Isa 37 | NdeIBE | STEP | Kwathi lapho uHezekhiya, inkosi, esezwe lokhu, wadabula izigqoko zakhe wagqoka amasaka, wasesiya ethempelini likaJehova.

Isaiah 37

Ukuhlengwa KweJerusalema Kuyabikwa

1 Kwathi lapho uHezekhiya, inkosi, esezwe lokhu, wadabula izigqoko zakhe wagqoka amasaka, wasesiya ethempelini likaJehova.

2 Wathuma u-Eliyakhimu umgcini wesigodlo laku-Shebhina umabhalane labakhokheli babaphristi, ku-Isaya indodana ka-Amozi; bonke babegqoke amasaka.

3 Bathi kuye, “UHezekhiya uthi ilanga lalamhla lusuku losizi lokusolwa kanye lehlazo njengalapho abantwana sekufike isikhathi sokuthi bazalwe kodwa amandla okubeletha engasekho.

4 Mhlawumbe uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho uwezwile amazwi omlawuli webutho, inkosi yakhe, inkosi yase-Asiriya, emthume ukuba aklolodele uNkulunkulu ophilayo, lokuthi uzamthuka ngenxa yamazwi uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho awazwileyo. Ngakho-ke khulekela abaseleyo abalokhu bephila.”

5 Kwathi izithunywa zikaHezekhiya sezifikile ku-Isaya, 6 u-Isaya wathi kuzo, “Tshelani inkosi yenu lithi, ‘UJehova uthi: Ungakwesabi lokhu okuzwileyo – amazwi layana izinceku zenkosi yase-Asiriya ezingithuke ngawo. 7 Lalela. Ngizafaka umoya kuyo ukuze kuthi lapho isizwa umbiko othize elizweni layo, lapho-ke ngizakwenza ukuba ibulawe ngenkemba.’ ”

8 Kwathi lapho umlawuli webutho esezwile ukuthi inkosi yase-Asiriya yayisisukile eLakhishi, laye wasuka wayathola inkosi ihlasela iLibhina.

9 USenakheribi wathola umbiko owathi uThirihaka umKhushi, inkosi yaseGibhithe, wayesiza ukuba amhlasele. Esezwe lokho wathumela izithunywa kuHezekhiya esithi:

10 “Tshelani uHezekhiya inkosi yakoJuda lithi: Ungavumi ukuthi unkulunkulu omthembileyo akukhohlise esithi. ‘IJerusalema kaliyikunikelwa enkosini yase-Asiriya.’

11 Ngempela usukuzwile okwenziwa ngamakhosi ase-Asiriya emazweni wonke, ewabhidliza okupheleleyo. Wena-ke uzaphepha na?

12 Onkulunkulu bezizwe ezatshabalaliswa ngokhokho bami bake bazikhulula na – onkulunkulu beGozani, iHarani, iResefi kanye labantu base-Edeni ababeseThelasari?

13 Ingaphi inkosi yaseHamathi, inkosi yase-Ariphadi, inkosi yedolobho laseSefavayimi, loba eyaseHena kumbe eyase-Iva?”

Umkhuleko KaHezekhiya

14 UHezekhiya wayamukela incwadi eyeza lezithunywa wayibala. Emva kwalokho waya ethempelini likaJehova, wayichaya phambi kukaJehova. 15 UHezekhiya wakhuleka kuJehova esithi: 16 “Awu, Jehova Somandla, Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli osebukhosini phakathi kwamaKherubhi, wena kuphela nguwe onguNkulunkulu wemibuso yonke yasemhlabeni. Nguwe owenza izulu lomhlaba.

17 Lalela, O Jehova uzwe; vula amehlo akho Jehova, ubone. Lalela uwezwe wonke amazwi uSenakheribi awathumele ukuzathuka uNkulunkulu ophilayo.

18 “Kuliqiniso, Jehova, ukuthi amakhosi ase-Asiriya abatshabalalisa bonke lababantu kanye lamazwe abo. 19 Aphosela onkulunkulu bawo emlilweni, abatshabalalisa ngoba babengasibo onkulunkulu kodwa kuyizigodo lamatshe, kubazwe ngabantu. 20 Khathesi-ke, awu Jehova Nkulunkulu wethu, ake usikhulule esandleni sakhe, ukuze imibuso yonke emhlabeni ikwazi ukuthi wena wedwa, Jehova, unguNkulunkulu.”

Ukuwa kukaSenakheribi

21 U-Isaya indodana ka-Amozi wathumela ilizwi kuHezekhiya elithi, “UJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: Ngenxa yokuthi ukhulekile kimi ngoSenakheribi inkosi yase-Asiriya, 22 nanti ilizwi uJehova aselikhulume ngaye: “Indodakazi emsulwa yaseZiyoni iyakweyisa njalo iyakuklolodela. Indodakazi yaseJerusalema inikina ikhanda layo lapho wena ubaleka.

23 Ngubani lowo omklolodeleyo wamthuka? Ngubani lowo omphakamisele ilizwi lakho wamphakamisela lamehlo akho ngokuzigqaja na? NgoNgcwele ka-Israyeli!

24 Ngezithunywa zakho umthukile uJehova. Utshilo wathi, ‘Ngezinqola zami zempi ezinengi ngikhwelile eziqongweni zezintaba iziqongo eziphezulu kakhulu zaseLebhanoni; ngiyigamule imisebenzi yalo edephe kakhulu, izihlahla zalo zamapulanka ezinhle. Ngifikile eziqongweni zalo ezikhatshana, emaguswini alo amahle kakhulu.

25 Ngigebhe imithombo ezizweni nganatha amanzi khona ngezinyawo zami ngomisa zonke izifula zaseGibhithe.’

26 “Kawuzwanga na? Lokhu ngakumisa endulo. Ngakuceba ezinsukwini zasendulo; khathesi sengenze ukuba kufezeke ukuthi usudiliza amadolobho avikelweyo aba yizinqwaba zamatshe.

27 Abantu bakhona abangaselamandla bathithibele njalo bayangekile. Banjengezihlahla egangeni, njengamahlumela aluhlaza lanjengotshani obuhluma ephahleni lwendlu obutshayo bungakakhuli.

28 “Kodwa ngiyakwazi lapho ohlala khona, lalapho usiza uphinde uhambe; kanye lokuthi ungithukuthelela kangakanani.

29 Ngenxa yokungithukuthelela kwakho langenxa yokuthi ubuqholo bakho sebufikile ezindlebeni zami, ngizafaka umkhala wami emakhaleni akho lamatomu ami emlonyeni wakho, njalo ngizakwenza ubuyele ngendlela oweza ngayo.

30 “Lokhu kuzaba yisibonakaliso kuwe, wena Hezekhiya: “Lonyaka lizakudla okuzikhulela kodwa, ngomnyaka wesibili lidle umkhukhuzela walokho. Kodwa ngomnyaka wesithathu hlanyelani livune, hlanyelani izivini lidle izithelo zazo.

31 Futhi insalela yendlu kaJuda izagxilisa njalo impande phansi ithele izithelo ngaphezulu.

32 Ngoba eJerusalema kuzaphuma insalela, kuthi entabeni iZiyoni kuphume ixuku labasindayo. Ukutshiseka kukaJehova uSomandla kuzakwenza ukuba lokhu kufezeke.

33 “Ngakho-ke mayelana lenkosi yase-Asiriya uJehova uthi: “Kasoze angene kulelidolobho loba atshoke umtshoko lapha; kasoze eze kulo elehawu kumbe akhe umduli wokulivimbezela.

34 Uzabuyela ngendlela eza ngayo; kasoze angene kulelidolobho,” kutsho uJehova.

35 “Idolobho leli ngizalivikela ngilihlenge, ngenxa yami langenxa kaDavida inceku yami!”

36 Lapho-ke ingilosi kaJehova yasuka yayabulala abantu abalikhulu elilamatshumi aficaminwemibili lanhlanu lezinkulungwane ezihonqweni zama-Asiriya. Kwathi lapho abantu bevuka ekuseni kwakhona bonke kwasekuyizidumbu kuphela! 37 Ngakho uSenakheribi inkosi yama-Asiriya wasuka ezihonqweni wahamba. Wabuyela eNineve wahlala khona.

38 Kwathi ngolunye usuku ekhonza ethempelini likaNisirokhi unkulunkulu wakhe, amadodana akhe u-Adrameleki loSharezeri ambulala ngenkemba asebalekela elizweni lase-Ararathi. U-Esahadoni indodana yakhe yaba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe.