< 2 Nyakati 32 >
1 Baada ya mambo haya na matendo haya ya uaminifu, Senakeribu, mfalme wa Ashuru, akaja na kuingia Yuda. Alipiga kambi kwa ajili ya kuivamia miji yenye ngome, ambayo alikusudia kuiteka kwa ajili yake.
After these things and this faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came, entered into Judah, encamped against the fortified cities, and intended to win them for himself.
2 Sedekia alipoona kwamba Senakeribu amekuja na kwamba amedhamiria kupigana zidi ya Yerusalemu,
When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come, and that he was planning to fight against Jerusalem,
3 aliwashirikisha viongozi wake na watu wake wenye nguvu kuyazuia maji ya chemichemi yaliyokuwa nje ya mji; waalimsaidia kufanya hivyo.
he took counsel with his princes and his mighty men to stop the waters of the springs which were outside of the city, and they helped him.
4 Kwa hiyo watu wengi wakakusanyika na kuyazuia maji ya chemichemi zote na mikondo yote amabayo ilikuwa inatiririka katikati ya nchi. wakasema, “Kwa nini mfalme wa Ashuru aje na kupata maji mengi?”
Then many people gathered together and they stopped all the springs and the brook that flowed through the middle of the land, saying, “Why should the kings of Assyria come, and find abundant water?”
5 Hezekia akijipa ujasiri na kuujeenga ukuta wote uliokuwa umeangushwa chini. Akaijenga minara mirefu, na pia ukuta mwingine nje. Pia akaiimarisha Milo katika mji wa Dudi, na akafanya kiasi kikubwa cha silaha na ngao. (Maanshi ya kale yanasema hivi: “Badala ya, “akajenga minara amirefu”, baadhi ya matoleo ya zamani na kisasa yanasema, “akajenga minara mirefu juu yake”, Hii ni juu ya ukuta).
He took courage, built up all the wall that was broken down, and raised it up to the towers, with the other wall outside, and strengthened Millo in David’s city, and made weapons and shields in abundance.
6 Akaweka maamri jeshi juu wa watu. Akawakusanya pamoja kwake katika sehemu pana kwenye lango la mji na akasema kwao kwa ujasiri. Akasema,
He set captains of war over the people, gathered them together to him in the wide place at the gate of the city, and spoke encouragingly to them, saying,
7 “Muwe imara na wenye ujasiri mzuri. Msiogope wala kukata tamaa kwa sababu ya mfalme wa Ashuru na jeshi lote ambalo liko naye, kwa maana kuna mtu yuko pamoja nasi ambaye ni mkuu kuliko
“Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid or dismayed because of the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude who is with him; for there is a greater one with us than with him.
8 walio naye mfalme wa Ashuru. walionaye ni jeshi la mwili tu, lakini aliye nasi ni Yahwe, Mungu wetu, kwa ajili ya kutusaidia, na kupiagana vita vyetu.” Kisha watu wakajifariji wenyewe kwa maneno ya Hezekia, mfalme wa Yuda.
An arm of flesh is with him, but Yahweh our God is with us to help us and to fight our battles.” The people rested themselves on the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
9 Baada ya hayo, Senakeribu, mfalme wa Ashuru, aliwatuma watumishi wake kwenda Yetusalemu (sasa alikuwa mbe ya Lakishi, na jeshi lake lote lilikuwa pamoja naye), kwa Hezekia, mfaalme wa Yuda, na watu wote wa Yuda walikuwa Yerusalemu. Akasema,
After this, Sennacherib king of Assyria sent his servants to Jerusalem, (now he was attacking Lachish, and all his forces were with him), to Hezekiah king of Judah, and to all Judah who were at Jerusalem, saying,
10 “Hivi ndivyo Senakeribu, mfalme wa Ashuru, anasema: Ni kitu gani mnategemea kwa ajili ya kuhimili uvamizi katika Yerusalemu?
Sennacherib king of Assyria says, “In whom do you trust, that you remain under siege in Jerusalem?
11 Je, Hezekia hawapotoshi ninyi, ili kwamba awatoe kufa kwa njaa na kiu, anapowaambia, “Yahwe Mungu wetu atatuokoa na mkono wa mfalme wa Ashuru?
Doesn’t Hezekiah persuade you to give you over to die by famine and by thirst, saying, ‘Yahweh our God will deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria’?
12 Je, siyo Hezekia yule yule ambaye amezipeleka juu sehemu zake na madhabahu zake na kuwaamuru Yuda na Yerusalemu, juu ya madhabahu moja lazima muabudu, na juu yake lazima mchome sadaka zenu?
Hasn’t the same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, ‘You shall worship before one altar, and you shall burn incense on it’?
13 Je, hamjui mimi na babu zangu tulifanya nini kwa makundi ya wote wa inchi zingine? Je, miungu ya watu wa hizo nchi iliweza kwa njia yoyote kuziokoa nchi zao zidi ya nguvu zangu?
Don’t you know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the lands? Were the gods of the nations of those lands in any way able to deliver their land out of my hand?
14 Miongoni mwa miungu yote ya mataifa hayo amabayo babu zangu waliwatekeza, je, kulikuwa na muungu yeyote aliyeweza kuwaokoa watu wake kutoka kwenye mkono wangu? Itakuwaje Mungu wenu aweze kuwakoa ninyi zidi ya nguvu zangu?
Who was there among all the gods of those nations which my fathers utterly destroyed that could deliver his people out of my hand, that your God should be able to deliver you out of my hand?
15 Sasa msimuruhusu Hezekia awadanganye au kuwashawishi katika njia hii. Msimwamini, kwa maana hakuna muungu wa taifa lolote au ufalme amewahi kuwaokoa watu wake nje ya mkono wangu, au nje ya mkono wa babu zangu. Sembuse na Mungu wenu kwa namna gani atawaokoa na mkono wangu?
Now therefore don’t let Hezekiah deceive you nor persuade you in this way. Don’t believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people out of my hand, and out of the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you out of my hand?”
16 Watumishi wa Senakeribu hata walinena mabaya zaidi juu ya Yahwe Mungu na juu ya mtumishi wake Hezekia.
His servants spoke yet more against Yahweh God and against his servant Hezekiah.
17 Senakeribu pia akandika barua ili kumdhihaki Yahwe, Mungu wa Israeli, na kunena kinyume naye. Alisema, “Kama ambavyo miungu ya mataifa haikuwaokoa watu wake kutoka kwenye mkono wangu, hivyo hivyo na Mungu wa Hezekia hatawaokoa watu wake kutoka kwenye mkono wangu.”
He also wrote letters insulting Yahweh, the God of Israel, and speaking against him, saying, “As the gods of the nations of the lands, which have not delivered their people out of my hand, so shall the God of Hezekiah not deliver his people out of my hand.”
18 Wakawalilia kwa lugha ya Wayahudi watu wa Yerusalemu waliokuwa juu ya ukuta, ili kuwaogopesha na kuwasumbua, ili kwamba waweze kuuteka mji.
They called out with a loud voice in the Jews’ language to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten them and to trouble them, that they might take the city.
19 Wakamnenea Mungu wa Yerusalemu kama walivyowanenea miungu wa Dunia, ambao ni kazi ya mikono ya wanadamu tu.
They spoke of the God of Jerusalem as of the gods of the peoples of the earth, which are the work of men’s hands.
20 Hezekia, mfalme, na Isaya mwana wa Amozi, nabii, wakaomba kwa sababu ya jambo hili na wakalia hadi mbinguni.
Hezekiah the king and Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, prayed because of this, and cried to heaven.
21 Yahwe akatuma malaika, ambaye aliwaua wanaume wa kupigana vita, majemedari, na maakida wa mfalme katika kambi. Kwa hiyo Senakeribu akarudi katika nchi yake akiwa na uso wa aibu. Alipokuwa ameenda katika nyumba ya muungu wake, baadhi ya watoto wake wakamuua huko kwa upanga.
Yahweh sent an angel, who cut off all the mighty men of valor, the leaders, and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. When he had come into the house of his god, those who came out of his own body killed him there with the sword.
22 Katika namna hii, Yahwe akamwokoa Hezekia na wakazi wa Yerusalemu kutoka kwenye mkono wa Senakeribu, mfalme wa Ashuru, na kutoka kwenye mikono ya wengine, na akawapa pumzika juu ya kila upande. (Maandishi ya kale yanasema hivi: badala ya “akawapa pumziko juu ya kila pande”, baadhi ya matoleo ya zamani na ya kisasa yanasema, “akawaongoza juu ya kila pande”).
Thus Yahweh saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria and from the hand of all others, and guided them on every side.
23 Wengi walikuwa wakileta sadaka kwa Yahwe katika Yarusalemu, na zawadi za thamani kwa Hezekia mfalme wa Yuda, kwa hiyo aliinuliwa mbele za macho ya mataifa yote toka wakati huo na kuendelea.
Many brought gifts to Yahweh to Jerusalem, and precious things to Hezekiah king of Judah, so that he was exalted in the sight of all nations from then on.
24 Katika siku hizo Hezekia akaugua hadi hatua ya kufa. Akaomba kwa Yahwe, ambaye alisema kwake na kumpa ishara kwamba angeponywa.
In those days Hezekiah was terminally ill, and he prayed to Yahweh; and he spoke to him, and gave him a sign.
25 Lakini Hezekia hakumlipa Yahwe kwa ajili ya msaada uliotolewa kwake, kwa maana moyo wake uliinuliwa juu.
But Hezekiah didn’t reciprocate appropriate to the benefit done for him, because his heart was lifted up. Therefore there was wrath on him, Judah, and Jerusalem.
26 Kwa hiyo hasira ikaja juu yake, na juu ya Yuda na Yerusalemu. Hata hivyo, baadaye Hezekia alijinyenyekesha mwenyewe kwa jali ya kiburi cha moyo wake, wote Yeye na wakaaji wa Yerusalemu, hivyo hasira ya Yahwe haikuja juu yao wakati wa siku za Hezekia.
However, Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that Yahweh’s wrath didn’t come on them in the days of Hezekiah.
27 Hezekia alikuwa na utajiri mwingi sana na heshima kubwa. Alijipatia mwenyewe vyumba vya kuhifadhia kwa ajili ya fedha, dhahabu, vito vya thamani, na kwa ajili ya manukato, na kwa ajili ya ngao na na vyombo vyote vya thamani pia.
Hezekiah had exceedingly great riches and honor. He provided himself with treasuries for silver, for gold, for precious stones, for spices, for shields, and for all kinds of valuable vessels;
28 Pia alikuwa na nyumba za maghala kwa ajili ya mavuno ya nafaka, divai mpya, na mafuta, na malisho kwa ajili ya aina zote za wanyama.
also storehouses for the increase of grain, new wine, and oil; and stalls for all kinds of animals, and flocks in folds.
29 Pia alikuwa na makundi katika mazizi. Zaidi ya hayo, alijipatia mwenyewe miji na makundi ya na ng'ombe kwa wingi, kwa maana Mungu alaikuwa amempa afya tele. (Maandishi ya kale yanasema hivi: Badala ya “miji” baadji ya matoleo ya kisasa yanasema “punda”, na baadhi mengine ya kisasa yanaacaha neno nzima)
Moreover he provided for himself cities, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance; for God had given him abundant possessions.
30 Alikuwa ni Hezekia huyu huyu ambaye alisimamisha chemi chemi ya juu ya maji ya Gihoni, na aliye ileta moja kwa moja chini upande wa magharibi mwa mji wa Daudi. Hezekia alifanikiwa katika miradi yake yote.
This same Hezekiah also stopped the upper spring of the waters of Gihon, and brought them straight down on the west side of David’s city. Hezekiah prospered in all his works.
31 Hata hivyo, katika jambo la mabolozi wa wakuu wa Babeli, waliotumwa kwake kuwauliza waliofahamu, kuhusu ishara za miujiza iliyokuwa imefanywa katika nchi, Mungu alimwachia mwenyewe, ili kumjaribu, na kujua yote yaliyokuwa katika moyo wake.
However, concerning the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent to him to inquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him to test him, that he might know all that was in his heart.
32 Kwa mambo mengine kuhusu Hezekia, pamoja na matendo yake ya uaminifu wa agano, unaweza kuona kwamba yameandikwa katika Maono ya Nabii Isaya Mwana wa Amozi, na katika kitabu cha wafalme wa Yuda na Israeli.
Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah and his good deeds, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
33 Hezekia akalala pamaoja na babu zake, na wakamzika katika mlima wa makaburi ya vizazi vya Daudi. Yuda wote na wakaaji wa Yerusalemu wakamheshimu katika kifo chake. Manase mwanaye akawa mfalme katika nafasi yake.
Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the ascent to the tombs of the sons of David. All Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem honored him at his death. Manasseh his son reigned in his place.