U-Isaya 36
1 Ngomnyaka wetshumi lane wokubusa kwenkosi uHezekhiya, uSenakheribhi inkosi yase-Asiriya wahlasela wonke amadolobho avikelweyo akoJuda wawathumba.
Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria [Level plain] attacked all of the fortified cities of Judah [Praised], and captured them.
2 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,
The king of Assyria [Level plain] sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem [City of peace] to king Hezekiah with a large army. He stood by the aqueduct from the upper pool in the fuller’s field highway.
3 u-Eliyakhimu indodana kaHilikhiya umgcini wesigodlo, loShebhina umabhalane kanye loJowa indodana ka-Asafi umbhali, baya kuye.
Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder came out to him.
4 Umlawuli webutho wathi kubo, “Tshelani uHezekhiya ukuthi, ‘Nanku okutshiwo yinkosi enkulu, inkosi yase-Asiriya ithi: Uthembeni ngalesisibindi sakho na?
Rabshakeh said to them, “Now tell Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria [Level plain], “What confidence is this in which you trust?
5 Uthi ulamaqhinga lamandla ebutho kodwa ukhuluma amazwi ayize. Uthembe bani uze ungihlamukele nje?
I say that your counsel and strength for the war are only vain words. Now in whom do you trust, that you have rebelled against me?
6 Khangela, ngiyazi uthembe iGibhithe, yona enjengomhlanga ozimvava osika isandla somuntu umlimaze nxa eweyamile. Unjalo uFaro inkosi yaseGibhithe kubo bonke abathembele kuye.
Behold, you trust in the staff of this bruised reed, even in Egypt [Abode of slavery], which if a man leans on it, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt [Abode of slavery] to all who trust in him.
7 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”?
But if you tell me, ‘We trust in Yahweh Eloheikhem [Yahweh our God],’ is not that he whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and has said to Judah [Praised] and to Jerusalem [City of peace], ‘You shall worship before this altar?’”
8 Khathesi woza wenze isivumelwano lenkosi yami, inkosi yase-Asiriya: Ngizakunika amabhiza azinkulungwane ezimbili nxa bekhona abazawagada!
Now therefore, please make a pledge to my master the king of Assyria [Level plain], and I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders on them.
9 Pho ungayehlula njani induna eyodwa yezikhulu ezincane zenkosi yami, lanxa uthembele eGibhithe ekutholeni izinqola zempi labagadi bamabhiza na?
How then can you turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master’s servants, and put your trust on Egypt [Abode of slavery] for chariots and for horsemen?
10 Phezu kwalokho, kanti ngizehlasela lokuzochitha ilizwe leli kungatshongo uThixo na? UThixo uqobo nguye othe ngizohlasela ilizwe leli ngilichithe.’”
Have I come up now without Adonai against this land to destroy it? Adonai said to me, “Go up against this land, and destroy it.”’”
11 Ngakho u-Eliyakhimu loShebhina loJowa bathi kumlawuli webutho, “Ake ukhulume ezincekwini zakho ngesi-Aramayikhi ngoba siyasizwa. Ungasikhulumisi ngesiHebheru lababantu abasemdulini besizwa.”
Then Eliakim, Shebna and Joah said to Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic [Elevated], for we sh'ma ·hear understand obey· it; and don’t speak to us in the Jews’ language in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.”
12 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?”
But Rabshakeh said, “Has my master sent me only to your master and to you, to speak these words, and not to the men who sit on the wall, who will eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you?”
13 Umlawuli webutho wasukuma wasememeza ngesiHebheru esithi, “Zwanini amazwi enkosi enkulu, inkosi yase-Asiriya!
Then Rabshakeh stood, and called out with a loud voice in the Jews’ language, and said, “Sh'ma ·Hear obey· the words of the great king, the king of Assyria [Level plain]!
14 Lokhu yikho okutshiwo yinkosi: Lingamvumeli uHezekhiya ukuba alikhohlise. Angeke alikhulule.
Thus says the king, ‘Don’t let Hezekiah deceive you; for he will not be able to deliver you.
15 Lingamvumeli uHezekhiya elincenga ukuba lithembele kuThixo lapho esithi ‘Ngempela uThixo uzasikhulula; idolobho leli kaliyikuphiwa esandleni senkosi yase-Asiriya.’”
Don’t let Hezekiah make you trust in Adonai, saying, “Adonai will surely deliver us. This city won’t be given into the hand of the king of Assyria [Level plain].”’
16 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,
Don’t sh'ma ·hear obey· Hezekiah, for thus says the king of Assyria [Level plain], ‘Make your peace with me, and come out to me; and each of you eat from his vine, and each one from his fig tree, and each one of you drink the waters of his own cistern;
17 ngize ngifike ngilithathe, ngilise elizweni elifanana lelakini, ilizwe lamabele lewayini elitsha, ilizwe lesinkwa lezivini.
until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards.
18 “Lingavumeli uHezekhiya ukuthi alikhohlise esithi, ‘UThixo uzasikhulula.’ Kulonkulunkulu wesinye isizwe osewake wakhulula ilizwe lakhe esandleni senkosi yase-Asiriya na?
Beware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, “Adonai will deliver us.” Have any of the deities of the nations delivered their lands from the hand of the king of Assyria [Level plain]?
19 Bangaphi onkulunkulu baseHamathi le-Ariphadi na? Bangaphi onkulunkulu baseSefavayimi na? Bayikhululile iSamariya esandleni sami na?
Where are the deities of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the deities of Sepharvaim? Have they delivered Samaria from my hand?
20 Nguphi kubo bonke onkulunkulu bamazwe la oke wenelisa ukukhulula ilizwe lakhe kimi na? Pho uThixo angayikhulula njani iJerusalema esandleni sami na?”
Who are they among all the deities of these countries that have delivered their country out of my hand, that Adonai should deliver Jerusalem [City of peace] out of my hand?’”
21 Kodwa abantu bathula kabazange batsho lutho, ngoba inkosi yayilaye yathi, “Lingamphenduli.”
But they remained silent, and said nothing in reply, for the king’s order was, “Don’t answer him.”
22 U-Eliyakhimu indodana kaHilikhiya umgcini wesigodlo loShebhina umabhalane loJowa indodana ka-Asafi umbhali, baya kuHezekhiya izigqoko zabo zidabukile bamtshela okwakutshiwo ngumlawuli webutho.
Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him the words of Rabshakeh.
