USanekheribhi Uhlasela Imizi Ebiyelweyo YakwaJuda
1Kwathi ngonyaka we-14 wokubusa kwenkosi uHezekiya, kwasuka uSanekheribhi, inkosi yase-Asiriya, wenyuka wahlasela yonke imizi yakwaJuda ebiyelweyo, wayidla. 2Inkosi yase-Asiriya yathumela uRabi Shake, esuka eLakhishi, waya eJerusalema enkosini uHezekiya, enempi enkulu; wamisa ngasemseleni wechibi elingenhla, elingasendleleni yeNsimu Yomhlanzi. 3Kwase kuphuma u-Eliyakimi, indodana kaHilikiya okunguyena owayephethe isigodlo, noShebhina umabhalane, noJowa indodana ka-Asafa, umgcini mlando, baya kuye.
4URabi Shake wathi kubo: “Mtsheleni uHezekiya, nithi: ‘Isho kanje inkosi enkulu, inkosi yase-Asiriya, ithi: Yini lena owethembele kuyo na? 5Ucabanga ukuthi ukukhuluma nje ngomlomo kungamasu namandla okulwa na? Ngubani owethembele kuye uze uhlubuke kimi na? 6Wethembe intonga yalo mhlanga ofecekileyo oyiGibhithe, eligwaza isandla sanoma ngubani oncika kulo. Unjalo-ke uFaro, inkosi yaseGibhithe, kwabathembele kuye.’ 7Kodwa uma nithi kimi: ‘Sethemba uSimakade uNkulunkulu wethu,’ akusiye yini uHezekiya osuse izindawo zakhe eziphakemeyo nama-althare akhe, wathi kuJuda nakulo iJerusalema: ‘Niyakukhuleka phambi kwaleli althare’ na?
8“ ‘Uma wenza isivumelwano nenkosi yami, inkosi yase-Asiriya, ngiyokunika amahhashi ayizi-2 000, uma ungase ukwazi ukugibelisa abagibeli kuwo. 9Pho ungaphindisela kanjani emuva induna eyodwa ezincekwini ezincane zenkosi yami na? Nokho wethembele kwabaseGibhithe ukuthola khona izinqola nabamahhashi. 10Manje ngeke ngenyukele yini kuleli lizwe ngaphandle kukaSimakade ukuba ngilichithe, na? USimakade wathi kimi: “Yenyukela kuleli lizwe, ulibhubhise.” ’ ”
11U-Eliyakimi noShebhina noJowa, bathi kuRabi Shake: “Ake ukhulume ezincekwini zakho ngesi-Aramu, ngokuba siyasizwa, kodwa ungakhulumi kithi ngolimi lwabaJuda ezindlebeni zabantu abasogangeni.”
12Kepha uRabi Shake wathi: “Ngabe inkosi yami ayingithumile yini enkosini yakho nakuwena ukusho lawa mazwi, nakulaba bantu abahlezi ogangeni ukuba badle indle yabo, baphuze umchamo wabo kanye nani na?”
13Wayesema uRabi Shake, wamemeza ngezwi elikhulu, ngolimi lwabaJuda, wathi: “Zwanini amazwi enkosi enkulu, inkosi yase-Asiriya. 14Isho kanje inkosi, ithi maningakhohliswa nguHezekiya, ngokuba akayukuba namandla okunikhulula; 15futhi uHezekiya makanganenzi nethembe uSimakade ngokuthi: ‘USimakade uyakusikhulula impela, nalo muzi awuyukunikelwa esandleni senkosi yase-Asiriya.’
16“Ningamlaleli uHezekiya, ngokuba isho kanje inkosi yase-Asiriya, ithi: ‘Yakhani uxolo nami, niphume nize kimi, nidle, kube yilowo nalowo emvinini wakhe, kube yilowo nalowo emkhiwaneni wakhe, niphuze, yilowo nalowo amanzi omthombo wakhe, 17ngize ngifike, nginiyise ezweni elinjengezwe lakini, izwe lokusanhlamvu nelewayini, izwe lesinkwa nelezivini.’
18“Xwayani ukuba uHezekiya anganiyengi ngokuthi: ‘USimakade uyakusikhulula.’ Onkulunkulu bezizwe bake bawakhulula yini amazwe azo esandleni senkosi yase-Asiriya na? 19Baphi onkulunkulu baseHamathi nase-Ariphadi; baphi onkulunkulu baseSefarivayimi na? Balikhululile yini iSamariya esandleni sami na? 20Ngobani phakathi kwabo bonke onkulunkulu balawa mazwe abake bakhulula amazwe abo esandleni sami, ukuba uSimakade angalikhulula iJerusalema esandleni sami na?”
21Bathula, abamphendulanga ngazwi, ngokuba umyalo wenkosi, wathi: “Ningamphenduli.”
22U-Eliyakimi, indodana kaHilikiya owayengamele indlu, noShebhina umbhali, noJowa, indodana ka-Asafa, umabhalane, baya kuHezekiya sebedabule izingubo zabo, bamlandisa amazwi kaRabi Shake.
