< 2 Amakhosi 18 >
1 Kwasekusithi ngomnyaka wesithathu kaHosheya indodana kaEla, inkosi yakoIsrayeli, uHezekhiya indodana kaAhazi inkosi yakoJuda waba yinkosi.
2 Wayeleminyaka engamatshumi amabili lanhlanu lapho esiba yinkosi; wabusa iminyaka engamatshumi amabili lesificamunwemunye eJerusalema. Lebizo likanina lalinguAbhi indodakazi kaZekhariya.
3 Wasesenza okulungileyo emehlweni eNkosi njengakho konke uDavida uyise akwenzayo.
4 Yena wasusa indawo eziphakemeyo, wabhidliza insika eziyizithombe, wagamula izixuku, wachoboza inyoka yethusi uMozisi ayeyenzile, ngoba kuze kube yilezonsuku abantwana bakoIsrayeli babeyitshisela impepha; wayibiza ngokuthi nguNehushitani.
5 Wathembela eNkosini, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli; okwathi emva kwakhe kakubanga khona onjengaye emakhosini wonke akoJuda, loba ayengaphambi kwakhe.
6 Ngoba wanamathela eNkosini, kaphambukanga ekuyilandeleni, kodwa wagcina imilayo yayo iNkosi eyayilaya uMozisi.
7 LeNkosi yaba laye; loba ngaphi lapho aphumela khona waphumelela. Wavukela inkosi yeAsiriya, kayisebenzelanga.
8 Yena watshaya amaFilisti waze wafika eGaza lemingcele yayo, kusukela emphotshongweni wabalindi kuze kube semzini obiyelweyo.
9 Kwasekusithi ngomnyaka wesine wenkosi uHezekhiya, owawungumnyaka wesikhombisa kaHosheya indodana kaEla, inkosi yakoIsrayeli, uShalimaneseri inkosi yeAsiriya wenyuka wamelana leSamariya, wayivimbezela.
10 Basebeyithumba ekupheleni kweminyaka emithathu. Ngomnyaka wesithupha kaHezekhiya, owawungumnyaka wesificamunwemunye kaHosheya inkosi yakoIsrayeli, iSamariya yathunjwa.
11 Inkosi yeAsiriya yathumbela uIsrayeli eAsiriya, yababeka eHala leHabori umfula weGozani, lemizini yamaMede.
12 Ngoba bengalilalelanga ilizwi leNkosi uNkulunkulu wabo, kodwa baseqa isivumelwano sayo, konke uMozisi inceku yeNkosi eyayikulayile; kabalalelanga, kabenzanga.
13 Langomnyaka wetshumi lane wenkosi uHezekhiya, uSenakheribi inkosi yeAsiriya wenyuka wamelana layo yonke imizi yakoJuda ebiyelweyo, wayithumba.
14 UHezekhiya inkosi yakoJuda wasethumela enkosini yeAsiriya eLakishi esithi: Ngonile; buyela usuke kimi; okubeka phezu kwami ngizakuthwala. Inkosi yeAsiriya yasibeka phezu kukaHezekhiya inkosi yakoJuda amathalenta esiliva angamakhulu amathathu, lamathalenta angamatshumi amathathu egolide.
15 UHezekhiya wasemnika sonke isiliva esatholakala endlini kaJehova lenothweni yendlu yenkosi.
16 Ngalesosikhathi uHezekhiya waquma igolide ezivalweni zethempeli leNkosi, lemigubazini uHezekhiya inkosi yakoJuda ayekunamathisele, walinika inkosi yeAsiriya.
17 Inkosi yeAsiriya yasithuma uTharithani loRabi-Sarisi loRabi-Shake besuka eLakishi besiya enkosini uHezekhiya belebutho elinzima eJerusalema. Benyuka-ke bafika eJerusalema. Sebenyuke bafika bema emgelweni wechibi eliphezulu, elisemgwaqweni omkhulu wensimu yomwatshi.
18 Sebebize inkosi, kwaphumela kibo uEliyakhimi indodana kaHilikhiya owayengumphathi wendlu, loShebina umbhali, loJowa indodana kaAsafi umabhalane.
19 URabi-Shake wasesithi kibo: Khulumani khathesi kuHezekhiya: Itsho njalo inkosi enkulu, inkosi yeAsiriya ithi: Yisibindi bani lesi, othembela kuso?
20 Uthi, kodwa yilizwi lendebe nje: Kulecebo lamandla empi. Usuthembe bani ukuthi ungivukele?
21 Khangela-ke, wena uthembele odondolweni lomhlanga owephukileyo, oluyiGibhithe, uba umuntu eseyama phezu kwalo, luzangena esandleni sakhe lusihlabe. Unjalo uFaro inkosi yeGibhithe kubo bonke abathembela kuye.
22 Kodwa uba lisithi kimi: ENkosini uNkulunkulu wethu siyathemba; angithi yiyo elezindawo zayo eziphakemeyo lamalathi ayo uHezekhiya awasusileyo, wathi kuJuda leJerusalema: Phambi kwalelilathi lizakhonza eJerusalema?
23 Ngakho-ke, akunike isibambiso enkosini yami, inkosi yeAsiriya, njalo ngizakunika amabhiza azinkulungwane ezimbili, uba wena ulakho ukunika abagadi bawo.
24 Pho, uzabuyisela emuva njani ubuso benduna eyodwa yabancinyane nje benceku zenkosi yami; wena-ke uthembele eGibhithe ngezinqola labagadi bamabhiza?
25 Kambe ngenyukile yini ukumelana lalindawo ngingelaJehova ukuyichitha? UJehova uthe kimi: Yenyuka umelane lalelilizwe, ulichithe.
26 UEliyakhimi indodana kaHilikhiya loShebina loJowa basebesithi kuRabi-Shake: Akukhulume lenceku zakho ngesiSiriya, ngoba siyasizwa; ungakhulumi lathi ngesiJuda endlebeni zabantu abasemdulini.
27 Kodwa uRabi-Shake wathi kubo: Inkosi yami ingithumile yini enkosini yakho lakuwe ukukhuluma lamazwi? Kakusebantwini yini abahlezi phezu komduli ukuze badle ubulongwe babo, banathe umchamo wabo kanye lani?
28 URabi-Shake wasesima wamemeza ngelizwi elikhulu ngesiJuda, wakhuluma esithi: Zwanini ilizwi lenkosi enkulu, inkosi yeAsiriya.
29 Itsho njalo inkosi: UHezekhiya kangalikhohlisi, ngoba kayikuba lakho ukulikhulula esandleni sayo.
30 Njalo uHezekhiya angalenzi lithembele eNkosini esithi: INkosi izasikhulula lokusikhulula, lalumuzi kawuyikunikelwa esandleni senkosi yeAsiriya.
31 Lingamlaleli uHezekhiya, ngoba itsho njalo inkosi yeAsiriya: Yenzani isivumelwano sokuthula lami, liphume lize kimi; dlanini-ke, ngulowo lalowo okwevini lakhe langulowo lalowo okomkhiwa wakhe, linathe, ngulowo lalowo amanzi omthombo wakhe;
32 ngize ngifike ngilithathe ngilise elizweni elifanana lelizwe lakini, ilizwe lamabele lewayini elitsha, ilizwe lesinkwa lezivini, ilizwe lamafutha emihlwathi loluju, ukuze liphile lingafi. Lingamlaleli uHezekhiya ngoba eliyenga esithi: INkosi izasikhulula.
33 Onkulunkulu bezizwe sebake bawakhulula yini ngulowo lalowo ilizwe lakhe esandleni senkosi yeAsiriya?
34 Bangaphi onkulunkulu beHamathi leArpadi? Bangaphi onkulunkulu beSefavayimi, beHena, leIva? Kambe bayikhulule yini iSamariya esandleni sami?
35 Ngobani kubo bonke onkulunkulu balawomazwe abakhulule ilizwe labo esandleni sami, ukuthi iNkosi ikhulule iJerusalema esandleni sami?
36 Kodwa abantu bathula, kabaze bamphendula lalizwi, ngoba umlayo wenkosi wawuyikuthi: Lingamphenduli.
37 UEliyakhimi indodana kaHilikhiya owayengumphathi wendlu, loShebina umbhali, loJowa indodana kaAsafi umabhalane, basebesiza kuHezekhiya izigqoko zidatshuliwe, bamtshela amazwi kaRabi-Shake.
