U-Isaya 36

1 Kwasekusithi ngomnyaka wetshumi lane wenkosi uHezekhiya, uSenakheribi inkosi yeAsiriya wenyuka wamelana lemizi yonke evikelweyo yakoJuda, wayithatha.

NOW it came to pass in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, that Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the defenced cities of Judah, and took them.

2 Njalo inkosi yeAsiriya yathuma uRabi-Shake esuka eLakishi esiya eJerusalema enkosini uHezekhiya lebutho elinzima. Wasesima emfolweni wechibi elingaphezulu, emgwaqweni omkhulu wensimu yomwatshi.

And the king of Assyria sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem unto king Hezekiah with a great army. And he stood by the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller’s field.

3 Kwasekuphumela kuye uEliyakhimi, indodana kaHilikhiya, owayephezu kwendlu, loShebina umbhali, loJowa indodana kaAsafi umabhalane.

Then came forth unto him Eliakim, Hilkiah’s son, which was over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, Asaph’s son, the recorder.

4 URabi-Shake wasesithi kubo: Tshonini khathesi kuHezekhiya ukuthi: Itsho njalo inkosi enkulu, inkosi yeAsiriya: Lithemba bani leli othembele kulo?

And Rabshakeh said unto them, Say ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?

5 Ngithi (kodwa yilizwi lendebe): Kuleseluleko lamandla empi. Khathesi uthembele kubani ukuthi ungivukele?

I say, sayest thou, (but they are but vain words) I have counsel and strength for war: now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?

6 Khangela, uthembele kuloludondolo lwalo umhlanga owephukileyo, kuyo iGibhithe, okuthi uba umuntu eseyama kulo, luzangena esandleni sakhe lusihlabe. Unjalo uFaro inkosi yeGibhithe kubo bonke abathembela kuye.

Lo, thou trustest in the staff of this broken reed, on Egypt; whereon if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all that trust in him.

7 Kodwa uba usithi kimi: Sithembela eNkosini uNkulunkulu wethu; kakusuye yini ozindawo zakhe eziphakemeyo lamalathi akhe uHezekhiya akususileyo, wathi kuJuda leJerusalema: Lizakhonza phambi kwaleli ilathi?

But if thou say to me, We trust in the Lord our God: is it not he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and said to Judah and to Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar?

8 Ngakho-ke ake unike isibambiso enkosini yami, inkosi yeAsiriya; njalo ngizakunika amabhiza azinkulungwane ezimbili, uba wena ulakho ukunika abagadi bamabhiza phezu kwawo.

Now therefore give pledges, I pray thee, to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.

9 Uzabuyisela njani-ke emuva ubuso bombusi oyedwa wabancinyane bezinceku zenkosi yami, wena-ke uthembela eGibhithe ngenxa yezinqola labagadi bamabhiza?

How then wilt thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master’s servants, and put thy trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?

10 Khathesi sengenyukile yini ngingelaNkosi ngimelene lalelilizwe ukulichitha? INkosi yathi kimi: Yenyuka umelene lalelilizwe, ulichithe.

And am I now come up without the Lord against this land to destroy it? the Lord said unto me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.

11 UEIiyakimi loShebina loJowa basebesithi kuRabi-Shake: Ake ukhulume lenceku zakho ngesiSiriya, ngoba siyasiqedisisa; ungakhulumi lathi ngesiJuda, endlebeni zabantu abaphezu komduli.

Then said Eliakim and Shebna and Joah unto Rabshakeh, Speak, I pray thee, unto thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and speak not to us in the Jews’ language, in the ears of the people that are on the wall.

12 Kodwa uRabi-Shake wathi: Inkosi yami ingithume enkosini yakho lakuwe yini ukukhuluma lamazwi? Kakusebantwini yini abahlezi phezu komduli ukuze badle ubulongwe babo, banathe umchamo wabo kanye lani?

But Rabshakeh said, Hath my master sent me to thy master and to thee to speak these words? hath he not sent me to the men that sit upon the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own piss with you?

13 URabi-Shake wema-ke, wamemeza ngelizwi elikhulu ngesiJuda, wathi: Zwanini amazwi enkosi enkulu, inkosi yeAsiriya.

Then Rabshakeh stood, and cried with a loud voice in the Jews’ language, and said, Hear ye the words of the great king, the king of Assyria.

14 Itsho njalo inkosi: UHezekhiya kangalikhohlisi, ngoba kayikuba lakho ukulikhulula.

Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you.

15 Futhi uHezekhiya angalenzi lithembele eNkosini, esithi: INkosi izasikhulula lokusikhulula; lumuzi kawuyikunikelwa esandleni senkosi yeAsiriya.

Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord, saying, The Lord will surely deliver us: this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.

16 Lingamlaleli uHezekhiya, ngoba itsho njalo inkosi yeAsiriya: Dingani umusa wami ngesipho, lisithumele kimi; lidle ngulowo lalowo okwevini lakhe, langulowo lalowo okomkhiwa wakhe, linathe ngulowo lalowo amanzi omthombo wakhe;

Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me: and eat ye every one of his vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his own cistern;

17 ngize ngifike, ngilithathe, ngilise elizweni elifanana lelizwe lenu, ilizwe lamabele lewayini elitsha, ilizwe lesinkwa lezivini.

Until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards.

18 UHezekhiya kangalihugi esithi: INkosi izasikhulula. Onkulunkulu bezizwe bakhulule yini, ngulowo lalowo ilizwe lakhe, esandleni samakhosi eAsiriya?

Beware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, The Lord will deliver us. Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?

19 Bangaphi onkulunkulu beHamathi leArpadi? Bangaphi onkulunkulu beSefavayimi? Bayikhulule yini layo iSamariya esandleni sami?

Where are the gods of Hamath and Arphad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim? and have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?

20 Ngobani phakathi kwabo bonke onkulunkulu balawomazwe abakhulule ilizwe labo esandleni sami, ukuthi iNkosi ikhulule iJerusalema esandleni sami?

Who are they among all the gods of these lands, that have delivered their land out of my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?

21 Kodwa bathula, kabaze bamphendula lizwi, ngoba umlayo wenkosi wawuyikuthi: Lingamphenduli.

But they held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king’s commandment was, saying, Answer him not.

22 Kwasekufika uEliyakhimi, indodana kaHilikhiya, owayephezu kwendlu, loShebina umbhali, loJowa indodana kaAsafi, umabhalane, kuHezekhiya, izigqoko zabo zidatshuliwe, bamtshela amazwi kaRabi-Shake.

Then came Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, that was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder, to Hezekiah with their clothes rent, and told him the words of Rabshakeh.