1 Ke kaloku wathi akuziva ezi ndaba ukumkani uHezekiya, suka wakhathazeka, wazikrazula izambatho zakhe, wanxiba ezirhwexayo zokuzila, waya kungena endlwini *kaNdikhoyo.
2 Wathuma uEliyakim umaqhuzu wakomkhulu, noShebhena unobhala, kunye nababingeleli abaphambili, bonke benxibe ezirhwexayo, wathi mabaye *kumshumayeli uIsaya unyana ka-Amozi.
3 Baya, bafika bathi: “UHezekiya uthi: ‘Lo ngumhla wenkxwaleko, impoxo, nehlazo. Sifana nomfazi ofikelwe lixesha lakhe lokuzala, kodwa engenawo amandla okujongana naloo meko.
4 Makube uNdikhoyo uThixo wakho uwevile onke amazwi athethwe yingqwayi-ngqwayi leya ibithunywe yinkosi yayo ukumkani waseAsiriya ukuze ize kuphoxisa ngoThixo ophilayo. Ngamana yakhalinyelwa ngenxa yamazwi aweve ngokwakhe *uNdikhoyo uThixo wakho. Ngoko ke nceda uthandazele amasalela asindileyo.’ ”
5 Athe akufika kuIsaya loo maphakathi kakumkani uHezekiya,
6 uIsaya wathi kuwo: “Yixeleleni inkosi yenu ukuba uNdikhoyo uthi: ‘Musa ukuxhalaba yiloo nto uyivileyo – loo mazwi athethwe liphakathi lokumkani waseAsiriya lindithuka.
7 Uyabona ke, mna ndiza kumfaka umoya wokuba athi akuva umingi-mingi lodaba oluthile, asuke abuyele kwelakowabo. Khona apho ke ndiya kwenza ukuba abulawe ngekrele.’ ”
8 Ingqwayi-ngqwayi engumbhexeshi womkhosi yathi yakuva ukuba ukumkani waseAsiriya umkile eLakishe, suka yarhoxa, yabuya umva, yaza yafika ukumkani esilwa neLibhena.
9 Ke uSenakeribhe wafumana udaba oluthi uTiraka, umKushe ongukumkani waseJiputa, nanko ehlasela iAsiriya. Ngoko ke waphinda wathumela kuHezekiya esithi:
10 “Yithi kukumkani uHezekiya wakwaJuda: ‘Musa ukukhohliswa ngulo Thixo wakho umthembileyo. Uyakuxokisa xa esithi: “IJerusalem ayiyi kuthinjwa ngukumkani waseAsiriya.”
11 Kaloku sowuzivile izigigaba zokumkani waseAsiriya kwezinye izizwe; uyazi ukuba wazibhukuqa wazitshabalalisa tu. Ke wena uthi uya kusinda njani?
12 Babephi *oothixo bezizwe ezatshatyalaliswa ngoobawo-mkhulu? Abazihlangula ngani ke? Oothixo baseGozan, eHaran, eRezefe, nabo babantu base-Eden ababeseTelasare!
13 Uphi ngoku ukumkani waseHamati, nowaseArpadi, nokumkani wesixeko saseSefarvayim? Yena owaseHena nowaseIva uphi?’ ”
14 Ezo zigidimi zamnika loo leta uHezekiya, waza ke yena wayifunda, wayithatha waya nayo endlwini *kaNdikhoyo, wafika wayandlala phambi koNdikhoyo.
15 Wathandaza kuNdikhoyo, wathi: “Ndikhoyo, Thixo kaSirayeli, wena osesihlalweni phakathi kwezithunywa ezimaphiko, nguwe kuphela onguThixo olawula zonke izikumkani zehlabathi. Wena wawadala amazulu kwanehlabathi.
16 Kaloku ke, Ndikhoyo, khawubek' iindlebe uphulaphule. Vula amehlo akho ujonge, Ndikhoyo. Khawuweve la mazwi awathumeleyo uSenakeribhe, ethuka uThixo ophilayo.
17 Sivile, Ndikhoyo, ukuba ookumkani baseAsiriya bazibhuqa bazitshabalalisa ezi zizwe kunye nemihlaba yazo.
18 Oothixo bazo wabafaka emlilweni, wabatshabalalisa; kuba kakade babengethixo, koko yimifanekiso eqingqwe zizandla zabantu ngomthi nangelitye.
19 Ngoko ke ngoku, Ndikhoyo Thixo wethu, khawusihlangule kulo mfo, khon' ukuze zonke izikumkani zehlabathi ziqonde ukuba nguwe wedwa, Ndikhoyo, onguThixo.”
20 Ke uIsaya unyana ka-Amozi wathumela umyalezo kuHezekiya, esithi: “*UNdikhoyo uThixo kaSirayeli uthi: ‘Ndiwuvile umthandazo wakho mayela nokumkani waseAsiriya uSenakeribhe.’
21 Mayela naye ke uNdikhoyo uthi:“ ‘Okokwakho, wena Senakeribhe,isixeko iZiyon siyakugcolodela;isixeko iZiyon sihlekisa ngawe.Ewe, iJerusalem ihlunguzel' intlokoxa ikubona wena uswantsula.
22 Ngubani lo umngcikiva ngezinyeliso ezinje?Uba uthetha nabani ukhwaza nje?Ngubani lo umjonge ungenambeko?Lowo ke nguYedwa kaSirayeli!
23 Wena uthumele izigidimi,uNdikhoyo wamfumba ngezithuko;kaloku ugcolode wathi:“Mna ndinenyambalala yeenqwelo;ngazo ndiqabel' iintab' eziphakamileyo,loo malenga-lenga aseLebhanon.Ndiyigawule imisedare yayo emidenaloo mipayini yayo ingayiwayo.De ndafikelela nasekudeni,nditsho esitsikolweni sehlathi.
24 Ndimbe amaqula kumazwe eentlanga,ndaza ke ndasela amanzi khona.Ndingqishe ngonyawo kuphela,yatsho yoma yonke imithomb' eJiputa.”
25 “ ‘Ngaba awuzange uve na;ukuba le nto yamiselwa ndim,ukuba sekuntsuku ndayicwangcisayole nto yenzekayo namhlanje,ukuba wena udilize izixeko ezinqatyisiweyo,uzivuthulule zitsho zibe ngamabhodlo?
26 Abemi bazo baphelelwe ngamandla;bathe nkamalala, basezintlonini.Nqwa nomfino emasimini phayangathi zizithombo ezithukuzayo,ngathi yingc' entshula phezu kwendlu,esuk' itshe ingakhulanga nokukhula.
27 “ ‘Kambe ke ndikwazi kakuhle,ndikwazi ukusuka nokuhlalanamagwevu okundivukela kwakho.
28 Kaloku wena uzimisele ukulwa nam.Ndivile nangokundinyelisa kwakho.Ndiza kukuqhobosha impumlo,ndikufake umkhala emlonyeni,ndikubuyisele aph' ubuvela khona.’
29 “Nanku ke umqondiso wakho, Hezekiya:“ ‘Kulo nyaka uya kutya ummilela,kowesibini utye ummilela wommilela,kowesithathu ke uhlwayele uvuneutyale izidiliya, utye iziqhamo zazo.
30 Ophinda ke amasalela endlu kaJuda amile;ewe, aya kuzika ade azinze,aqhelezele yinkqubela abe njeyaa.
31 Kaloku lona lophuma eJerusalem;losuka lithi gqi qhaphu ihlumelo.Lothi nyalulu kwintaba iZiyon;nditsho iqela labo babhungcileyo.Ewe, uNdikhoyo uSomandla uzimisele,yaye ke eya kuyifezekisa loo nto.’
32 “Ewe, uNdikhoyo uthetha ngolu hlobo mayela nokumkani waseAsiriya:“ ‘Akasoze angene kwesi sixeko,engayi kudubula lutolo apha.Akasoze eze phambi kwaso,engayi kusihlanganisela ngakhaka.Akasayi kwakha asingqinge esi sixeko.
33 Ewe, wobuya agoduke kwangendlela ebeze ngayo.Soze angene kwesi isixeko!Nditshilo nje mna Ndikhoyo, nditshilo.
34 Ndiya kusihlanganisela esi sixeko;ewe, mna ndiya kusihlangula.Ngenxa yesidima segama lam,nangenxa yesicaka sam uDavide,yonke loo nto ndiya kuyenza.’ ”
35 Ngobo busuku ke isithunywa sikaNdikhoyo saya kumkhosi wama-Asiriya, safika sabulala amadoda alikhulu mashumi asibhozo anantlanu amawaka. Bathe ke bakuvuka ngentsasa elandelayo bazibona izidumbu zithe gangalala!
36 Ngoko ke uSenakeribhe, ukumkani waseAsiriya, wazichitha warhoxa, wabuyela eNiniva, wahlala khona.
37 Ngamhla uthile ke uthe esanqula kwindlu yothixo wakhe uNiseroki, suka oonyana bakhe uAdrameleki noSharezere bamhlasela, bambulala ngekrele, baza ke babalekela kwelaseArarati. Ke uEsaridon, omnye koonyana bakhe, wangena esikhundleni sakhe, wangukumkani.