Isaya 36
1 Mugore regumi namana rokutonga kwaMambo Hezekia, Senakeribhi mambo weAsiria akarwisa maguta ose akakomberedzwa aJudha akaapamba.
When King Hezekiah had been [ruling Judah] for almost 14 years, King Sennacherib of Assyria came [with his army] to attack the cities in Judah that had walls around them. [They did not conquer Jerusalem, but] they conquered all the other cities.
2 Ipapo mambo weAsiria akatuma mukuru wehondo yake nehondo huru achibva kuRakishi kuna Mambo Hezekia muJerusarema. Mukuru wehondo akati amira pamugero weDziva roKumusoro, pamugwagwa unoenda kuMunda woMusuki,
Then the king of Assyria sent a large army with some of his important officials from Lachish [city] to [persuade] King Hezekiah [to surrender]. When they arrived at Jerusalem, they stood in their positions alongside the aqueduct/channel in which water flows into the upper pool [into Jerusalem], near the road to the field where the women wash clothes.
3 ipapo Eriakimu mwanakomana waHirikia, mufambisi webasa mumuzinda wamambo, naShebhina munyori, naJoa mwanakomana waAsafi munyori wenhoroondo, akabuda kundosangana naye.
The Israeli officials who went out of the city to talk with them were Hilkiah’s son Eliakim, the (palace administrator/man who supervised the workers in the palace), Shebna the king’s secretary, and Asaph’s son Joah, who wrote down the government decisions.
4 Mukuru wehondo akati kwavari, “Udzai Hezekia kuti: “‘Zvanzi namambo mukuru, iye mambo weAsiria: Uri kuvimba nei chaizvo?
Then one of Sennacherib’s important officials told them to take this message to Hezekiah: This is what the King of Assyria, the great king, says: “What are you trusting in to rescue you?
5 Iwe unoti une urongwa nesimba rokurwa, asi uri kutaura mashoko asina maturo. Ko, unovimba naaniko, zvawandimukira?
You say that you have weapons to fight us and some country’s promises [to help you], [and that will enable you to defeat us], but that is only talk [RHQ]. Who do you think will help you to rebel against my [soldiers from Assyria]?
6 Tarira zvino, unovimba neIjipiti, ruya rushanga rwomudonzvo rwakavhunika, runobaya ruoko rwomunhu nokumupa vanga kana azendamira parwuri! Ndizvo zvakaita Faro mambo weIjipiti kuna vose vanovimba naye.
Listen to me! You are relying on [the army of] Egypt. But [that will be like] [MET] using a broken reed for a walking stick on which you could lean. [But] it would pierce the hand of anyone who would lean on it! That is what the King of Egypt would be like for anyone who relied on him [for help].
7 Asi kana ukati kwandiri, “Isu tinovimba naJehovha Mwari wedu,” haasi iye here ane nzvimbo dzakakwirira nearitari dzakabviswa naHezekia, iye akati kuJudha neJerusarema, “Munofanira kunamata pamberi pearitari iyi”?
But perhaps you will say to me, ‘[No], we are relying on Yahweh our God [to help us].’ [I would reply], ‘Is he not the one whom [you insulted by] tearing down his shrines and altars and forcing everyone in Jerusalem and [other places in] Judah to worship [only] in front of the altar [in Jerusalem]?’
8 “‘Zvino chiuya, ita sungano natenzi wangu, mambo weAsiria: Ndichakupa mabhiza anokwana zviuru zviviri, kana ukagona kuisa vatasvi pamusoro pawo!
So I suggest that you make a deal with my master/boss, the king of Assyria. I will give you 2,000 horses, but [I do not think that] you can find 2,000 of your men who can ride on them!
9 Ungagona seiko kukunda mubati mumwe wavabati vadiki vatenzi vangu, kunyange uchivimba nengoro dzeIjipiti navatasvi vadzo vamabhiza?
You are expecting the king of Egypt to send chariots and men riding horses [to assist you]. But they certainly would not [RHQ] be able to resist/defeat even the most insignificant/unimportant official in the army of Assyria!
10 Pamusoro pezvo, ndauya kuzorwa nenyika ino nokuiparadza ndisina Jehovha here? Jehovha pachake andiudza kuti ndiuye munyika ino ndizoiparadza.’”
Furthermore, [do not think that] [RHQ] we have come here to attack and destroy this land without Yahweh’s orders! It is Yahweh himself who told us to come here and destroy this land!”
11 Ipapo Eriakimu, naShebhina, naJoa vakati kumukuru wehondo, “Tapota hedu, taurai kuvaranda venyu norurimi rwechiAramu, sezvo tichirunzwa. Musataura nesu nechiHebheru vanhu vari parusvingo vachinzwa.”
Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the official from Assyria, “Please speak to us in [your] Aramaic language, because we understand it. Do not speak to us in [our] Hebrew language, because the people who are standing on the wall will understand it [and become frightened].”
12 Asi mukuru wehondo akapindura akati, “Ko, ndakatumwa natenzi wangu kuna tenzi wenyu nemi chete ndisingatauriwo kuvarume vagere parusvingo, ivo vanofanira kudya tsvina yavo nokunwa mvura yavo kufanana nemi here?”
But the official replied, “Do you think that my master sent me to say these things [only] to you, and not to the people standing on the wall [RHQ]? [If you reject this message], the [people in this city] will soon need to eat their own dung and drink their own urine, just like you will, [because there will be nothing more for you to eat or drink].”
13 Ipapo mukuru wehondo akasimuka akadanidzira nechiHebheru achiti, “Inzwai mashoko amambo mukuru, mambo weAsiria!
Then the official stood up and shouted in the Hebrew language [to the people sitting on the wall]. He said, “Listen to this message from the great king, the King of Assyria!
14 Zvanzi namambo: Musarega Hezekia achikunyengerai. Iye haangagoni kukurwirai!
He says, ‘Do not allow Hezekiah to deceive you! He will not be able to rescue you!
15 Musarega Hezekia achikunyengetedzai kuti muvimbe naJehovha achiti, ‘Jehovha achakurwirai zvirokwazvo; guta rino harizoiswa muruoko rwamambo weAsiria.’
Do not allow him to persuade you to trust in Yahweh, saying that Yahweh will rescue you, and that [the army of] the King of Assyria will never capture this city!’
16 “Musateerera Hezekia. Zvanzi namambo weAsiria: Itai rugare neni mugouya kwandiri. Ipapo mumwe nomumwe wenyu achadya zvinobva pamuzambiringa wake napamuonde wake uye achanwa mvura inobva muchitubu chake,
Do not pay attention to what Hezekiah says! This is what the king [of Assyria] says: ‘Come out of the city and surrender to me. [If you do that, I will arrange for] each of you to drink the juice from your own grapevines and to eat figs from your own trees, and to drink water from your own well.
17 kusvikira ndauya ndizokutorai, ndigokuendesai kunyika yakaita seyenyu, nyika ine zviyo newaini itsva, nyika ine chingwa neminda yemizambiringa.
[You will be able to do that] until we come and take you to a land that is like your land—a land where there is grain to make bread and [vineyards to produce grapes for making] new wine and, and where we make lots of bread.’
18 “Musarega Hezekia achikutsausai achiti, ‘Jehovha achatirwira.’ Ndimwari weipi nyika zvayo akamborwira nyika yake muruoko rwamambo weAsiria?
Do not allow Hezekiah to mislead you by saying, “Yahweh will rescue us.” The gods that people of other nations worship have never [RHQ] rescued any of them from the power [MTY] of the King of Assyria!
19 Vamwari veHamati neAripadhi varipi? Vamwari veSefarivhaimi varipi? Vakarwira Samaria muruoko rwangu here?
Why were the gods of Hamath and Arpad [cities], and the gods of Sepharvaim unable to rescue Samaria from my power [MTY]?
20 Ndavapi pakati pavamwari vendudzi dzose vakambogona kuponesa nyika dzavo kubva kwandiri? Ko, Jehovha achagona seiko kurwira Jerusarema muruoko rwangu?”
No, no god [RHQ] of any nation has been able to rescue their people from me. So why do you think that Yahweh will rescue you people of Jerusalem from my power [MTY]?’”
21 Asi vanhu vakaramba vanyerere, vakasapindura chinhu, nokuti mambo akanga arayira achiti, “Musamupindura.”
But the people [who were listening] were silent. No one said anything, because King [Hezekiah] had commanded, “[When the official from Assyria talks to you], do not answer him.”
22 Ipapo Eriakimu mwanakomana waHirikia mutariri womuzinda wamambo, naShebhina munyori, naJoa mwanakomana waAsafi munyori wenhoroondo vakaenda kuna Hezekia, nenguo dzavo dzakabvaruka, vakamuudza zvakanga zvataurwa nomukuru wehondo.
Then Eliakim and Shebna and Joah returned to Hezekiah with their clothes torn [because they were extremely distressed]. They told him what the official from Assyria had said.
