U-Isaya 36

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

Now it happened in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, that Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all of the fortified cities of Judah, and captured them.

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

The king of Assyria sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem to king Hezekiah with a large army. He stood by the aqueduct from the upper pool on the highway to the Launderers' Field.

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

Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder came out to him.

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

Rabshakeh said to them, "Now tell Hezekiah, 'Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria, "What confidence is this in which you trust?

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

Do you think that empty words are strategy and power for war? Now in whom do you trust, that you have rebelled 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.

Look, you trust in the staff of this bruised reed, even in Egypt, which 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 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 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?'"

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, please make a pledge 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.

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

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

Have I come up now without the LORD against this land to destroy it? The LORD said to 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 Eliakim, Shebna and Joah said to Rabshakeh, "Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it; and do not speak to us in the Jews' language in the hearing of the people who 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, "Has my master sent me only to your master and to you, to speak these words, and not to the men who sit on the wall, who will eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you?"

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

Then Rabshakeh stood, and called out with a loud voice in the Jews' language, and said, "Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria.

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

Thus says the king, 'Do not let Hezekiah deceive you; for he will not be able to deliver you.

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

Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, "The LORD will surely deliver us. This city won't be given 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;

Do not listen to Hezekiah, for thus says the king of Assyria, 'Make your peace with me, and come out to me; and each of you eat from his vine, and each one from his fig tree, and each one of you drink 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 grain and new 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." Have any of the gods of the nations delivered their lands from 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 Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Iwah? Have they delivered Samaria from 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 countries that have delivered their country 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 remained silent, and said nothing in reply, for the king's commandment was, "Do not answer him."

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

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