Isaiah 37
1 Kwathi ukuba inkosi uHezekiya ikuzwe lokho, yaklebhula izingubo zayo, yagqoka indwangu eyisaka, yangena endlini kaSimakade.
2 Yathumela u-Eliyakimi owayengamele isigodlo, noShebhina unobhala, namalunga abaphristi, bembethe izindwangu ezingamasaka, baya ku-Izaya umphrofethi, indodana ka-Amozi.
3 Bathi kuye: “Usho kanje uHezekiya, uthi lolu wusuku losizi, lokukhankathwa nokwedelelwa. Abantwana sebelungele ukuzalwa, kodwa amandla okubazala awekho.
4 Mhlawumbe uSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho uwezwile amazwi uRabi Shake awathunywe yinkosi yase-Asiriya, inkosi yakhe, okweyisa uNkulunkulu ophilayo, amsole ngawo uSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho; ngalokho phakamisela insali esaseleyo umkhuleko wakho.”
5 Izinceku zenkosi uHezekiya zafika ku-Izaya,
6 u-Izaya wathi kuzo: “Niyosho enkosini yenu, nithi: ‘Usho kanje uSimakade: “Ungawesabi amazwi owezwileyo, izinceku zenkosi yase-Asiriya ezingethuke ngawo.
7 Ngiyakubeka umoya kuyo, izwe amahemuhemu, ibuyele ezweni lakubo, ngiyiwise ngenkemba ezweni lakubo.” ’ ”
8 Wabuya uRabi Shake, wafumana inkosi yase-Asiriya ilwa neLibhina, ngokuba wayezwile ukuthi isukile eLakhishi.
9 Esezwile ngoThirahaka, inkosi yaseKhushe, kuthiwa: “Uphumile ukuzolwa nawe,” isikuzwile lokho, yathumela izithunywa kuHezekiya, yathi kuye:
10 “Anokuthi kuHezekiya, inkosi yakwaJuda: uNkulunkulu wakho omethembayo makangakuyengi ucabange ukuthi iJerusalema aliyukunikelwa esandleni senkosi yase-Asiriya.
11 Uzwile ukuthi amakhosi ase-Asiriya enzeni kuwo wonke amazwe ewabhubhisa; pho wena ucabanga ukuthi uyosinda kanjani na?
12 Onkulunkulu balezo zizwe bazophula yini izizwe ezabhujiswa ngokhokho bami, iGozani, iHarana, iRezefi, abantu base-Edene ababeseThelasari na?
13 Iphi inkosi yaseHamathi, neyase-Ariphadi, neyomuzi waseSefarivayimi, neyaseHena, neyase-Iva na?”
14 UHezekiya wayamukela incwadi esandleni sezithunywa, wayifunda; uHezekiya wayesenyukela endlini kaSimakade, wayendlala phambi kukaSimakade.
15 UHezekiya wakhuleka kuSimakade, wathi:
16 “Simakade Wamabandla, Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, oqhwakele phezu kwamakherubhi, unguNkulunkulu, Wena wedwa, wemibuso yonke yomhlaba, nguWena owenze izulu nomhlaba.
17 Beka indlebe yakho Simakade, ulalele; vula amehlo akho Simakade, ubone, yizwa wonke amazwi uSanekheribhi awathumelele ukweyisa uNkulunkulu ophilayo.
18 “Kuyiqiniso, Simakade, ukuthi amakhosi ase-Asiriya azibhubhisile izizwe zonke namazwe azo,
19 aphonsa onkulunkulu bazo emlilweni, nakuba bebengesibo onkulunkulu, bebengumsebenzi wezandla zomuntu, bewukhuni namatshe nje, ngakho-ke babhujiswa.
20 Manje, Simakade Nkulunkulu wethu, sisindise esandleni sakhe ukuze yonke imibuso yomhlaba yazi ukuthi Wena wedwa, unguSimakade.”
21 U-Izaya, indodana ka-Amozi, wayesethumela kuHezekiya, wathi: “Usho kanje uSimakade uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: ngenxa yokuba ukhulekile kimi mayelana noSenakheribhi, inkosi yase-Asiriya,
22 nanti izwi uSimakade alikhulumile maqondana naye, uthi: “Uyakwedelela, uyakungcofa, ntombi, ndodakazi yaseZiyoni; ukunikinela ikhanda, ndodakazi yaseJerusalema.
23 Ngubani lona omedelelile, nomethukile na? Ngubani lona omphakamisele izwi lakho, nobhekisa amehlo akho phezulu, umqhoshela na? Ngabe ukwenza lokhu koNgcwele ka-Israyeli!
24 Ngesandla sezinceku zakho uyidelelile iNkosi, wathi: ‘Ngezinqola zami eziningi ngenyukele phezulu ezintabeni, kuze kube semikhawulweni yeLebhanoni; ngagawulela phansi imisedari yalo emide, nemisayiphuresi yalo ekhethekileyo, ngafinyelela emajukujukwini ekuphakameni kwalo, nasesijwini sehlathi elicinene.
25 Ngamba, ngaphuza amanzi; ngiyonyathela ngonyawo lwami, kome yonke imifula eGibhithe.’ ”
26 “Awuzwanga yini ukuthi lokhu ngakuhlela kwasemandulo na? Ngakuceba ngezinsuku zakudala, lokhu engikwenzayo manje ukucekela phansi imizi ebiyelweyo, ibe yizindunduma zemvithi.
27 Ababakhe kuyo baphelelwa ngamandla, besaba, bajabha; baba njengembali notshani obuluhlaza, njengokuluhlaza ophahleni lwezindlu, nanjengamabele antshwamile, engakakhuli kahle.
28 “Ngiyakwazi ukusukuma kwakho, nokuhlala phansi kwakho; ukuphuma nokungena kwakho, nokubhovumula kwakho ngami;
29 ukufutheka kolaka lwakho ngami, nokuzidla kwakho sekufinyelele ezindlebeni zami; ngizofaka ingwegwe yami emakhaleni akho, netomu lami emlonyeni wakho; ngikubuyisele emuva ngendlela oweza ngayo.
30 “Lokhu kuyakuba yisibonakaliso kuwe: “Kulo nyaka niyokudla okuzimileleyo, ngonyaka wesibili nidle okumila kulokho, ngonyaka wesithathu hlwanyelani nivune, nitshale izivini, nidle izithelo zazo.
31 Abasindileyo bendlu yakwaJuda, abaseleyo bayakubuye benabise izimpande, bagxile phansi, bathele izithelo phezulu.
32 Ngokuba eJerusalema kuyophuma insali, nabasindileyo entabeni iZiyoni; ukushisekela kukaSimakade Wamabandla kuyokufeza lokho.
33 “Ngalokho usho kanje uSimakade ngenkosi yase-Asiriya, uthi: “Ayiyukuza kulo muzi, ayiyukucibishela mcibisholo kuwo, ayiyukuza kuwo iphethe isihlangu, noma yenze kuwo izindunduma zokuhlasela.
34 Iyophindela emuva ngendlela eyeza ngayo; ayiyukuza kulo muzi,” kusho uSimakade.
35 “Ngiyakuwuvikela lo muzi ngiwusindise ngenxa yami nangenxa kaDavide inceku yami.”
36 Ingelosi kaSimakade yaphuma yabulala enkanjini yabase-Asiriya abayizi-185 000. Kuvukwa ngakusasa, babona ukuthi bonke babefile kuyizigingqane zezidumbu.
37 USenakheribhi, inkosi yase-Asiriya, wasuka wabuyela emuva, wahlala eNineve.
38 Kwathi esakhuleka endlini kaNishirokhi, unkulunkulu wakhe, amadodana akhe, o-Adiramelekhi noSarezeri, bambulala ngenkemba, base bebalekela e-Ararathi. U-Esarihadoni, indodana yakhe, waba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe.