1 Emva kwalezo zinto naleso sibonelo sokuthembeka kwafika uSaneheribi inkosi yase-Asiriya, wangena kwaJuda, wamisa malungana nemizi ebiyelweyo, wathi uyakuzifohlela yona.
2 Lapho uHezekiya esebona ukuthi uSaneheribi ufikile nokuthi uqonda ukulwa neJerusalema,
3 welulekana nezikhulu zakhe namaqhawe akhe ukuba bavimbe amanzi emithombo eyayingaphandle komuzi; bamsiza.
4 Kwabuthana abantu abaningi, bavimba yonke imithombo, nomfudlana owawugobhoza phakathi nezwe, bathi: “Kungangani ukuba kufike amakhosi ase-Asiriya, afumane amanzi amaningi, na?”
5 Waziqinisa, wakha lonke ugange olwaludiliziwe, wabeka imibhoshongo phezu kwalo, nolunye ugange ngaphandle, waqinisa iMilo emzini kaDavide, wenza izikhali nezihlangu eziningi.
6 Wabeka izinduna zempi phezu kwabantu, wazibuthela bona esigcawini ngasesangweni lomuzi, wakhuluma kahle kubo, wathi:
7 “Qinani, nime isibindi, ningesabi, ningapheli amandla ngenkosi yase-Asiriya nangesixuku sonke esinayo, ngokuba onathi mkhulu kunonaye;
8 okunaye yingalo yenyama; okunathi nguJehova uNkulunkulu wethu ukuba asisize, alwe izimpi zethu.” Abantu bencika emazwini kaHezekiya inkosi yakwaJuda.
9 Emva kwalokho uSaneheribi inkosi yase-Asiriya wathuma izinceku zakhe eJerusalema wayephambi kweLakishi nabo bonke ababusi benaye kuHezekiya inkosi yakwaJuda nakuye wonke uJuda waseJerusalema, wathi:
10 “Usho kanje uSaneheribi, inkosi yase-Asiriya, uthi: Nethembani nina, njengokuba nihlala nivinjezelwe eJerusalema, na?
11 UHezekiya akaniyengi yini ukuba aninikele, nife ngendlala nangokoma, ethi: ‘UJehova uNkulunkulu wethu uyakusophula esandleni senkosi yase-Asiriya,’ na?
12 Yena lowo Hezekiya akasusanga yini izindawo eziphakemeyo nama-altare akhe, wayala uJuda neJerusalema, wathi: ‘Niyakukhuleka phambi kwe-altare linye, nishise impepho,’ na?
13 “Anazi yini ukuthi mina nawobaba senzeni kubo bonke abezizwe na? Onkulunkulu babezizwe babe namandla yini nakanjani okophula izwe labo esandleni sami na?
14 Ngubani phakathi kwabo bonke onkulunkulu balezo zizwe ezachithwa ngobaba owayenamandla okophula abantu bakhe esandleni sami, ukuze uNkulunkulu wenu anophule nina esandleni sami, na?
15 Ngalokho uHezekiya makanganikhohlisi, anganiyengi ngale ndlela, ningakholwa nguye, ngokuba kwakungekho nkulunkulu nakusiphi isizwe noma kumuphi umbuso owayenamandla okophula abantu bakhe esandleni sami nasesandleni sawobaba; kakhulu kangakanani anganophula esandleni sami uNkulunkulu wenu na?”
16 Izinceku zakhe zazikhuluma nokunye okuphambene noJehova uNkulunkulu nenceku yakhe uHezekiya.
17 Wayelobe nencwadi yokumhlambalaza uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, wakhuluma okuphambene naye, wathi: “Njengalokho onkulunkulu babezizwe bengabophulanga abantu babo esandleni sami, kanjalo uNkulunkulu kaHezekiya akayikubophula abantu bakhe esandleni sami.”
18 Bamemeza ngezwi elikhulu ngolimi lwabaJuda kubantu baseJerusalema ababe sogangeni ukuba babethuse, babesabise, ukuze bawuthathe umuzi.
19 Bakhuluma ngoNkulunkulu waseJerusalema njengangawonkulunkulu babantu bomhlaba abangumsebenzi wezandla zabantu.
20 UHezekiya inkosi no-Isaya umprofethi, indodana ka-Amose, bakhuleka ngenxa yalokho, bakhala ngasezulwini.
21 UJehova wathuma ingelosi eyanquma onke amaqhawe anamandla, nabaholi, nezinduna ekamu* lenkosi yase-Asiriya. Yayisibuyela ezweni layo ijabhile. Isingenile endlini kankulunkulu wayo, ababephume ezibilinini zayo bayibulala khona ngenkemba.
22 UJehova wasindisa-ke uHezekiya nabakhileyo eJerusalema esandleni sikaSaneheribi inkosi yase-Asiriya nasesandleni sabo bonke abanye, wabahola nxazonke.
23 Abaningi baletha izipho kuJehova eJerusalema namagugu kuHezekiya inkosi yakwaJuda, waze waphakanyiswa emehlweni abo bonke abezizwe ngasemuva.
24 Ngalezo zinsuku uHezekiya wagula waze waba sengozini yokufa; wakhuleka kuJehova; yena wakhuluma kuye, wamnika isibonakaliso.
25 Kepha uHezekiya akabuyiselanga okuhle okwenzelwe yena, ngokuba inhliziyo yakhe yayikhukhumele; ngalokho kwaba khona ulaka phezu kwakhe, naphezu kukaJuda, naphezu kweJerusalema.
26 Kepha lapho uHezekiya esezithoba ekukhukhumaleni kwenhliziyo yakhe, yena nabakhileyo eJerusalema, ulaka lukaJehova alubehlelanga emihleni kaHezekiya.
27 UHezekiya wayenengcebo nodumo oluningi kakhulu, wazenzela izindlu zesiliva, nezegolide, nezamatshe angamagugu, nezamakha, nezezihlangu, nezezinto zonke ezinxanelekayo,
28 nezinqolobane zezithelo zamabele nezewayini nezamafutha, nezibaya zezinhlobo zonke zezilwane, nezindawo zezimvu.
29 Wazenzela nemizi, nemfuyo yezimvu, nezinkomo eziningi, ngokuba uNkulunkulu wayemnike impahla eningi kakhulu.
30 Yena lowo Hezekiya wavimbezela umthombo wasenhla wamanzi aseGihoni, wawaqondisa ngasentshonalanga komuzi kaDavide. UHezekiya waphumelela emisebenzini yakhe yonke.
31 Kanjalo namaqondana nezithunywa zezikhulu zaseBabele ezathumela kuye ukubuza ngesibonakaliso esenziwa ezweni uNkulunkulu wamshiya ukumvivinya nje ukuba azi konke okusenhliziyweni yakhe.
32 Ezinye izindaba zikaHezekiya nezenzo zakhe ezinhle, bheka, zilotshiwe embonweni ka-Isaya umprofethi, indodana ka-Amose, encwadini yamakhosi akwaJuda nakwa-Israyeli.
33 UHezekiya wayeselala koyise; bammbela emmangweni wamathuna amadodana kaDavide; wonke uJuda nabakhileyo eJerusalema bamenzela udumo ekufeni kwakhe. UManase indodana yakhe waba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe.