2 Imilando 32
1 Emva kwalezizenzo zobuqotho uSenakheribi inkosi yeAsiriya wafika wangena koJuda, wamisa inkamba maqondana lemizi ebiyelweyo eqonde ukuzifohlelela yona.
After all these acts of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah. He laid siege to the fortified cities, intending to conquer them for himself.
2 UHezekhiya esebonile ukuthi uSenakheribi usefikile lokuthi ubuso bakhe bukhangele impi emelene leJerusalema,
When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come to make war against Jerusalem,
3 wacebisana lezinduna zakhe lamaqhawe akhe ukuvimba amanzi emithombo eyayingaphandle komuzi; basebemsiza.
he consulted with his leaders and commanders about stopping up the waters of the springs outside the city, and they helped him carry it out.
4 Kwasekubuthaniswa abantu abanengi, abavimba yonke imithombo lesifula esasigeleza phakathi kwelizwe, besithi: Kungani amakhosi eAsiriya ezafika afice amanzi amanengi.
Many people assembled and stopped up all the springs and the stream that flowed through the land. “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find plenty of water?” they said.
5 Waseziqinisa, wakha umduli wonke owawudilikile, wawukhweza emiphotshongweni, lomunye umduli ngaphandle; waqinisa iMilo emzini kaDavida; wenza lezikhali lezihlangu ngobunengi.
Then Hezekiah worked resolutely to rebuild all the broken sections of the wall and to raise up towers on it. He also built an outer wall and reinforced the supporting terraces of the City of David, and he produced an abundance of weapons and shields.
6 Wasebekela abantu induna zezimpi, wazibuthanisela bona egcekeni lesango lomuzi, wakhuluma kunhliziyo yabo esithi:
Hezekiah appointed military commanders over the people and gathered the people in the square of the city gate. Then he encouraged them, saying,
7 Qinani lime isibindi; lingesabi lingatshaywa luvalo phambi kwenkosi yeAsiriya laphambi kwexuku lonke elilayo; ngoba kukhona kithi omkhulu kulaye.
“Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged before the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater One with us than with him.
8 Kuye kulengalo yenyama, kodwa kithi kuleNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu ukusisiza lokulwa izimpi zethu. Abantu basebeseyama phezu kwamazwi kaHezekhiya inkosi yakoJuda.
With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.” So the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
9 Emva kwalokho uSenakheribi inkosi yeAsiriya wathuma inceku zakhe eJerusalema (kodwa yena wayephambi kweLakishi lawo wonke amandla akhe elaye) kuHezekhiya inkosi yakoJuda lakuJuda wonke oseJerusalema, esithi:
Later, as Sennacherib king of Assyria and all his forces besieged Lachish, he sent his servants to Jerusalem with a message for King Hezekiah of Judah and all the people of Judah who were in Jerusalem:
10 Utsho njalo uSenakheribi inkosi yeAsiriya: Lithembeni ukuthi lihlale ekuvinjezelweni eJerusalema?
“This is what Sennacherib king of Assyria says: What is the basis of your confidence, that you remain in Jerusalem under siege?
11 UHezekhiya kalikhohlisi yini ukuthi alinikele ukuthi life yindlala langokoma esithi: INkosi uNkulunkulu wethu izasikhulula esandleni senkosi yeAsiriya?
Is not Hezekiah misleading you to give you over to death by famine and thirst when he says, ‘The LORD our God will deliver us from the hand of the king of Assyria?’
12 Kasuye yini lo uHezekhiya owasusa indawo zayo eziphakemeyo lamalathi ayo, watshela uJuda leJerusalema esithi: Lizakhonza phambi kwelathi elilodwa, litshise impepha kulo?
Did not Hezekiah himself remove His high places and His altars and say to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You must worship before one altar, and on it you shall burn sacrifices’?
13 Kalazi yini engakwenzayo mina labobaba kubo bonke abantu bamazwe? Onkulunkulu bezizwe zalawomazwe babelakho lokuba lakho yini ukukhulula amazwe abo esandleni sami?
Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the lands? Have the gods of these nations ever been able to deliver their land from my hand?
14 Nguwuphi kubo bonke onkulunkulu balezozizwe obaba abazitshabalalisayo owaba lakho ukukhulula abantu bakhe esandleni sami, ukuthi uNkulunkulu wenu abe lakho ukulikhulula esandleni sami?
Who among all the gods of these nations that my fathers devoted to destruction has been able to deliver his people from my hand? How then can your God deliver you from my hand?
15 Ngalokho-ke uHezekhiya kangalikhohlisi, kangaliduhisi ngokunjalo, lingamkholwa; ngoba kakho unkulunkulu owasiphi isizwe lombuso owaba lakho ukukhulula abantu bakhe esandleni sami lesabobaba. Laye sibili uNkulunkulu wenu kayikulikhulula esandleni sami yini?
So now, do not let Hezekiah deceive you, and do not let him mislead you like this. Do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my hand or from the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you from my hand!”
16 Inceku zakhe zatsho lokunye zimelene leNkosi uNkulunkulu njalo zimelene loHezekhiya inceku yayo.
And the servants of Sennacherib spoke further against the LORD God and against His servant Hezekiah.
17 Wabhala lezincwadi zokuthuka iNkosi uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli lokukhuluma zimelene layo zisithi: Njengabonkulunkulu bezizwe zalawomazwe abangakhululanga abantu babo esandleni sami, ngokunjalo uNkulunkulu kaHezekhiya kayikukhulula abantu bakhe esandleni sami.
He also wrote letters mocking the LORD, the God of Israel, and saying against Him: “Just as the gods of the nations did not deliver their people from my hand, so the God of Hezekiah will not deliver His people from my hand.”
18 Zasezimemeza ngelizwi elikhulu ngesiJuda ebantwini beJerusalema ababephezu komduli ukubethusa lokubahlupha ukuze ziwuthumbe umuzi.
Then the Assyrians called out loudly in Hebrew to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten and terrify them in order to capture the city.
19 Zasezikhuluma ngoNkulunkulu weJerusalema njengabonkulunkulu bezizwe zomhlaba, umsebenzi wezandla zomuntu.
They spoke against the God of Jerusalem as they had spoken against the gods of the peoples of the earth—the work of human hands.
20 Kodwa uHezekhiya inkosi loIsaya umprofethi indodana kaAmozi bakhuleka ngenxa yalokhu, bakhala emazulwini.
In response, King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out to heaven in prayer,
21 INkosi yasithuma ingilosi eyaquma wonke amaqhawe alamandla labaphathi lezinduna enkambeni yenkosi yeAsiriya. Ngakho yabuyela elizweni layo ilobuso obulenhloni. Isingenile endlini kankulunkulu wayo, abaphuma emathunjini ayo bamenza wawa lapho ngenkemba.
and the LORD sent an angel who annihilated every mighty man of valor and every leader and commander in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he withdrew to his own land in disgrace. And when he entered the temple of his god, some of his own sons struck him down with the sword.
22 Ngokunjalo iNkosi yamsindisa uHezekhiya labahlali beJerusalema esandleni sikaSenakheribi inkosi yeAsiriya lesandleni sabo bonke; yasibakhokhela inhlangothi zonke.
So the LORD saved Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from the hands of King Sennacherib of Assyria and all the others, and He gave them rest on every side.
23 Abanengi basebeletha izipho eNkosini eJerusalema, lezinto eziligugu kuHezekhiya inkosi yakoJuda; wasephakanyiswa emehlweni ezizwe zonke emva kwalokhu.
Many brought offerings to Jerusalem for the LORD and valuable gifts for Hezekiah king of Judah, and from then on he was exalted in the eyes of all nations.
24 Ngalezonsuku uHezekhiya wagulela ukufa; wasekhuleka eNkosini; yasikhuluma laye yamnika isibonakaliso.
In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. So he prayed to the LORD, who spoke to him and gave him a sign.
25 Kodwa uHezekhiya kabuyiselanga njengokwenzuzo ayeyenzelwe, ngoba inhliziyo yakhe yayiphakeme. Ngakho kwaba lolaka phezu kwakhe laphezu kukaJuda leJerusalema.
But because his heart was proud, Hezekiah did not repay the favor shown to him. Therefore wrath came upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem.
26 Kodwa uHezekhiya wazithoba ngenxa yokuphakama kwenhliziyo yakhe, yena labahlali beJerusalema; ngakho ulaka lweNkosi kalwehlelanga phezu kwabo ensukwini zikaHezekhiya.
Then Hezekiah humbled the pride of his heart—he and the people of Jerusalem—so that the wrath of the LORD did not come upon them during the days of Hezekiah.
27 Njalo uHezekhiya wayelenotho lodumo kakhulukazi, wazenzela iziphala zesiliva lezegolide lezamatshe aligugu lezamakha lezezihlangu lezezinto zonke eziloyisekayo.
Hezekiah had very great riches and honor, and he made treasuries for his silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields, and all kinds of valuable articles.
28 Leziphala zesivuno samabele lewayini elitsha lamafutha, lezibaya zenhlobo zonke zezifuyo, lezibaya zemihlambi.
He also made storehouses for the harvest of grain and new wine and oil, stalls for all kinds of livestock, and pens for the flocks.
29 Wazenzela lemizi, lemfuyo yezimvu lenkomo ngobunengi, ngoba uNkulunkulu wayemnikile impahla enengi kakhulu.
He made cities for himself, and he acquired herds of sheep and cattle in abundance, for God gave him very great wealth.
30 UHezekhiya lo wasevimba umthombo wamanzi angaphezulu eGihoni, wawaqondisa ehla ngentshonalanga komuzi kaDavida. UHezekhiya waphumelela kuyo yonke imisebenzi yakhe.
It was Hezekiah who blocked the upper outlet of the Spring of Gihon and channeled it down to the west side of the City of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all that he did.
31 Kodwa kwakunjalo, mayelana lezithunywa zeziphathamandla zeBhabhiloni, ezathumela kuye ukubuza ngesibonakaliso esenzakalayo elizweni, uNkulunkulu wamtshiya ukuze amhlole ukuthi azi konke okusenhliziyweni yakhe.
And so when ambassadors of the rulers of Babylon were sent to him to inquire about the wonder that had happened in the land, God left him alone to test him, that He might know all that was in Hezekiah’s heart.
32 Ezinye-ke zezindaba zikaHezekhiya lomusa wakhe, khangela, kubhaliwe embonweni kaIsaya umprofethi indodana kaAmozi, egwalweni lwamakhosi akoJuda lawakoIsrayeli.
As for the rest of the acts of Hezekiah and his deeds of loving devotion, they are indeed written in the vision of the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.
33 UHezekhiya waselala laboyise; basebemngcwabela kweliphezulu kakhulu lamangcwaba amadodana kaDavida; uJuda wonke labahlali beJerusalema basebemenzela inhlonipho ekufeni kwakhe. UManase indodana yakhe wasesiba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe.
And Hezekiah rested with his fathers and was buried in the upper tombs of David’s descendants. All Judah and the people of Jerusalem paid him honor at his death. And his son Manasseh reigned in his place.
