Eyesibini YooKumkani 18:1-37
18 Ngonyaka wesithathu kaHosheya+ unyana kaElaha ukumkani wakwaSirayeli, uHezekiya+ unyana kaKumkani uAhazi+ wakwaYuda waba ngukumkani.
2 Wayeneminyaka eyi-25 xa waba ngukumkani, ibe walawula iminyaka eyi-29 eYerusalem. Igama likamama wakhe yayinguAbhi* intombi kaZekariya.+
3 Waqhubeka esenza izinto ezilungileyo emehlweni kaYehova,+ kanye njengoDavide ukhokho wakhe.+
4 Nguye owazichithayo iindawo eziphakamileyo,+ wadiliza iintsika ezingcwele, wagawula nepali engcwele.*+ Waqhekeza nenyoka yekopolo eyenziwa nguMoses;+ kuba kude kube ngelo xesha amaSirayeli ayesaqhumisa imibingelelo kuyo, eyibiza ngokuthi sisithixo esiyinyoka yekopolo.*
5 Wayethembele ngoYehova+ uThixo kaSirayeli; akuzange kubekho ofana naye kubo bonke ookumkani bakwaYuda, ngaphambili nangasemva kwakhe.
6 Wabambelela kuYehova.+ Akazange ayeke ukumlandela; waqhubeka eyithobela imiyalelo uYehova awayeyinike uMoses.
7 UYehova wayemxhasa. Naphi na apho wayesiya khona, wayesenza ngobulumko. Wamjikela ukumkani waseAsiriya, akavuma ukumkhonza.+
8 Woyisa namaFilisti+ ukuyokutsho eGaza nakwimimandla yayo, ukusuka kwinqaba yoonogada ukuyokutsho kwisixeko esikhuselekileyo.*
9 Ngonyaka wesine kaKumkani uHezekiya, oko kukuthi, ngonyaka wesixhenxe kaHosheya+ unyana kaElaha ukumkani wakwaSirayeli, uKumkani uShalmanesere waseAsiriya wahlasela iSamariya waza wayirhangqa.+
10 Ekupheleni kweminyaka emithathu bayithimba;+ ngonyaka wesithandathu kaHezekiya, oko kukuthi, unyaka wesithoba kaKumkani uHosheya wakwaSirayeli, iSamariya yathinjwa.
11 Emva koko ukumkani waseAsiriya wawathatha amaSirayeli+ wawasa eAsiriya waza wawabeka eHala naseHabhore ngakumlambo iGozan nakwizixeko zamaMedi.+
12 Le nto yenzeka kuba engazange ammamele uYehova uThixo wawo, kodwa aqhubeka esaphula isivumelwano sakhe, yonke into uMoses umkhonzi kaYehova awayewayalele yona.+ Awazange amamele, engazange athobele.
13 Ngonyaka we-14 kaKumkani uHezekiya, uSenaribhe ukumkani waseAsiriya+ wazihlasela zonke izixeko ezikhuselekileyo zakwaYuda waza wazithimba.+
14 Ngoko uKumkani uHezekiya wakwaYuda wathumela umyalezo kukumkani waseAsiriya eLakishe, esithi: “Ndonile. Sukuba sandihlasela, ndiza kunika nantoni na oyifunayo.” Ukumkani waseAsiriya wathi uKumkani uHezekiya wakwaYuda makakhuphe iitalente* zesilivere eziyi-300 neetalente zegolide eziyi-30.
15 Ngoko uHezekiya wanikela ngayo yonke isilivere eyafunyanwa endlini kaYehova nakwindawo yokugcina ubutyebi bendlu kakumkani.+
16 Ngelo xesha uHezekiya ukumkani wakwaYuda wayisusa imigubasi neengcango zetempile+ kaYehova awayezaleke ngegolide,+ wazinika ukumkani waseAsiriya.
17 Emva koko, ukumkani waseAsiriya wathuma iTartan,* iRabhesarisi* neRabheshake* kuKumkani uHezekiya eYerusalem,+ zivela eLakishe+ nomkhosi omkhulu wamajoni. Zenyuka zaya eYerusalem zaza zema ngakumsele wechibi eliphezulu, ngakuhola wendlela ongakwindawo yomntu ohlamba iimpahla.+
18 Zakhwaza zicela ukubona ukumkani, kodwa kweza uEliyakim+ unyana kaHilekiya owayephethe indlu,* uShebhena+ unobhala noYowa unyana ka-Asafu owayegcina ingxelo.
19 IRabheshake yathi kubo: “Yithini kuHezekiya, ‘Uthi ukumkani omkhulu, ukumkani waseAsiriya: “Uthembele ngantoni?+
20 Wena uthi, ‘Ndinecebo namandla okulwa emfazweni,’ kodwa akukho kwanto injalo. Uthembele ngabani, le nto ude ube nesibindi sokungandithobeli?+
21 Tyhini! Uthembele ngale ngcongolo ityumkileyo iYiputa,+ le ethi ukuba umntu uxhathisa ngayo, imhlabe esandleni. Unjalo kaloku uFaro ukumkani waseYiputa kubo bonke abo bathembele ngaye.
22 Ukuba uthi kum, ‘Sithembele ngoYehova uThixo wethu,’+ ayizozakhe na ezi ndawo ziphakamileyo nezibingelelo azidilizileyo uHezekiya,+ ngoxa esithi kuYuda neYerusalem, ‘Nifanele niqubude phambi kwesi isibingelelo eYerusalem’?”’+
23 Ngoko ke, khawubheje nenkosi yam, ukumkani waseAsiriya: Ndiza kukunika amahashe ayi-2 000, ndifuna khe sibone ukuba ungawafumanela na abakhweli.+
24 Ngoko ke, ungakwazi njani ukoyisa noyena mlawuli ungenamandla kwizicaka zenkosi yam, usathembele ngeenqwelo nabakhweli-mahashe baseYiputa?
25 AyingoYehova na ondinike igunya lokuba nditshabalalise le ndawo? NguYehova ngokwakhe othe kum, ‘Nyuka ulihlasele eli lizwe, uze ulitshabalalise.’”
26 UEliyakim unyana kaHilekiya, uShebhena+ noYowa bathi kule Rabheshake:+ “Sicela uthethe nezicaka zakho ngolwimi lwesiAramiki*+ kuba siyalwazi; sukuthetha nathi ngolwimi lwamaYuda bekuva aba bantu baseludongeni.”+
27 Kodwa iRabheshake yathi kubo: “Ngaba inkosi yam indithume ukuba ndiwathethe kuni nakwinkosi yenu qha la mazwi? Ngaba ayindithumanga nakwaba bantu bahleli eludongeni, abaza kutya ilindle labo baze basele nomchamo wabo kunye nani?”
28 Ngoko iRabheshake yema yaza yakhwaza ngolwimi lwamaYuda, isithi: “Yivani ilizwi lokumkani omkhulu, ukumkani waseAsiriya.+
29 Ukumkani uthi, ‘Ningamvumeli uHezekiya aniqhathe, kuba soze akwazi ukunisindisa kum.+
30 Sanukumvumela uHezekiya anenze nithembele ngoYehova, ngokuthi: “Nakanjani na uYehova uza kusisindisa. Esi sixeko asizukunikelwa kukumkani waseAsiriya.”+
31 Sanukummamela uHezekiya, kuba uthi ukumkani waseAsiriya: “Nikezelani, sibe seluxolweni, ibe ngamnye wenu uza kutya iziqhamo zemithi yakhe yeediliya neyamafiya,* aze asele amanzi kwelakhe iqula,
32 de ndifike ndize ndinise kwilizwe elifana nelenu,+ ilizwe elinokutya okuziinkozo newayini entsha, ilizwe elinesonka namasimi eediliya, ilizwe elinemithi yeminquma nobusi. Niza kuphila ningafi. Ningammameli uHezekiya, kuba uyanilahlekisa xa esithi, ‘UYehova uza kusisindisa.’
33 Ukhona na koothixo beentlanga okwazileyo ukusindisa ilizwe lakhe kukumkani waseAsiriya?
34 Baphi oothixo baseHamati+ naseArpadi? Baphi oothixo baseSefarvayim,+ naseHena naseIva? Baye bayisindisa na iSamariya esandleni sam?+
35 Ukhona na koothixo bala mazwe oye walisindisa ilizwe lakhe kum, le nto nicinga ukuba uYehova angayisindisa iYerusalem esandleni sam?”’”+
36 Kodwa abantu bathula bathi cwaka abaphendula, kuba ukumkani wayebayalele wathi, “Ze ningaphenduli.”+
37 UEliyakim unyana kaHilekiya, owayephethe indlu,* uShebhena unobhala noYowa unyana ka-Asafu owayegcina ingxelo, bazikrazula iimpahla zabo, beza kuHezekiya, bamxelela izinto ezithethwe yiRabheshake.
Umbhalo osemazantsi
^ Igama elishunqulelweyo lika-Abhiya.
^ Funda Ingcaciso Yamagama.
^ Okanye “nguNehushtani.”
^ Oko kukuthi, kuzo zonke iindawo, nokuba zazinabantu abambalwa okanye abaninzi.
^ Italente yayilingana ne-34,2 kg. Funda Isihlomelo B14.
^ Okanye “umngcamli wewayini oyintloko.”
^ Okanye “igosa eliyintloko lasendlini kakumkani.”
^ Okanye “inkumanda.”
^ Okanye “indlu kakumkani.”
^ Okanye “isiSiriya.”
^ Okanye “neyamakhiwane.”
^ Okanye “indlu kakumkani.”
