Isaia 37
1 Rĩrĩa Mũthamaki Hezekia aaiguire ũhoro ũcio, agĩtembũranga nguo ciake na akĩĩhumba nguo ya ikũnia, agĩtoonya hekarũ ya Jehova thĩinĩ.
When King Hezekiah heard what they reported, he tore his clothes and put on clothes made of rough sackcloth [because he was very distressed]. Then he went into the temple of Yahweh [and prayed].
2 Agĩtũma Eliakimu mũrori wa maũndũ ma nyũmba ya ũthamaki, na Shebina ũrĩa mwandĩki-marũa, na athĩnjĩri-Ngai arĩa atongoria, othe mehumbĩte nguo cia makũnia, mathiĩ kũrĩ mũnabii Isaia mũrũ wa Amozu.
Then he sent Eliakim, Shebna, and the (older/most important) priests, who were also wearing clothes made of rough sackcloth, to talk to me.
3 Makĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Ũũ nĩguo Hezekia ekuuga: Mũthenya wa ũmũthĩ nĩ mũthenya wa mĩnyamaro, na ngũmano, na gĩconoko o ta ihinda rĩa ciana rĩa gũciarwo rĩakinya, naguo hinya wa gũciara ũkaaga.
He said to them, “Tell this to Isaiah: ‘King Hezekiah says that this is a day when we are greatly distressed. Other nations are causing us to be insulted and disgraced. We are like [SIM] a woman who is about to give birth to a baby, but she does not have the strength that she needs to do it.
4 No gũkorwo Jehova Ngai waku nĩekũigua ciugo ciothe cia mũnene ũcio wa mbũtũ cia ita, ũrĩa mwathi wake, mũthamaki wa Ashuri atũmĩte, nĩgeetha oke anyũrũrie Ngai ũrĩa ũrĩ muoyo, na amũkũũme nĩ ũndũ wa ũhoro ũcio Jehova Ngai waku aiguĩte. Nĩ ũndũ ũcio hoera matigari marĩa matigaire muoyo.”
[But] perhaps Yahweh our God has heard what the official from Assyria said. Perhaps he knows that his boss, the King of Assyria, sent him to insult the all-powerful God, and that Yahweh will punish the King of Assyria for what he said. And the king requests that you pray for the few of us who are still alive [here in Jerusalem].’”
5 Rĩrĩa anene a Mũthamaki Hezekia maakinyire kũrĩ Isaia-rĩ,
After those men gave me that message,
6 Isaia akĩmeera atĩrĩ, “Ĩrai mwathi wanyu atĩrĩ, ‘Ũũ nĩguo Jehova ekuuga: Tiga gwĩtigĩra nĩ ciugo iria ũiguĩte atungati a mũthamaki wa Ashuri makĩĩnuma nacio.
I replied, “Tell the King, ‘This is what Yahweh says: “Those messengers from the King of Assyria have said evil things about me. But do not be disturbed by what they said.
7 Ta thikĩrĩria! Niĩ nĩngwĩkĩra roho wa mũthemba mũna thĩinĩ wake, nĩguo rĩrĩa arĩigua ũhoro mũna, acooke bũrũri wake, na arĩ kũu ndũme ooragwo na rũhiũ rwa njora.’”
Listen to this: I will cause Sennacherib to hear a rumor [that the armies of Babylon are about to attack his country], and that will worry him. So he will return to his own country, and there I will cause him to be assassinated by [men using] swords.”’”
8 Rĩrĩa mũnene wa mbũtũ cia ita aaiguire atĩ mũthamaki wa Ashuri nĩoimĩte Lakishi, akĩehera Jerusalemu agĩthiĩ agĩkora mũthamaki akĩrũa mbaara na Libina.
The official from Assyria found out that the King of Assyria [and his army] had captured Lachish [city] and that they were attacking Libnah, [which is a nearby city]. So the official left Jerusalem and went to Libnah [to report to the king what had happened in Jerusalem].
9 Na rĩrĩ, Senakeribu agĩkinyĩrwo nĩ ũhoro wa atĩ Tirihaka, ũrĩa Mũkushi mũthamaki wa Misiri, nĩoimagarĩte oke arũe nake. Nĩ ũndũ ũcio agĩtũma andũ rĩngĩ kũrĩ Hezekia marĩ na ũhoro ũyũ:
Soon after that, King [Sennacherib] received a report that King Tirhakah of Ethiopia was leading his army to attack them. So before King Sennacherib left Libnah [with his army to fight against the army from Ethiopia], he sent other messengers to Hezekiah in Jerusalem with a letter. [In the letter he wrote this] to Hezekiah:
10 “Ĩrai Hezekia mũthamaki wa Juda atĩrĩ: Ndũgetĩkĩrie Ngai ũcio wĩhokete akũheenie rĩrĩa ekuuga atĩrĩ, ‘Jerusalemu rĩtikũneanwo kũrĩ mũthamaki wa Ashuri.’
“Do not allow your god, on whom you are relying, to deceive you by promising you that Jerusalem will not be captured by my army.
11 Ti-itherũ nĩũiguĩte ũrĩa athamaki a Ashuri mekĩte mabũrũri-inĩ mothe, ũrĩa maamaniinire biũ. Inyuĩ mũgũkĩhonoka atĩa?
You have certainly heard what the armies of the kings of Assyria have done to all the other countries; our armies have destroyed them completely. So, (do you think that you will escape?/do not think that your god will save you!) [RHQ]
12 Na rĩrĩ, ngai cia ndũrĩrĩ iria cianiinirwo nĩ maithe maitũ ma tene: ngai cia Gozani, na cia Harani, na cia Rezefu, na andũ a Edeni arĩa maarĩ Telasaru-rĩ, nĩciamahonokirie?
Did the gods of the nations that were about to be destroyed by the armies of the previous kings of Assyria rescue them? Did those gods rescue Gozan [region], and Haran and Rezeph [cities in northern Syria], and the people of Eden [region] who were forced to go to Tel-Assar [city]?
13 Mũthamaki wa itũũra rĩa Hamathu arĩ ha, na mũthamaki wa Aripadi, na mũthamaki wa itũũra rĩrĩa inene rĩa Sefarivaimu, na wa Hena, na wa Iva, rĩu marĩ ha?”
What happened to the King of Hamath and the King of Arpad? What happened to the kings of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah [cities]? [Did their gods rescue them] [RHQ]?”
14 Nake Hezekia akĩnyiita marũa kuuma kũrĩ andũ arĩa maatũmĩtwo na akĩmathoma. Agĩcooka akĩambata hekarũ-inĩ ya Jehova, akĩmatambũrũkia mbere ya Jehova.
Hezekiah received the letter that the messengers gave him, and he read it. Then he went up to the temple and spread out the letter in front of Yahweh.
15 Nake Hezekia akĩhooya Jehova, akiuga atĩrĩ:
And [then] Hezekiah prayed this:
16 “Wee Jehova Ngai Mwene-Hinya-Wothe, Ngai wa Isiraeli, o wee ũikarĩire gĩtĩ kĩa ũnene gatagatĩ ka makerubi, Wee wiki nowe Ngai igũrũ rĩa mothamaki mothe ma thĩ. Nĩwe wombire igũrũ na thĩ.
“O Yahweh, Commander of the armies of angels, the God to whom [we] Israelis belong, you are seated on your throne above the statues of the creatures with wings, [above the Sacred Chest]. Only you are [truly] God. You rule all the kingdoms on this earth. You are the one who created everything on the earth and in the sky.
17 Tega matũ maku, Wee Jehova, ũigue; hingũra maitho maku Wee Jehova wone, ũigue ciugo ciothe cia Senakeribu iria atũmĩte cia kũruma Ngai ũrĩa ũtũũraga muoyo.
[So], Yahweh, [please] listen to what I am saying, and look at [what is happening]! And listen to what Sennacherib has said to insult you, the all-powerful God!
18 “Ti-itherũ, Jehova, athamaki a Ashuri nĩmanangĩte andũ a ndũrĩrĩ na mabũrũri mao biũ.
Yahweh, it is true that [the armies of] the kings of Assyria have completely destroyed many nations and ruined their land.
19 Na nĩmaikĩtie ngai ciao mwaki-inĩ na magacithũkangia, tondũ itiarĩ ngai no ciarĩ mĩtĩ na mahiga, nacio ciathondeketwo na moko ma andũ.
And they have thrown all the idols of those nations into fires and burned them. But they were not [really] gods. They were only idols made of wood and stone, [and that is why they were destroyed easily].
20 Rĩu-rĩ, Wee Jehova Ngai witũ, tũhonokie kuuma guoko-inĩ gwake, nĩgeetha mothamaki mothe ma thĩ mamenye atĩ Wee Jehova, o Wee wiki, nĩwe Ngai.”
So now, Yahweh our God, [please] rescue us from the power [MTY] of [the King of Assyria], in order that [the people in] all the kingdoms of the world will know that you, Yahweh, are the only one who is [truly] God.”
21 Hĩndĩ ĩyo Isaia mũrũ wa Amozu agĩtũma ndũmĩrĩri kũrĩ Hezekia, akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ: “Ũũ nĩguo Jehova Ngai wa Isiraeli ekuuga: Tondũ nĩũũhooete ũhoro wĩgiĩ Senakeribu mũthamaki wa Ashuri-rĩ,
Then I sent this message to Hezekiah: “This is what Yahweh, the God to whom [we] Israelis belong, says: Because you prayed about what King Sennacherib of Assyria [said],
22 ũyũ nĩguo ũhoro ũrĩa Jehova aarĩtie wa kũmũũkĩrĩra: “Mũirĩtu Gathirange, Mwarĩ wa Zayuni nĩakũmenete na agakũnyarara. Mwarĩ wa Jerusalemu arainia mũtwe rĩrĩa wee ũroora.
this is what I say to him: ‘The people of Jerusalem despise you and make fun of you. They will wag/shake their heads to mock you while you flee from here.
23 Ũcio ũrumĩte na ũkamenereria nũũ? Nũũ ũgũthũkĩire na mũgambo, na ũkamwambararĩria maitho na mwĩtĩĩo? Wee nĩũũkĩrĩire Ũrĩa Mũtheru wa Isiraeli!
Whom do you think you have been despising and ridiculing? Whom do you think you were shouting at? Whom do you think you were looking at [very] proudly/arrogantly? [It was I], the Holy One whom the Israelis worship!
24 Ũtũmĩte andũ aku moke marume Jehova. Na ũkoiga atĩrĩ, ‘Nĩ ũndũ wa ngaari ciakwa nyingĩ cia ita, nĩnyambatĩte ngakinya tũcũmbĩrĩ twa irĩma, o kũu igũrũ mũno Lebanoni. Nĩndemete mĩtarakwa yakuo ĩrĩa mĩraihu mũno, o na mĩthengera ĩrĩa mĩega mũno. Nĩnginyĩte tũcũmbĩrĩ twakuo kũrĩa kũraya mũno, o kũrĩa kũrĩ na mĩtitũ ĩrĩa mĩega mũno.
The messengers whom you sent made fun of me. You said, “With my many chariots I have gone to the highest mountains, [even] to the highest mountains in Lebanon. We have cut down its tallest cedar [trees] and its nicest pine/cypress [trees]. We have been to the most distant/remote peaks and to its densest forests.
25 Nĩnyenjete ithima mabũrũri ma kũngĩ na nganyua maaĩ kuo. Nĩhũithĩtie tũrũũĩ twa Misiri na makinya ma magũrũ makwa.’
We have dug wells [in many countries] and drunk water [from them]. And by marching through [MTY] the streams of Egypt, we dried them all up [HYP]!”
26 “Kaĩ ũtaiguĩte? Kuuma tene nĩndamũrĩte ũndũ ũcio. Matukũ-inĩ macio ma tene nĩndabangĩte ũndũ ũcio: rĩu nĩndĩũhingĩtie, atĩ wee nĩũtũmĩte matũũra manene marĩa mairigĩre na thingo cia hinya matuĩke hĩba cia mahiga.
[But I, Yahweh, reply], “Have you never heard that long ago I determined [those things]; I planned them long ago, and now I have been causing those things to occur. I planned that your army would destroy cities and cause them to become piles of rubble.
27 Andũ akuo maagithĩtio hinya, nao makagegeare na magaconorithio. Mahaana mĩmera ĩrĩ mũgũnda, makoororoa o ta thuuna nduru, kana ta nyeki ĩmerete nyũmba igũrũ, ĩrĩa yũmaga ĩtanakũra.
The people in those cities have no power, and as a result they are dismayed and discouraged. They are [as frail as] [MET] grass and plants in the fields, as frail as grass that grows on the roofs of houses and is scorched by the hot east wind.
28 “No nĩnjũũĩ kũrĩa ũikaraga, na ngamenya ũkiumagara na ũgĩcooka, o na ũrĩa ũndakaragĩra.
[But] I know [everything about you]; I know when you are [in your house and] when you go outside; I also know that you are (raging/speaking very angrily) against me.
29 Tondũ nĩũndakarĩire na rũngʼathio rwaku nĩrũkinyĩire matũ makwa, nĩngũgwĩkĩra gĩcũhĩ gĩakwa iniũrũ, na matamu ndĩmoohe kanua-inĩ gaku, na nĩngatũma ũcookere njĩra o ĩyo wokĩire.
[So], because you have raged against me and because I have heard you speak very proudly/arrogantly, [it will be as though] I will put a hook in your nose and I will put an iron (bit/metal bar) in your mouth [in order that I can lead you where I want you to go], and I will force you to return [to your own country], on the same road on which you came [here, without conquering Jerusalem].”’
30 “Gĩkĩ nĩkĩo gĩgaakorwo kĩrĩ kĩmenyithia gĩaku, wee Hezekia: “Mwaka ũyũ ũkũrĩa irio cia maitĩka, naguo mwaka wa keerĩ ũrĩe kĩrĩa gĩgaathundũka harĩ mo. No mwaka wa gatatũ-rĩ, nĩũkahaanda na ũgethe, ũhaande mĩgũnda ya mĩthabibũ, na ũrĩe maciaro mayo.
[Then I said to Hezekiah], ‘This will prove to you [that what I said will happen]: “This year, you(pl) will eat [only the crops] that grow by themselves, and next year the same thing will happen. But in the third year you will plant [crops] and harvest them; you will take care of your vineyards and eat the grapes.
31 O rĩngĩ matigari ma nyũmba ya Juda nĩmagaikũrũkia mĩri na thĩ, na maciare maciaro na igũrũ.
And [you] people who are still [here] in Judah, will be strong and prosper again [MET].
32 Nĩgũkorwo Jerusalemu nĩgũkoima matigari ma andũ, nakuo Kĩrĩma-inĩ gĩa Zayuni kuume gĩkundi kĩa arĩa mahonokete. Kĩyo kĩa Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe nĩkĩo gĩkaahingia ũguo.
A small number of my people will survive, and they will spread out from Jerusalem [DOU].” That will happen because [I], the Commander of the armies of angels, am desiring very much to accomplish it.’
33 “Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Jehova ekuuga ũũ igũrũ rĩa mũthamaki wa Ashuri: “Ndagatoonya itũũra rĩĩrĩ inene kana arathũkie mũguĩ kuo. Ndagooka mbere yarĩo na ngo kana arĩrigiicĩrie na ihumbu cia tĩĩri, arĩũkĩrĩre.
And this is what [I], Yahweh, say about the King of Assyria: ‘His [armies] will not enter Jerusalem; they will not [even] shoot arrows into it. His soldiers will not [march outside] the city gates holding their shields, and they will not build high mounds of dirt against the walls of the city [to enable them to attack the city].
34 Njĩra ĩrĩa agookĩra no yo agaacookera; ndagatoonya itũũra rĩĩrĩ inene,” ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga.
And their king will return [to his own country] on the same road on which he came [here]. He will not enter this city!’ [That will happen because I], Yahweh, have said it!
35 “Nĩngagitĩra itũũra rĩĩrĩ inene na ndĩrĩhonokie, nĩ ũndũ wakwa na nĩ ũndũ wa Daudi ndungata yakwa!”
For the sake of my own reputation and because of what I promised King David, who served me [well], I will defend this city and prevent it from being destroyed.”
36 Hĩndĩ ĩyo mũraika wa Jehova agĩthiĩ na akĩũraga andũ ngiri igana rĩmwe rĩa mĩrongo ĩnana na atano kũu kambĩ-inĩ ya Ashuri. Rĩrĩa andũ mookĩrire rũciinĩ tene, magĩkora kũu no ciimba theri!
[That night], an angel from Yahweh went out to where the army of Assyria had set up their tents and killed 185,000 of their soldiers. When [the rest of the soldiers] woke up the next morning, they saw that there were corpses everywhere.
37 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Senakeribu mũthamaki wa Ashuri agĩtharia kambĩ agĩthiĩ; agĩcooka Nineve, agĩikara kuo.
Then King Sennacherib left and returned home to Nineveh [in Assyria], and stayed there.
38 Na rĩrĩ, mũthenya ũmwe rĩrĩa ahooyaga arĩ hekarũ-inĩ ya ngai yake Nisiroku-rĩ, ariũ ake eerĩ Adarameleki na Sharezeru makĩmũũraga na rũhiũ rũa njora, na makĩũrĩra bũrũri wa Ararati. Nake mũriũ Esari-Hadoni agĩtuĩka mũthamaki ithenya rĩake.
[One day], when he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his two sons, Adrammelech and Sharezer, killed him with their swords. Then they escaped and went to the Ararat [region northwest of Nineveh]. And another of Sennacherib’s sons, Esarhaddon, became the King of Assyria.
