U-Isaya 38
1 Ngalezonsuku uHezekhiya wagula eselengela ekufeni. Umphrofethi u-Isaya, indodana ka-Amozi waya kuye wathi, “Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo: Lungisa indlu yakho ngoba uzakufa, awuyikusila.”
In those days has Hezekiah been sick to death, and Isaiah son of Amoz, the prophet, comes to him and says to him, “Thus said YHWH: Give a charge to your house, for you [are] dying, and do not live.”
2 UHezekhiya waphenduka wakhangela emdulini wakhuleka kuThixo esithi,
And Hezekiah turns around his face to the wall, and prays to YHWH,
3 “Khumbula, Thixo, ukuthi ngihambe phambi kwakho ngokuthembeka langokuzinikela ngenhliziyo yami yonke, njalo ngenze okuhle emehlweni akho.” UHezekhiya wakhala kabuhlungu.
and says, “Ah, now, O YHWH, please remember how I have habitually walked before You in truth, and with a perfect heart, and I have done that which [is] good in your eyes”; and Hezekiah weeps [with] a great weeping.
4 Emva kwalokho kwafika ilizwi likaThixo ku-Isaya lisithi:
And a word of YHWH is to Isaiah, saying,
5 “Yana kuHezekhiya uthi kuye, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo, uNkulunkulu kayihlo uDavida, uthi: Ngiwuzwile umkhuleko wakho, njalo ngizibonile lezinyembezi zakho. Ngizakwengezelela iminyaka elitshumi lanhlanu ekuphileni kwakho.
“Go, and you have said to Hezekiah, Thus said YHWH, God of your father David: I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tear, behold, I am adding fifteen years to your days,
6 Njalo ngizakukhulula wena, kanye ledolobho leli ezandleni zenkosi yase-Asiriya. Ngizavikela idolobho leli.
and out of the hand of the king of Asshur I deliver you and this city, and have covered over this city.
7 Lesi yisibonakaliso sikaThixo kuwe sokuthi uThixo uzakwenza njengokuthembisa kwakhe:
And this [is] to you the sign from YHWH, that YHWH does this thing that He has spoken.
8 Ngizakwenza umthunzi obangelwe lilanga ubuyele emuva amanyathelo alitshumi umthunzi owehle ngawo emakhwelelweni ka-Ahazi.’” Ngakho ukukhanya kwelanga kwabuyela emuva ngamanyathela alitshumi elaselikhothame ngawo.
Behold, I am bringing back the shadow of the degrees that it has gone down on the degrees of Ahaz, by the sun, backward ten degrees”; and the sun turns back ten degrees in the degrees that it had gone down.
9 La ngamazwi alotshwa nguHezekhiya inkosi yakoJuda emva kokuba esesilile ekuguleni kwakhe:
A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah concerning his being sick when he revives from his sickness:
10 Ngathi, “Ebuhleni bokuphila kwami kumele ngedlule emasangweni okufa ngamukwe iminyaka yami eseleyo na?” (Sheol h7585)
“I said in the cutting off of my days, I go to the gates of Sheol, I have numbered the remnant of my years. (Sheol h7585)
11 Ngathi, “Angiyikumbona futhi uThixo ngokwakhe elizweni labaphilayo; angisayikubabona futhi abantu bakithi loba ngibe lalabo abahlala kulumhlaba.
I said, I do not see YAH—YAH! In the land of the living, I do not behold man anymore, With the inhabitants of the world.
12 Njengethente lomelusi indlu yami idiliziwe ngayithathelwa. Njengomaluki impilo yami ngiyigoqile, ungisusile osungulweni; emini lebusuku ungenze ngaphela.
My sojourning has departed, And been removed from me as a shepherd’s tent, I have drawn together, as a weaver, my life, By weakness it cuts me off, From day to night You end me.
13 Ngalinda ngokubekezela kwaze kwasa, kodwa amathambo ami uwephule wonke njengesilwane; emini lebusuku ungenze ngaphela.
I have set [Him] as a lion until morning, So He breaks all my bones, From day to night You end me.
14 Ngakhala njengenkonjane kumbe ihemu, ngabubula njengejuba elililayo. Amehlo ami afiphele ngokukhangela phezulu. Awu Thixo, ngikhathazekile, woza ungisize!”
As a crane—a swallow—so I chatter, I mourn as a dove, My eyes have been drawn up on high, O YHWH, oppression [is] on me, be my guarantor.
15 Kodwa ngingathini na? Ukhulumile kimi, wena ngokwakho ukwenzile lokhu. Ngizahamba ngokuzithoba ekuphileni kwami konke ngenxa yobuhlungu bomoya wami.
What do I say? Seeing He spoke to me, And He Himself has worked, I go softly all my years for the bitterness of my soul.
16 Thixo, abantu baphila ngezinto ezinje; lomoya wami uthola ukuphila kuzo. Wangibuyisela empilweni wangenza ngaphila.
Lord, [men] live by these, And by all in them [is] the life of my spirit, And You save me, make me to also live,
17 Ngeqiniso kwaba lusizo kimi ukuzwa ubuhlungu obungaka. Ngothando lwakho wangivikela emgodini wokutshabalaliswa; izono zami zonke uzibeke ngemva kwakho.
Behold, He changed bitterness to peace for me, And You have delighted in my soul without corruption, For You have cast all my sins behind Your back.
18 Ngoba ingcwaba alingeke likubonge lokufa akungeke kukudumise; labo abangena emgodini abangeke bathemba ubuqotho bakho. (Sheol h7585)
For Sheol does not confess You, Death does not praise You, Those going down to the pit do not hope for Your truth. (Sheol h7585)
19 Abaphilayo, ngempela abaphilayo, bayakudumisa njengalokhu engikwenzayo lamuhla; abazali batshela abantwababo ngobuqotho bakho.
The living, the living, he confesses You,
20 UThixo uzangisindisa; njalo sizahlabelela ngamachacho kuzozonke insuku zokuphila kwethu ethempelini likaThixo.
Like myself today; A father makes known to [his] sons of Your faithfulness, O YHWH—to save me: And we sing my songs all [the] days of our lives In the house of YHWH.”
21 U-Isaya wayethe, “Lungisani isigaqa semikhiwa usifake phezu kwethumba, uzasila.”
And Isaiah says, “Let them take a bunch of figs, and plaster over the ulcer, and he lives.”
22 UHezekhiya wayebuze wathi, “Kuyini okuzakuba yisibonakaliso sokuthi ngizakhwela ngiye phezulu ethempelini likaThixo na?”
And Hezekiah says, “What [is] the sign that I go up to the house of YHWH?”
