Baasiriya ne Jerusalema
(2 Bomambo 18:13-372 19:14-19, 2 35-37Isaya 36:1-22Isaya 37:8-38)1 Shule kwe zwithu izwezwi zose zwakathamwa ndi Hezekiya nge kugalikabgwe, Senakheribu mambo we Baasiriya kazha kanginilila Juda ngono kakomba mizi yose ye matizhilo ekumbula kuti aizwitolele iyo. 2 Ngono Hezekiya wakati ebona kuti Senakheribu waswika ngono kakale una mazwimisilo e kugwa ne Jerusalema, 3 kalongolosa ne makulukota awe ne balume babe bakasima kuti bamise vula ye misenya yakabe idwa kuzhe kwe mizi mikulu ngono bakambhatsha kuthama saikoko. 4 Bunjinji gwe bathu bakabe bakakubungana ngono bakamisa misenya yose ne lukobana gwakabe guwunga mu shango beti, “Ini bomambo be Asiriya bangazha bewana vula ingapa kene?” 5 Ngono mambo kashinga kwazo kumusa guma lakabe lakawa ngono kabaka thungamakole mulili, kabaka limwe guma tjakuzhe kwe lakabe liliyapo ngono kasimisa matizhilo e Duluthulu mu nzi nkulu wa Dafite. Wakathama mathumo ne zwivikisi zwinjinji. 6 Ngono kabiga balume bose mu nzi nkulu pasi kwe balauli be babhayani ngono kalaula kuti banoshangana ku tjibata ku nkoba we nzi nkulu ngono kabakulumbidza eti, 7 “Simani mube nge tjilopa. Musitje kene kuli kutemeka mafupa mbeli kwa mambo we Asiriya ne babhayani bose baanabo, ngobe upakati kwedu nkulu pana baanabo. 8 Iye una simba le nthu koga iswi tina Yahwe Ndzimu wedu, banotibhatsha bakagwa ngwa dzedu.” Ngono bathu bakasima besimisiwa nge matama a Hezekiya mambo we Juda.
9 Shule kwa ipapo Senakheribu mambo we Asiriya wakati akakomba Lakhishi ne babhayani babe bose katuma balanda babe ku Jerusalema kuna Hezekiya mambo we Juda ne ku bathu bose be Juda bakabe bali mu Jerusalema eti, 10 “Senakheribu mambo we Asiriya kati, ‘Makabiga muni kene amuligele mu Jerusalema yakakombiwa wali kene? 11 Apa amutobona kuti Hezekiya unomutjengela wali kuti ndizo mufe mubulawa nge bhamba ne nyota kene ha emudwa eti, “Yahwe Ndzimu wedu unowotisunungula mu simba le mambo we Asiriya!” 12 Apa ate ali iye zwe Hezekiya wakadusa magalo a pezhugwi ne zwibeso ngono kalaula Juda ne Jerusalema eti, “Makafanila namata pa tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo tjing'ompela mutjili makafanila pisa zwibhayilo,” kene? 13 Apa amutoziba kuti imi na bobatategulu bangu takathamani bathu bose be shango dzipoga kene? Apa midzimu ye shango idzedzo yakatubula bhatsha bathu ibabo kene? 14 Ndiupi mu midzimu iyeyo ye shango idzedzi dzakalobesiwa tjoselele ndi bobatategulu bangu wakatubula kutjidza bathu bawo mu simba langu, kungayita kuti Ndzimu wenyu utubule kumutjidza mu simba langu kene? 15 Ndizo ngwenu musiletje Hezekiya kuti amutjebele kene kumutungamilila ntome nge zila yakajali, kakale musitongo n'galabgwe ngobe akuna ndzimu we shango ipi kene we bushe gupi wakatongotjidza bathu bawo muna bobatategulu bangu. Ndizo wali ndzimu wenyu usingake ukamutjidza mundili!’ ”
16 Balanda ba Senakheribu bakadwilila ngoleba zwithu zwakabipa ngekwa Yahwe Ndzimu nenge kwe nlanda wawo Hezekiya. 17 Mambo bakakwala hwalo betuka Yahwe Ndzimu we Iziraela ngono beleba beti, “Midzimu ye be zwitjaba yakakong'wa ngotjidza bathu bayo mu simba langu ngono naiwo Ndzimu wa Hezekiya aungatubule kutjidza bathu bawo mu simba langu.” 18 Ngono bakamimila nge mahwi a pezhugwi nge lulimi gwe Bajuta bemililila bathu be Jerusalema bakabe bali mu guma le nzi nkulu kuti ndizo babapalusemoyo kuti bakowotola nzi nkulu. 19 Bakalebeleka ngekwe Ndzimu we Jerusalema se ungati banolebeleka ngekwe midzimu ye bamwe bathu, midzimu yakabezhiwa nge nthu.
20 Mambo Hezekiya ne nlebesambeli Isaya nkololo wa Amozi bakatembezela Ndzimu nge kwa ikoku ngono bakalilila kudzimu. 21 Ngono Yahwe bakatuma ntumwa we kudzimu kubulaya babhayani bose bakasima ne balauli be babhayani ne balauli be ngwa ya mambo we Asiriya. Ndizo mambo we Asiriya kabgwilila ku shango iye akabhakhwa nge shoni. Ngono wakati eswika ku ng'umba ye ndzimu uwe, bamwe be bakololo babe bakambhayila ipapo nge thumo.
22 Ndizo Yahwe bakatjidza Hezekiya ne bagali be Jerusalema mu simba la Senakheribu mambo we Asiriya ne mu masimba e zwita zwizwe zose, ngono bakabapa mbakiso kumwe ne kumwe. 23 Banjinji bakazhisa zwipo kuna Yahwe ku Jerusalema ne zwithu zwakanaka kuna Hezekiya mambo we Juda ndizo kakudziwa mbeli kwe zwitjaba zose kudwa mu tjibaka itjetjo ne kuyenda mbeli.
Gwala kwa Hezekiya ne kuzwikudza
(2 Bomambo 20:1-3, 2 12-19Isaya 38:1-3Isaya 39:1-8)24 Mu mazhuba iyawo Hezekiya kagwala, egwalilo fa, ngono wakatembezela Yahwe ngono bakan'dabila, bakampa tjilakidzo tjekuti unowopola. 25 Koga Hezekiya kasibokele tjaathamigwa, kazwikudza ndizo bushongola gwa Yahwe gukadelukila mu nli ne mu Juda ne mu Jerusalema. 26 Koga Hezekiya kazwiyisa pasi ngekwe mazwikudzo awe ne bathu be Jerusalema naibobo ngono bushongola gwa Yahwe kukasidelukile mubali mu tjibaka tja Hezekiya.
Fumwa ya Hezekiya
27 Hezekiya wakabe ana fumwa njinji ne gudzo, wakazwithamila matula e siliva ne golide nenge e mabgwe e ntengo upezhugwi ne e zwipayisi ne zwivikisi ne zwimwe zwishingisiwa zwe ntengo upezhugwi, 28 kabaka matula e mathunde ne mabiganyilo e nkumbi we zhambi ne mafuta ne matanga e ng'ombe neye pkhwizi ne mbudzi zwikabe zwinjinji kwazo. 29 Wakabaka mizi kabe ne pkhwizi ne mbudzi ne matanga e ng'ombe manjinji kwazo ngobe Ndzimu wakabe wampa fumwa njinji kwazo. 30 Hezekiya ndiyezwe wakazhalila nsenya we Gihoni ngono kathama kuti uwungile kunomila zhuba kwe nzi nkulu wa Dafite. Hezekiya wakabhudilila mu mishingo iye yose, 31 nenge tjibaka tje bakololo be Bhabhiloni pabakazha bewobhuzwisisa nge tjakabe tjashingikala mu shango tjakabe tjitjenamisa, Ndzimu wakanletjedza kunlika ne kuziba tjimwe ne tjimwe tjakabe tjili mu moyo uwe.
Bhelelo le kubusa kwa Hezekiya
(2 Bomambo 20:20-21)32 Mishingo yose ya Hezekiya ne zwiyito zwizwe zwibuyanana, bonani, zwakakwagwa mu mbono dze Nlebesambeli Isaya nkololo wa Amozi ne mu Lukwalo gwa Bomambo be Juda ne Iziraela. 33 Hezekiya kafa ngono kabiganyiwa kwakatathila kwe zwikumbu zwe zwizekugwana zwa Dafite ngono. Juda yose ne bagali be Jerusalema bakan'kudza mu nsi we kufa kukwe. Manase nkololo uwe kan'gala thaka.
King Sennacherib of Assyria Invades Judah
(2 Kings 18.13-37Isaiah 36.1-22)1 After King Hezekiah had faithfully obeyed the Lord's instructions by doing these things, King Sennacherib of Assyria invaded Judah. He attacked the fortified cities and thought he would capture every one of them.
2 As soon as Hezekiah learned that Sennacherib was planning to attack Jerusalem, 3-4 he and his officials worked out a plan to cut off the supply of water outside the city, so that the Assyrians would have no water when they came to attack. The officials got together a large work force that stopped up the springs and streams near Jerusalem.
5 Hezekiah's workers also repaired the broken sections of the city wall. Then they built defense towers and an outer wall to help protect the one already there. The landfill on the east side of David's City was also strengthened.
He gave orders to make a large supply of weapons and shields, 6 and he appointed army commanders over the troops. Then he gathered the troops together in the open area in front of the city gate and said to them:
7 Be brave and confident! There's no reason to be afraid of King Sennacherib and his powerful army. We are much more powerful, 8 because the Lord our God fights on our side. The Assyrians must rely on human power alone.
These words encouraged the army of Judah.
9 When Sennacherib and his troops were camped at the town of Lachish, he sent a message to Hezekiah and the people in Jerusalem. It said:
10 I am King Sennacherib of Assyria, and I have Jerusalem surrounded. Do you think you can survive my attack? 11 Hezekiah your king is telling you that the Lord your God will save you from me. But he is lying, and you'll die of hunger and thirst. 12 Didn't Hezekiah tear down all except one of the Lord's altars and places of worship? And didn't he tell you people of Jerusalem and Judah to worship at that one place?
13 You've heard what my ancestors and I have done to other nations. Were the gods of those nations able to defend their land against us? 14 None of those gods kept their people safe from the kings of Assyria. Do you really think your God can do any better? 15 Don't be fooled by Hezekiah! No god of any nation has ever been able to stand up to Assyria. Believe me, your God cannot keep you safe!
16 The Assyrian officials said terrible things about the Lord God and his servant Hezekiah. 17 Sennacherib's letter even made fun of the Lord. It said, “The gods of other nations could not save their people from Assyria's army, and neither will the God that Hezekiah worships.” 18 The officials said all these things in Hebrew, so that everyone listening from the city wall would understand and be terrified and surrender. 19 The officials talked about the Lord God as if he were nothing but an ordinary god or an idol that someone had made.
The Death of King Sennacherib
(2 Kings 19.14-192 35-37Isaiah 37.14-20Isaiah 37.36-38)20 Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz begged the Lord for help, 21 and he sent an angel that killed every soldier and commander in the Assyrian camp.
Sennacherib returned to Assyria, completely disgraced. Then one day he went into the temple of his god where some of his sons killed him.
22 The Lord rescued Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from Sennacherib and also protected them from other enemies. 23 People brought offerings to Jerusalem for the Lord and expensive gifts for Hezekiah, and from that day on, every nation on earth respected Hezekiah.
Hezekiah Gets Sick and Almost Dies
(2 Kings 20.1-11Isaiah 38.1-8)24 About this same time, Hezekiah got sick and was almost dead. He prayed, and the Lord gave him a sign that he would recover. 25 But Hezekiah was so proud that he refused to thank the Lord for everything he had done for him. This made the Lord angry, and he punished Hezekiah and the people of Judah and Jerusalem. 26 Hezekiah and the people later felt sorry and asked the Lord to forgive them. So the Lord did not punish them as long as Hezekiah was king.
Hezekiah's Wealth
(2 Kings 20.12-19Isaiah 39.1-8)27 Hezekiah was very rich, and everyone respected him. He built special rooms to store the silver, the gold, the precious stones and spices, the shields, and the other valuable possessions. 28 Storehouses were also built for his supply of grain, wine, and olive oil; barns were built for his cattle, and pens were put up for his sheep. 29 God made Hezekiah extremely rich, so he bought even more sheep, goats, and cattle. And he built towns where he could keep all these animals.
30 It was Hezekiah who built a tunnel that carried the water from Gihon Spring into the city of Jerusalem. In fact, everything he did was successful! 31 Even when the leaders of Babylonia sent messengers to ask Hezekiah about the sign God had given him, God let Hezekiah give his own answer to test him and to see if he would remain faithful.
Hezekiah Dies
(2 Kings 20.202 21)32 Everything else Hezekiah did while he was king, including how faithful he was to the Lord, is included in the records kept by Isaiah the prophet. These are written in The History of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 33 When Hezekiah died, he was buried in the section of the royal tombs that was reserved for the most respected kings, and everyone in Judah and Jerusalem honored him. His son Manasseh then became king.