2 Amakhosi 18
1 Kwasekusithi ngomnyaka wesithathu kaHosheya indodana kaEla, inkosi yakoIsrayeli, uHezekhiya indodana kaAhazi inkosi yakoJuda waba yinkosi.
Now in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign.
2 Wayeleminyaka engamatshumi amabili lanhlanu lapho esiba yinkosi; wabusa iminyaka engamatshumi amabili lesificamunwemunye eJerusalema. Lebizo likanina lalinguAbhi indodakazi kaZekhariya.
He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah.
3 Wasesenza okulungileyo emehlweni eNkosi njengakho konke uDavida uyise akwenzayo.
He did that which was right in the LORD’s eyes, according to all that David his father had done.
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.
He removed the high places, broke the pillars, and cut down the Asherah. He also broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, because in those days the children of Israel burnt incense to it; and he called it Nehushtan.
5 Wathembela eNkosini, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli; okwathi emva kwakhe kakubanga khona onjengaye emakhosini wonke akoJuda, loba ayengaphambi kwakhe.
He trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel, so that after him was no one like him amongst all the kings of Judah, nor amongst them that were before him.
6 Ngoba wanamathela eNkosini, kaphambukanga ekuyilandeleni, kodwa wagcina imilayo yayo iNkosi eyayilaya uMozisi.
For he joined with the LORD. He didn’t depart from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses.
7 LeNkosi yaba laye; loba ngaphi lapho aphumela khona waphumelela. Wavukela inkosi yeAsiriya, kayisebenzelanga.
The LORD was with him. Wherever he went, he prospered. He rebelled against the king of Assyria, and didn’t serve him.
8 Yena watshaya amaFilisti waze wafika eGaza lemingcele yayo, kusukela emphotshongweni wabalindi kuze kube semzini obiyelweyo.
He struck the Philistines to Gaza and its borders, from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city.
9 Kwasekusithi ngomnyaka wesine wenkosi uHezekhiya, owawungumnyaka wesikhombisa kaHosheya indodana kaEla, inkosi yakoIsrayeli, uShalimaneseri inkosi yeAsiriya wenyuka wamelana leSamariya, wayivimbezela.
In the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it.
10 Basebeyithumba ekupheleni kweminyaka emithathu. Ngomnyaka wesithupha kaHezekhiya, owawungumnyaka wesificamunwemunye kaHosheya inkosi yakoIsrayeli, iSamariya yathunjwa.
At the end of three years they took it. In the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken.
11 Inkosi yeAsiriya yathumbela uIsrayeli eAsiriya, yababeka eHala leHabori umfula weGozani, lemizini yamaMede.
The king of Assyria carried Israel away to Assyria, and put them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes,
12 Ngoba bengalilalelanga ilizwi leNkosi uNkulunkulu wabo, kodwa baseqa isivumelwano sayo, konke uMozisi inceku yeNkosi eyayikulayile; kabalalelanga, kabenzanga.
because they didn’t obey the LORD their God’s voice, but transgressed his covenant, even all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded, and would not hear it or do it.
13 Langomnyaka wetshumi lane wenkosi uHezekhiya, uSenakheribi inkosi yeAsiriya wenyuka wamelana layo yonke imizi yakoJuda ebiyelweyo, wayithumba.
Now in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them.
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.
Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have offended you. Withdraw from me. That which you put on me, I will bear.” The king of Assyria appointed to Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.
15 UHezekhiya wasemnika sonke isiliva esatholakala endlini kaJehova lenothweni yendlu yenkosi.
Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the LORD’s house and in the treasures of the king’s house.
16 Ngalesosikhathi uHezekhiya waquma igolide ezivalweni zethempeli leNkosi, lemigubazini uHezekhiya inkosi yakoJuda ayekunamathisele, walinika inkosi yeAsiriya.
At that time, Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the LORD’s temple, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria.
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.
The king of Assyria sent Tartan, Rabsaris, and Rabshakeh from Lachish to King Hezekiah with a great army to Jerusalem. They went up and came to Jerusalem. When they had come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the fuller’s field.
18 Sebebize inkosi, kwaphumela kibo uEliyakhimi indodana kaHilikhiya owayengumphathi wendlu, loShebina umbhali, loJowa indodana kaAsafi umabhalane.
When they had called to the king, Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebnah the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder came out to them.
19 URabi-Shake wasesithi kibo: Khulumani khathesi kuHezekhiya: Itsho njalo inkosi enkulu, inkosi yeAsiriya ithi: Yisibindi bani lesi, othembela kuso?
Rabshakeh said to them, “Say now to Hezekiah, ‘The great king, the king of Assyria, says, “What confidence is this in which you trust?
20 Uthi, kodwa yilizwi lendebe nje: Kulecebo lamandla empi. Usuthembe bani ukuthi ungivukele?
You say (but they are but vain words), ‘There is counsel and strength for war.’ Now on whom do you trust, that you have rebelled against me?
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.
Now, behold, you trust in the staff of this bruised reed, even in Egypt. If a man leans on it, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust on him.
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?
But if you tell me, ‘We trust in the LORD our God,’ isn’t that he whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and has said to Judah and to Jerusalem, ‘You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem’?
23 Ngakho-ke, akunike isibambiso enkosini yami, inkosi yeAsiriya, njalo ngizakunika amabhiza azinkulungwane ezimbili, uba wena ulakho ukunika abagadi bawo.
Now therefore, please give pledges to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses if you are able on your part to set riders on them.
24 Pho, uzabuyisela emuva njani ubuso benduna eyodwa yabancinyane nje benceku zenkosi yami; wena-ke uthembele eGibhithe ngezinqola labagadi bamabhiza?
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 for chariots and for horsemen?
25 Kambe ngenyukile yini ukumelana lalindawo ngingelaJehova ukuyichitha? UJehova uthe kimi: Yenyuka umelane lalelilizwe, ulichithe.
Have I now come up without the LORD against this place to destroy it? The LORD said to me, ‘Go up against this land, and destroy it.’”’”
26 UEliyakhimi indodana kaHilikhiya loShebina loJowa basebesithi kuRabi-Shake: Akukhulume lenceku zakho ngesiSiriya, ngoba siyasizwa; ungakhulumi lathi ngesiJuda endlebeni zabantu abasemdulini.
Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, Shebnah, and Joah, said to Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in the Syrian language, for we understand it. Don’t speak with us in the Jews’ language, in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.”
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?
But Rabshakeh said to them, “Has my master sent me to your master and to you, to speak these words? Hasn’t he sent me to the men who sit on the wall, to eat their own dung, and to drink their own urine with you?”
28 URabi-Shake wasesima wamemeza ngelizwi elikhulu ngesiJuda, wakhuluma esithi: Zwanini ilizwi lenkosi enkulu, inkosi yeAsiriya.
Then Rabshakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jews’ language, and spoke, saying, “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria.
29 Itsho njalo inkosi: UHezekhiya kangalikhohlisi, ngoba kayikuba lakho ukulikhulula esandleni sayo.
The king says, ‘Don’t let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you out of his hand.
30 Njalo uHezekhiya angalenzi lithembele eNkosini esithi: INkosi izasikhulula lokusikhulula, lalumuzi kawuyikunikelwa esandleni senkosi yeAsiriya.
Don’t let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, “The LORD will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.”
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;
Don’t listen to Hezekiah.’ For the king of Assyria says, ‘Make your peace with me, and come out to me; and everyone of you eat from his own vine, and everyone from his own fig tree, and everyone drink water from his own cistern;
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.
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, a land of olive trees and of honey, that you may live and not die. Don’t listen to Hezekiah when he persuades you, saying, “The LORD will deliver us.”
33 Onkulunkulu bezizwe sebake bawakhulula yini ngulowo lalowo ilizwe lakhe esandleni senkosi yeAsiriya?
Has any of the gods of the nations ever delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
34 Bangaphi onkulunkulu beHamathi leArpadi? Bangaphi onkulunkulu beSefavayimi, beHena, leIva? Kambe bayikhulule yini iSamariya esandleni sami?
Where are the gods of Hamath and of Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivvah? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?
35 Ngobani kubo bonke onkulunkulu balawomazwe abakhulule ilizwe labo esandleni sami, ukuthi iNkosi ikhulule iJerusalema esandleni sami?
Who are they amongst all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?’”
36 Kodwa abantu bathula, kabaze bamphendula lalizwi, ngoba umlayo wenkosi wawuyikuthi: Lingamphenduli.
But the people stayed quiet, and answered him not a word; for the king’s commandment was, “Don’t answer him.”
37 UEliyakhimi indodana kaHilikhiya owayengumphathi wendlu, loShebina umbhali, loJowa indodana kaAsafi umabhalane, basebesiza kuHezekhiya izigqoko zidatshuliwe, bamtshela amazwi kaRabi-Shake.
Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, came with Shebna the scribe and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him Rabshakeh’s words.
