Chapter 18
1 Kwathi ngomnyaka wesithathu kaHoseya unyana kaEla, ukumkani wakwaSirayeli, waba ngukumkani uHezekiya, unyana ka-Ahazi ukumkani wakwaYuda.
2 Ubeminyaka imashumi mabini anamihlanu ezelwe, ukuba ngukumkani kwakhe; waba neminyaka emashumi mabini anesithoba engukumkani eYerusalem. Igama lonina libe linguAbhi, intombi kaZekariya.
3 Wenza okuthe tye emehlweni kaYehova, njengako konke awakwenzayo uDavide uyise.
4 Wazisusa iziganga, waziqhekeza izimiso zamatye, wamgawula uAshera, wayiqoba inyoka yobhedu awayenzayo uMoses; ngokuba kwada kwayiloo mini oonyana bakaSirayeli beqhumisela kuyo, kwathiwa loo nto lubhedu nje kodwa.
5 Wakholosa ngoYehova uThixo kaSirayeli; emveni kwakhe akubangakho unjengaye phakathi kookumkani bonke bakwaYuda, naphakathi kwabo babekho ngaphambi kwakhe.
6 Wanamathela kuYehova; akatyeka ekumlandeleni; wayigcina imithetho abethe uYehova wayiwisela uMoses.
7 UYehova waba naye; wenza ngengqiqo ezintweni zonke aziphumeleyo. Wagwilika kukumkani waseAsiriya, akamkhonza.
8 Yena wawaxabela amaFilisti, wada wesa eGaza nasemdeni wayo, wathabathela enqabeni yababoniseli, wesa emzini onqatyisiweyo.
9 Kwathi ngomnyaka wesine wokumkani uHezekiya (lowo ngumnyaka wesixhenxe kaHoseya unyana kaEla, ukumkani wakwaSirayeli), wenyuka uShalemanesere, ukumkani waseAsiriya, wawufikela umzi wakwaSamari, wawungqinga.
10 Bawuthimba ekupheleni kweminyaka emithathu, ngomnyaka wesithandathu kaHezekiya (lowo ngumnyaka wesithoba kaHoseya, ukumkani wakwaSirayeli); wathinjwa ke umzi wakwaSamari.
11 Ukumkani waseAsiriya wawafudusela amaSirayeli eAsiriya, wawa beka eHala, naseHabhore emlanjeni oyiGozan, nasemizini yamaMedi,
12 ngenxa enokuba engaliphulaphulanga ilizwi likaYehova uThixo wawo; esuka awugqitha umnqophiso wakhe, nako konke awawisa umthetho ngako uMoses umkhonzi kaYehova; akeva, akenza.
13 Ke kaloku ngomnyaka weshumi elinesine wokumkani uHezekiya, wenyuka uSaneribhe, ukumkani waseAsiriya, waya kuyo yonke imizi enqatyisiweyo yakwaYuda, wayithabatha.
14 UHezekiya ukumkani wakwaYuda wathumela kukumkani waseAsiriya eLakishe, esithi, Ndonile, buya umke kum; othe wakubeka phezu kwam ndokuthwala. Waza ukumkani waseAsiriya wabeka phezu koHezekiya ukumkani wakwaYuda amakhulu omathathu eetalente zesilivere, namashumi omathathu eetalente zegolide.
15 UHezekiya wamnika yonke isilivere eyafunyanwa endlwini kaYehova, nasebuncwaneni bendlu yokumkani.
16 Ngelo xesha uHezekiya wayinqamla igolide yeengcango zetempile kaYehova, nemigubasi abeyalekile uHezekiya ukumkani wakwaYuda, wayinika ukumkani waseAsiriya.
17 Ukumkani waseAsiriya wasusa uTartan noRabhesarisi noRabheshake eLakishe, baya kukumkani uHezekiya eYerusalem, benempi enzima. Benyuka baya eYerusalem. Benyuka ke, bafika, bema emjelweni wechibi langasentla, osemendweni wentsimi yomsuki weengubo.
18 Bamemeza kukumkani. Kwaphuma kwaya kubo uEliyakim unyana kaHilekiya, umphathi wendlu, noShebhena umbhali, noYowa unyana ka-Asafu, umkhumbuzi wezinto zakomkhulu.
19 Wathi kubo uRabheshake, Khanithi kuHezekiya, Utsho ukumkani omkhulu, ukumkani waseAsiriya, ukuthi, Yeyani na le nkoloseko ukholose ngayo?
20 Uthi (uthetha into yomlomo wodwa), uneqhinga nobugorha bokulwa. Ukholose ngabani na, ugwilike kum nje?
21 Uyabona, ukholose ngaloo msimelelo wengcongolo evikivekileyo, iYiputa, ethi, othe wayama ngayo, imngene esandleni, imhlabe. Unjalo uFaro, ukumkani waseYiputa, kubo bonke abakholose ngaye.
22 Ke ukuba nithi kum, Sikholose ngoYehova uThixo wethu; ndithi, Asinguye na lo uziganga nezibingelelo azisusileyo uHezekiya, watsho kumaYuda nakwiYerusalem ukuthi, Ize niqubude phambi kwesi sibingelelo eYerusalem apha?
23 Khawubekelane kaloku nenkosi yam ukumkani waseAsiriya: ndokunika amawaka amabini amahashe, ukuba unako ukundinika abakhweli bokukhwela kuwo.
24 Wothini na ukubujika ubuso benkosana enye, yakubo abancinane babakhonzi benkosi yam, ukholose nje ngeYiputa ngeenqwelo zokulwa, nangabamahashe?
25 Ngokunje ndinyuke ndeza kuyonakalisa le ndawo, ndingenaye uYehova yini na? NguYehova lo uthe kum, Nyuka, uye kulonakalisa eli lizwe.
26 Wathi uEliyakim, unyana kaHilekiya, noShebhena, noYowa, kuRabheshake, Khawuthethe kubakhonzi bakho ngesiAram, kuba sisiva. Musa ukuthetha nathi ngesiYuda ezindlebeni zabantu abaseludongeni.
27 Wathi uRabheshake kubo, Inkosi yam indithume ukuba ndiwathethe la mazwi enkosini yakho na, nakuwe na? Asikula madoda ahleliyo eludongeni yini na, ukuze adle ilindle lawo, asele umchamo wawo nani?
28 Wema uRabheshake, wadanduluka ngelizwi elikhulu ngesiYuda, wathetha, wathi, Yivani ilizwi lokumkani omkhulu, lokumkani waseAsiriya:
29 uthi ukumkani, Makanganilukuhli uHezekiya; ngokuba akayi kuba nako nkunihlangula esandleni sam.
30 Makanganikholosisi ngoYehova uHezekiya, esithi, Inene, uya kusihlangula uYehova; lo mzi awusayi kunikelwa esandleni sokumkani waseAsiriya.
31 Musani ukumphulaphula uHezekiya; ngokuba utsho ukumkani waseAsiriya, ukuthi, Xolisanani nam, niphume nize kum, nidle elowo umdiliya wakhe, elowo umkhiwane wakhe, nisele elowo amanzi equla lakhe;
32 ndide ndize ndinise ezweni elinjengelizwe lenu, ilizwe lengqolowa newayini entsha, ilizwe lesonka nezidiliya, ilizwe lomnquma oneoli, elinobusi, nidle ubomi, ningafi. Musani ukumphulaphula uHezekiya; ngokuba uyaninyanga xa athi, UYehova uya kunihlangula.
33 Oothixo beentlanga balihlangula na elowo ilizwi lakhe esandleni sokumkani waseAsiriya!
34 Baphi na oothixo baseHamati neArpadi? Baphi na oothixo baseSefarvayim, neHena, neIva, ukuba bangabi balihlangula elakwaSamari esandleni sam?
35 Nguwuphi na koothixo bonke bala mazwe, olihlanguleyo ilizwe lakhe esandleni sam, ukuba ade uYehova ayihlangule iYerusalem esandleni sam?
36 Bathi tu abantu, abamphendula nalizwi; ngokuba umthetho wokumkani wona ubusithi, Ize ningamphenduli.
37 Beza ke ooEliyakim unyana kaHilekiya, umphathi wendlu, noShebhena umbhali, noYowa unyana ka-Asafu, umkhumbuzi wezinto zakomkhulu, kuHezekiya, bezikrazule iingubo zabo, bamxelela amazwi kaRabheshake.