasvi vamabhiza?
25 Furthermore, (do you think that we have come to destroy Jerusalem without Yahweh’s help?/do not think that we have come to Jerusalem without Yahweh’s help.) [RHQ] It is Yahweh himself who told us to come here and destroy this land!”
Pamusoro pezvo, handina kuuya kuzorwa nokuparadza nzvimbo ino ndisina shoko rinobva kuna Jehovha here? Jehovha pachake akandiudza kuti ndiuye kuzorwisa nyika uye ndiiparadze.’”
26 Then Eliakim, Shebna and Joah said to the official from Assyria, “Sir, please speak to us in your Aramaic language, because we understand it. Do not speak to us in our Hebrew language, because the people who are standing on the wall will understand it [and be frightened].”
Ipapo Eriakimu mwanakomana waHirikia, naShebhina naJoa vakati kumukuru wavatariri, “Tapota, taurai kuvaranda venyu norurimi rwechiAramu sezvo tichirunzwa. Musataura nesu nechiHebheru vanhu vari parusvingo vachizvinzwa.”
27 But the official replied, “Do you think [RHQ] that my master sent me to say these things only to you and not to the people who are standing on the wall? [If you reject this message, ] the [people in this city] will soon need to eat their own dung and drink their own urine, just like you will, [because there will be nothing more for you to eat or drink].”
Asi mukuru wehondo akapindura akati, “Ko, ndakatumwa natenzi wangu kuna tenzi wako nokwauri chete here kuti nditaure mashoko aya ndisingatauri kuvarume vagere parusvingo, ivo pamwe chete newe vanofanira kudya tsvina yavo nokunwa mvura yemiviri yavo?”
28 Then the official stood up and shouted in the Hebrew language [to the people sitting on the wall]. He said, “Listen to this message from the great king, the king of Assyria. He says,
Ipapo mukuru wehondo akasimuka akadanidzira norurimi rwechiHebheru achiti, “Inzwai shoko ramambo mukuru, mambo weAsiria!
29 ‘Do not allow Hezekiah to deceive you. He will not be able to rescue you from my power [MTY].
Zvanzi namambo: Musarega Hezekia achikunyengerai. Haagoni kukudzikinurai kubva muruoko rwangu
30 Do not allow him to persuade you to rely on Yahweh, saying that Yahweh will rescue you, and that the army of Assyria will never capture this city!’
Musarega Hezekia achikukurudzirai kuti muvimbe naJehovha paanoti, ‘Zvirokwazvo Jehovha achatirwira; guta rino harizopiwi muruoko rwamambo weAsiria.’
31 “Do not pay attention to what Hezekiah says! This is what the king of Assyria says: ‘Come out of the city and surrender to me. If you do that, I will arrange for each of you to drink the juice from your own grapevines, and to eat figs from your own trees, and to drink water from your own wells.
“Musateerera Hezekia. Zvanzi namambo weAsiria: Itai rugare neni mugouya kuno kwandiri. Ipapo mumwe nomumwe wenyu achadya zvinobva pamuzambiringa wake napamuonde wake, uye achanwa mvura inobva muchirongo chake,
32 You will be able to do that until we come and take you to a land that is like your land—a land where there is grain to make bread and vineyards to [produce grapes for making] wine. It will be a land that has plenty of olive trees and honey. If you do what the king of Assyria commands, you will not die. You will continue to live. ‘Do not allow Hezekiah to persuade you to trust in Yahweh saying that he will rescue you!
kusvikira ndauya ndikakutorai ndigokuisai kunyika yakafanana neyenyu, nyika ine zvokudya newaini itsva, nyika yechingwa neminda yemizambiringa, nyika yemiti yemiorivhi nouchi. Sarudzai upenyu kwete rufu! “Musateerera Hezekia, nokuti anokutsausai kana akati, ‘Jehovha achatirwira.’
33 The gods that people of other nations worship have never rescued them from the power [MTY] of the king of Assyria [RHQ]!
Pana mwari wenyika ipi zvayo akamborwira nyika yake kubva muruoko rwamambo weAsiria?
34 Why were the gods of Hamath and Arpad [cities] unable to rescue their people from the king of Assyria [RHQ]? What happened to the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah, [towns that we completely destroyed and their gods disappeared] [RHQ]? Did any god rescue Samaria from my power?
Vamwari veHamati neveAripadhi varipi? Vamwari veSefarivhaimi, neHena neIvha varipi? Vakanunura Samaria muruoko rwangu here?
35 No, none of the gods of the countries [that my army attacked] rescued their people [RHQ] from me! So why do you think that Yahweh will rescue you people of Jerusalem from my power [MTY]?’”
Ndiani wavamwari vose venyika idzi akagona kuponesa nyika yake kubva kwandiri? Zvino Jehovha achanunura Jerusarema sei kubva muruoko rwangu?”
36 But the people [who were listening] stayed silent. No one said anything, because King Hezekiah had told them, “[When the official from Assyria talks to you, ] do not answer him.”
Asi vanhu vakaramba vakanyarara vakasataura chinhu, nokuti mambo akanga arayira akati, “Musamupindura.”
37 Then Eliakim the palace administrator and Shebna the court secretary and Joah the royal historian went back to Hezekiah with their clothes torn [because they were extremely distressed], and they told him what the official from Assyria had said.
Ipapo Eriakimi mwanakomana waHirikia mutariri womuzinda wamambo, naShebhina munyori naJoa mwanakomana waAsafi munyori wenhoroondo vakaenda kuna Hezekia, nenguo dzavo dzakabvaruka, vakamuudza zvakanga zvataurwa nomukuru wavarwi.

< 2 Kings 18 >