1 Emva kwezo zenzo zentembeko zikaHezekiya elakwaJuda lahlaselwa nguSenakeribhe ukumkani waseAsiriya. Wazingqinga izixeko ezinqatyisiweyo, ezimisele ukutyhoboza azithimbele kuye.
2 UHezekiya akuqonda ukuba uSenakeribhe ugalelekile waye ezimisele ukulwa neJerusalem,
3 wathetha-thethana namaphakathi akhe, kunye namagosa omkhosi, eceba ukuvala amanzi asuka emithonjeni engaphandle kwesixeko, baza ke bavumelana naye.
4 Kwaqokelelwa iqela elikhulu labantu, baza bayivala yonke imithombo kunye nentlambo eyayinqumla kwelo lizwe. Babesithi: “Asinakubayeka ookumkani baseAsiriya beze, ze bafumane amanzi angaka.”
5 Wazabalaza ezilungisa zonke iindawo ezonakeleyo eludongeni, esakha neenqaba eziphakamileyo. Wakha nolunye udonga ngaphaya kwalo, waza walomeleza ungqameko lwesixeko sikaDavide. Kananjalo wenza nentaphane yezixhobo kunye namakhaka.
6 Abantu wabamisela amagosa omkhosi, waza wabaqokelela ebaleni lesixeko ngasesangweni, wabakhuthaza ngala mazwi, wathi:
7 “Yomelelani nikhaliphe! Ze ningabi nadyudyu okanye nityhafe ngenxa yokumkani waseAsiriya nomkhosi wakhe omkhulu; kaloku baninzi abangakuthi kunabo bangakuye.
8 Ngakuye ngamandla omntu, ukanti ngakuthi *nguNdikhoyo uThixo wethu oza kusinceda asilwele amadabi ethu.” Ke abantu batsho bomelela ngaloo mazwi kaHezekiya ukumkani wakwaJuda.
9 Kamva ke xa uSenakeribhe ukumkani waseAsiriya nomkhosi wakhe uphela babengqinge iLakishe, wathumela amagosa akhe nalo myalezo, ewubhekisa kuHezekiya ukumkani wakwaJuda kunye nabo bonke abantu bakwaJuda ababeseJerusalem, esithi:
10 “Ukumkani waseAsiriya uSenakeribhe uthi: Khanitsho, niqamele ngani, ukuze nihlale ngaphakathi kweJerusalem engqingiweyo nje?
11 UHezekiya lo uthi: ‘UNdikhoyo uThixo wethu uza kusihlangula esandleni sokumkani weAsiriya,’ uyanilahlekisa, ufuna nibulawe yindlala nalunxano.
12 Andithi kaloku uHezekiya ngokwakhe uzidilizile iindawo eziphakamileyo zonqulo kwakunye namaqonga, esithi kuJuda neJerusalem: ‘Nqulani kwiqonga elinye, nitshise namadini kwakulo’?
13 “Ngaba anizazi na izinto ezenziwa ngoobawo kunye nam lo kubantu bonke bezinye izizwe? Baba nako yini na oothixo bezo zizwe ukuhlangula umhlobo wabo esandleni sam?
14 Kwizizwe ezatshatyalaliswa ngoobawo, nguwuphi koothixo bazo owaba nako ukuhlangula abantu bazo kum? Uza kunihlangula njani lo Thixo wenu esandleni sam?
15 Hayi bo! Musani ukumyeka uHezekiya anikhohlise anilahlekise kangaka. Musani ukukholwa yinto ayithethayo, kuba akukho thixo nakusiphi na isizwe nombuso oselekhe wanako ukuhlangula abantu esandleni sam, nakweso soobawo. Wobeka phi ke lo Thixo wenu ukungabi nako ukunihlangula esandleni sam?”
16 Aqhabalaka ke amagosa kaSenakeribhe ethetha ngokuchaseneyo noNdikhoyo uThixo nangesicaka sakhe uHezekiya.
17 Kananjalo ukumkani lowo wabhala neeleta ethuka enyelisa uNdikhoyo uThixo kaSirayeli, esithi: “Kwanjengokuba oothixo bezinye izizwe bengabanga nako ukuhlangula abantu bazo esandleni sam, ngokunjalo ke nalo Thixo kaHezekiya akayi kubahlangula esandleni sam abantu bakhe.”
18 Baza ke bakhwaza bethetha isiHebhere bebhekisa kubantu baseJerusalem ababeseludongeni apho, beboyikisa bebagrogrisa ngenjongo yokuba boyike, ukuze ke basihlasele isixeko eso.
19 UThixo waseJerusalem bamnyelisa kanye ngaloo ndlela babebanyelisa ngayo oothixo bezinye izizwe, oothixo abenziwe ngezandla zabantu.
20 Ke kaloku ukumkani uHezekiya, ekunye *nomshumayeli uIsaya unyana ka-Amoze, lo mbandela bawubhekisa kuThixo ngomthandazo.
21 Ke uNdikhoyo wathumela isithunywa sakhe sawatshabalalisa onke amadoda omkhosi neenkokheli namaphakathi awayekumkhosi wokumkani waseAsiriya. Waza ke warhoxa wagoduka enyoshoza. Uthe ke esangene kwindlu yothixo wakhe, abanye koonyana bakhe basuka bambulala ngekrele.
22 Ngoko ke uNdikhoyo wamhlangula uHezekiya nabantu baseJerusalem esandleni sikaSenakeribhe ukumkani waseAsiriya, ngokunjalo nasesandleni sezinye izizwe. Bebonke wabakhusela macal' onke.
23 Baba baninzi abazisa iminikelo kuNdikhoyo eJerusalem, nezipho ezixabisekileyo kuHezekiya ukumkani wakwaJuda. Ukusukela ngoko ke waxatyiswa zizo zonke izizwe.
24 Ngelo thuba ke uHezekiya wahlabeka, waza wagulela ukungabikho. Wathandaza *uNdikhoyo, owasuka wamphendula ngomqondiso omangalisayo.
25 Kambe ke uHezekiya wayethiwe lwale likratshi, akabusabela ububele abenzelweyo; ngoko ke ingqumbo kaNdikhoyo yaba phezu kwakhe ndawonye noJuda neJerusalem.
26 Ke kaloku uHezekiya nabantu baseJerusalem baguquka kwelo kratshi labo, yaza ke loo ngqumbo kaNdikhoyo ayaphinda ibe phezu kwabo ngemihla kaHezekiya.
27 UHezekiya wayesisinhanha sesityebi ehlonelwe. Ke wazenzela oovimba bokugcina isiliva, igolide, amatye exabiso, iziqholo, amakhaka, nazo zonke iindidi zezinto ezixabisekileyo.
28 Kananjalo wakha izindlu zokugcina isivuno – ingqolowa, iwayini, namafutha omnquma – wakha nezitali zeendidi zeenkomo nezibaya zeegusha.
29 Wakha iidolophu, wazuza imihlambi yeegusha neenkomo – kaloku uThixo wayemphe ubutyebi obuninzi.
30 IkwanguHezekiya owavala amantla omthombo waseGihon, amanzi wawatsalela kwintshona yesixeko sikaDavide. Yayiqaqambile yonke into ayenzayo.
31 Kambe ke xa kwakuthunyelwe oonozaku-zaku kuye ngabalawuli baseBhabheli, beze kuqonda ngomqondiso omangalisayo owawubonakele apho elizweni lakhe, uThixo wamyekela khon' ukuze amvavanye akuqonde konke okwakusentliziyweni yakhe.
32 Kaloku ezinye zeziganeko zolawulo lukaHezekiya nemisebenzi yakhe yokuzinikela, nâzo zibhaliwe encwadini yombono yomshumayeli uIsaya unyana ka-Amoze, kwincwadi yookumkani bakwaJuda nabakwaSirayeli.
33 UHezekiya ke waya kuphumla kooyise, waza wangcwatyelwa kwicala elingasentla kwinduli enamafihlo esizukulwana sikaDavide. Ekuswelekeni kwakhe ke wonke uJuda ndawonye neJerusalem bamnika imbeko. Esikhundleni sakhe ke kwangena unyana wakhe uManase.