1 Kwathi inkosi uHezekiya ikuzwile lokho, yaklebhula izingubo zayo, yazembesa indwangu yamasaka, yangena endlini kaJehova.
2 Yathuma u-Eliyakimi owayephezu kwendlu, noShebina umbhali, namalunga abapristi, bembeswe izindwangu zamasaka, ku-Isaya umprofethi, indodana ka-Amose.
3 Bathi kuye: “Usho kanje uHezekiya, uthi: ‘Lolo suku lungusuku losizi nolokusolwa nolokudelelwa, ngokuba abantwana sebefikile ekuzalweni, kepha amandla okubeletha awakho.
4 Mhlawumbe uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho uyakuzwa onke amazwi kaRabi Shake othunywe yinkosi yase-Asiriya, inkosi yakhe, ukweyisa uNkulunkulu ophilayo, asole amazwi uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho awezwileyo; ngalokho phakamisela insali esafunyanwayo umkhuleko wakho.’ ”
5 Izinceku zenkosi uHezekiya sezifikile ku-Isaya,
6 u-Isaya wathi kuzo: “Niyakusho kanje enkosini yenu, nithi: ‘Usho kanje uJehova, uthi: Ungesabi lawo mazwi owezwileyo, izinceku zenkosi yase-Asiriya ezingithuke ngawo.
7 Bhekani, ngiyakubeka umoya kuyo, izwe amahemuhemu, ibuyele ezweni lakubo, ngiyiwise ngenkemba ezweni lakubo.’ ”
8 Wayesebuya uRabi Shake, wafumana inkosi yase-Asiriya ilwa neLibina, ngokuba wayezwile ukuthi isukile eLakishi.
9 Kepha isizwile ngoTirahaka inkosi yaseKushe ukuthi: “Bheka, uphumile ukulwa nawe, yabuye yathuma izithunywa kuHezekiya, yathi:
10 ‘Niyakukhuluma kanje kuHezekiya inkosi yakwaJuda, nithi: “UNkulunkulu wakho omethembayo makangakukhohlisi ngokuthi iJerusalema aliyikunikelwa esandleni senkosi yase-Asiriya.”
11 Bheka, wena uzwile okwenziwe ngamakhosi ase-Asiriya kuwo onke amazwe ngokuwachitha; pho, wena uyakophulwa na?
12 Onkulunkulu balezo zizwe ezachithwa ngobaba, iGozani, neHarana, neResefi, nabantwana base-Edene abaseThelasari, bazophula na?
13 Iphi inkosi yaseHamati, nenkosi yase-Aripadi, nenkosi yomuzi waseSefarivayimi, naseHena, nase-Iva, na?’ ”
14 UHezekiya wayamukela incwadi esandleni sezithunywa, wayifunda; uHezekiya wayesenyukela endlini kaJehova, wayeneka phambi kukaJehova.
15 UHezekiya wakhuleka phambi kukaJehova, wathi: “Jehova Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli ohlezi phezu kwamakherubi,* wena unguNkulunkulu, wena wedwa, wemibuso yonke yomhlaba, wena wenzile izulu nomhlaba.
16 Beka, Jehova, indlebe yakho, uzwe; vula amehlo akho, Jehova, ubone, uzwe amazwi kaSaneheribi athume ukweyisa ngawo uNkulunkulu ophilayo.
17 “Yiqiniso, Jehova; amakhosi ase-Asiriya achithile izizwe namazwe azo,
18 alahlile onkulunkulu bawo emlilweni, ngokuba babengesibo onkulunkulu, babe ngumsebenzi wezandla zomuntu kuphela, umuthi namatshe; ngalokho abachithile.
19 Manje, Jehova Nkulunkulu wethu, ake usisindise esandleni sakhe ukuba yonke imibuso yomhlaba yazi ukuthi wena Jehova unguNkulunkulu, yebo, wena wedwa.”
20 U-Isaya indodana ka-Amose wathumela kuHezekiya, wathi: “Usho kanje uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: ‘Lokho okukhuleke kimi ngoSaneheribi inkosi yase-Asiriya ngikuzwile.’
21 Nanti izwi uJehova alikhulumile ngaye:“ ‘Ikudelele yakuhleka usulu intombi,indodakazi yaseSiyoni;ikunikinele ikhandaindodakazi yaseJerusalema.
22 Weyise bani, wathuka bani, na?Uphakamisele bani izwi lakho,wabhekisa phezulu amehlo akho, na?NgoNgcwele ka-Israyeli!
23 Ngesandla sezithunywa zakho uyijivazile inkosi,wathi: “Ngobuningi bezinqola zami ngenyuke mina phezulu ezintabeningaphakathi kweLebanoni;ngigawula imisedari* yalo emide nemisayipuresi* yalo ekhethekileyongangena endaweni yalo yokugcina nasehlathini lalo eliminyeneyo.
24 Ngemba, ngaphuza amanzi angaziwayo;ngomisa ngamathe onyawo lwami yonke imifula yaseGibithe.”
25 “ ‘Awuzwanga ukuthi kade ngakuhlela na?Emihleni yasendulo ngakunquma;manje sengikulethile ukuba uchithe imizi ebiyelweyo,ibe yizinqwaba.
26 Abakhe kuyo babe namandla amancane,besaba, bajabha;baba njengotshani basendle,nembali notshani obuluhlaza,nokuluhlaza ezimpahleni zezindlu,namabele ahamukile engakakhuli.
27 “ ‘Kepha ukuhlala kwakho,nokuphuma kwakho,nokungena kwakho ngiyakwazi,nokubhovumula kwakho ngami.
28 Ngenxa yokubhovumula kwakho ngami,nangokuba ukuzidla kwakho kwenyukele ezindlebeni zami,ngiyakubeka ingwegwe yami emakhaleni akhonetomu lami emlonyeni wakho,ngikubuyise ngendlela oweza ngayo.’
29 “Lokhu kuyakuba yisibonakaliso kuwe:Niyakudla ngalo mnyaka okuzikhulelayo,nangomnyaka wesibili isihlabane,nangomnyaka wesithathu hlwanyelani, nivune,nitshale izivini, nidle izithelo zazo.
30 Abasindileyo bendlu yakwaJudaabaseleyo bayakubuye bagxile phansi,bathele izithelo phezulu.
31 Ngokuba kuyakuphuma eJerusalema insalinasentabeni yaseSiyoni abayakusinda;ukushisekela kukaJehova kuyakufeza lokho.
32 “Ngalokho usho kanje uJehova ngenkosi yase-Asiriya, uthi:“ ‘Ayiyikungena kulo muzi,ayiyikucibishela mcibisholo khona;ayiyikubhekisa kuwo isihlangu,ayiyikunqwabela iduli ngakuwo.
33 Indlela eyafika ngayo, iyakubuya ngayo;ayiyikungena kulo muzi, usho uJehova.
34 Ngiyakuwuvikela lo muzi ukuba ngiwusindisengenxa yami nangenxa yenceku yami uDavide.’ ”
35 Kwathi ngalobo busuku kwaphuma ingelosi kaJehova, yabulala ekamu* labase-Asiriya abayizinkulungwane eziyikhulu namashumi ayishiyagalombili nanhlanu; sekuvukwa ngakusasa, bheka, kwakuyizidumbu zodwa ezifileyo.
36 Wayesesuka uSaneheribi inkosi yase-Asiriya, wahamba, wabuya, wahlala eNineve.
37 Kwathi ekhuleka endlini kaNisiroki unkulunkulu wakhe, o-Adirameleki noSareseri bambulala ngenkemba, babalekela ezweni lase-Ararati. U-Esari Hadoni indodana yakhe waba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe.