U-Isaya 38

1 Ngalezonsuku uHezekhiya wagula waphos'ukufa. UIsaya indodana kaAmozi umprofethi wasefika kuye, wathi kuye: Itsho njalo iNkosi: Layezela indlu yakho, ngoba uzakufa, kawuyikuphila.

In those days Ezechias was sick even to death, and Isaias the son of Amos the prophet came unto him, and said to him: Thus saith the Lord: Take order with thy house, for thou shalt die, and not live.

2 UHezekhiya wasephendulela ubuso bakhe ngasemdulini, wakhuleka eNkosini,

And Ezechias turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the Lord,

3 wathi: Ngiyakuncenga, Nkosi, ake ukhumbule ukuthi ngihambe phambi kwakho ngobuqotho langenhliziyo epheleleyo, ngenza okulungileyo emehlweni akho. UHezekhiya wasekhala inyembezi ngokukhala okukhulu.

And said: I beseech thee, O Lord, remember how I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Ezechias wept with great weeping.

4 Kwasekufika ilizwi leNkosi kuIsaya, lisithi:

And the word of the Lord came to Isaias, saying:

5 Hamba, uthi kuHezekhiya: Itsho njalo iNkosi uNkulunkulu kaDavida uyihlo: Ngiwuzwile umkhuleko wakho, ngibonile inyembezi zakho; khangela, ngizakwengezelela iminyaka elitshumi lanhlanu ensukwini zakho,

Go and say to Ezechias: Thus saith the Lord the God of David thy father: I have heard thy prayer, and I have seen thy tears: behold I will add to thy days fifteen years:

6 ngikukhulule wena lalumuzi esandleni senkosi yeAsiriya, ngiwuvikele lumuzi.

And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of the Assyrians, and I will protect it.

7 Lalesi yisibonakaliso kuwe esivela eNkosini, esokuthi iNkosi izayenza le into eyikhulumileyo.

And this shall be a sign to thee from the Lord, that the Lord will do this word which he hath spoken:

8 Khangela, ngizabuyisela emuva isithunzi sezinyathelo esesehlile ezinyathelweni zelanga zikaAhazi, izinyathelo ezilitshumi emuva. Ilanga laselibuyela emuva izinyathelo ezilitshumi, ngezinyathelo elalehle ngazo.

Behold I will bring again the shadow of the lines, by which it is now gone down in the sun dial of Achaz with the sun, ten lines backward. And the sun returned ten lines by the degrees by which it was gone down.

9 Umbhalo kaHezekhiya inkosi yakoJuda lapho egula, esesile emkhuhlaneni wakhe.

The writing of Ezechias king of Juda, when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness.

10 Mina ngathi: Ekuqunyweni kwezinsuku zami ngizakuya emasangweni engcwaba; ngemukiwe insali yeminyaka yami. (Sheol h7585)

I said: In the midst of my days I shall go to the gates of hell: I sought for the residue of my years. (Sheol h7585)

11 Ngathi: Kangiyikubona uJehova, uJehova elizweni labaphilayo; kangisayikubona muntu labahlali bomhlaba.

I said: I shall not see the Lord God in the land of the living. I shall behold man no more, nor the inhabitant of rest.

12 Isizukulwana sami sesisukile, sasuswa kimi njengethente lomelusi; ngiqume impilo yami njengomeluki; uzangiquma njengomkhuhlane ocikizayo; kusukela emini kuze kube sebusuku uzangiqeda.

My generation is at an end, and it is rolled away from me, as a shepherd’s tent. My life is cut off, as by a weaver: whilst I was yet but beginning, he out me off: from morning even to night thou wilt make an end of me.

13 Ngabalisa kwaze kwaba sekuseni; njengesilwane, ngokunjalo uzakwephula amathambo ami wonke; kusukela emini kuze kube sebusuku uzangiqeda.

I hoped till morning, as a lion so hath he broken all my bones: from morning even to night thou wilt make an end of me.

14 Njengenkonjane kumbe ihemu, ngokunjalo ngatshiyoza; ngilila njengejuba; amehlo ami afiphala ngokukhangela phezulu. Nkosi, ngicindezelwe; woba yisibambiso sami.

I will cry like a young swallow, I will meditate like a dove: my eyes are weakened looking upward: Lord, I suffer violence, answer thou for me.

15 Ngingathini? Ikhulumile kimi, yona uqobo ikwenzile. Ngizahamba kabuthakathaka yonke iminyaka yami ebuhlungwini bomphefumulo wami.

What shall I say, or what shall he answer for me, whereas he himself hath done it? I will recount to thee all my years in the bitterness of my soul.

16 Nkosi, ngalezizinto bayaphila, lakuzo zonke lezizinto kulempilo yomoya wami. Njalo uzangelapha, ungiphilise.

O Lord, if man’s life be such, and the life of my spirit be in such things as these, thou shalt correct me, and make me to live.

17 Khangela, kulokuthula ngibe lobuhlungu obukhulu, kodwa wena uwuthandile umphefumulo wami wawukhulula egodini lencithakalo, ngoba uphosele ngemva komhlana wakho zonke izono zami.

Behold in peace is my bitterness most bitter: but thou best delivered my soul that it should not perish, thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.

18 Ngoba ingcwaba lingekubonge; ukufa kungekudumise; labo abehlela emgodini bangelithembele iqiniso lakho. (Sheol h7585)

For hell shall not confess to thee, neither shall death praise thee: nor shall they that go down into the pit, look for thy truth. (Sheol h7585)

19 Ophilayo, ophilayo, yena uzakudumisa, njengami lamuhla; uyise uzakwazisa abantwana iqiniso lakho.

The living, the living, he shall give praise to thee, as I do this day: the father shall make thy truth known to the children.

20 INkosi yayilungele ukungisindisa; ngakho sizahlabelela izingoma zami ngamachacho insuku zonke zempilo yethu endlini yeNkosi.

O Lord, save me, and we will sing our psalms all the days of our life in the house of the Lord.

21 Ngoba uIsaya wayethe: Kabathathe isigaqa somkhiwa, basifake njengomnameko phezu kwethumba, njalo uzasila.

Now Isaias had ordered that they should take a lump of figs, and lay it as it plaster upon the wound, and that he should be healed.

22 UHezekhiya laye wayethe: Siyini isibonakaliso sokuthi ngizakwenyukela endlini yeNkosi?

And Ezechias bed said: What shall be the sign that I shall go up to the house of the Lord?