Mambo Senakheribu ebombela Jerusalema
(2 Bomambo 18:13-272 Zwiyitikalo 32:1-19)1 Mu gole le bugumi lina makole ali manna e kubusa kwa Mambo Hezekiya, mambo we Asiriya Senakheribu wakazha kuwonginilila mizi mikulu yose ye Juda ngono kayitapa. 2 Ngono mambo we Asiriya katuma nkulu we balauli be babhayani babe kudwa ku Lakhishi kuti ayende kuna Mambo Hezekiya ku Jerusalema ana babhayani banjinji. Kaswika kama pa ngolo ye dziba litja pezhugwi mu zila ye bumambo inoyenda ku Nnda we Nsuki. 3 Ngono kashangamidziwa ndi Eliyakimu nkololo wa Hilikiya wakabe ali iye ntjengeti we ng'umba ye bumambo epelekwa ndi Shebina nkwalili na Jowa nkololo wa Asafu nkwali we zwiyitikalo.
4 Nkulu we balauli be babhayani kabadwa kati, “Kadweni Hezekiya muti, ‘Mambo nkulu, mambo we Asiriya kati, Tjawakabiga mu tjili ini ha wakadzikama wakajali wali? 5 Unokumbula kuti mano ne masimba e kugwa matama anolebelekwa koga kene? Wakabiga muna ani, ha undipandukila wali? 6 Wakabiga mu Egipiti, igoguja ludozo gwe lushanga gwakavunika, gunowobhaya mmwe ne mmwe unodozola ndigo. Faro mambo we Egipiti wakajalo kuna ibabo bose bakabiga munli. 7 Koga ha ungandidwa ukati, “Iswi tigelebgwe muna Yahwe Ndzimu wedu.” Apa ate uli iwo we magalo akatuthumala ne zwibeso zwe zwibhayilo zwakati Hezekiya kazwikolomola, ebe edwa Juda ne Jerusalema eti, “Namatani pa tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo itjetji kene?” 8 Buya ngeno udumane na tetshi wangu mambo we Asiriya. Ndowokupa mbizi dzili zwiwulu zwibili (2 000), ha iwe unoshaka bangadzitaswa. 9 Aungatubule kumidzana ne nng'ompela we bashomanana tjose be balanda ba tetshi wangu, ha ili kuti wakabiga mu koloyi dze ngwa ne bataswi be mbizi dze Egipiti. 10 Pezhugwi kwa ipapo ndawobhayana ne shango iyeyi nge kuda kwa Yahwe. Yahwe nge kwabo bakandidwa bakati, Yenda unokolomodza shango iyeyije.’ ”
11 Ipapo Eliyakimu na Shebina na Jowa bakadwa nkulu we batungamili be babhayani be Asiriya bakati, “Tokumbila kuti utilebese nge Tjiaramu ngoti totjiwa, usitilebese nge Tjijuta mu zebe dze bathu ibaba ba pezhugwi kwe guma.” 12 Koga iye kabadabila eti, “Apa moti ndatumwa kuwoleba zwithu izwezwi kuna tetshi wenyu ne ku muli koga kene? Akuzojalo, ndatumwa neku bathu bapezhugwi kwe guma, banowoja mapambuko abo bakang'wa mitundo yabo koga samwi.”
13 Ipapo nkulu we balauli be babhayani be Asiriya kamilidza hwi kalebeleka nge Tjijuta kati, “Ihwani matama a mambo nkulu, mambo we Asiriya. 14 Mambo kati, Musitjengedziwe ndi Hezekiya ngoti aatowotubula ku musunungula. 15 Musitongo duma Hezekiya ha eti mugalebgwe muna Yahwe eti, ‘Nge malebeswa Yahwe banowotitjidza. Nzi nkulu iwoyu awungatogwe nge Asiriya.’ 16 Musitongo teedza Hezekiya. Mambo we Asiriya kati, Dumanani nami mube ne mbakiso mubhudile ngeno kundili, ipapo mmwe ne mmwe wenyu unowoja zhambi dze nzhambi uwe ne phaya dze mpaya uwe eng'wa vula mu tshime lile, 17 kuswikila ndizha ndi mutola ndi muisa ku shango inonga yenyu, shango ina mathunde ne nkumbi we zhambi, shango ina tjiwunga ne minda ye mizhambi. 18 Hezekiya asitongo mu lasha nge kumudwa eti, ‘Yahwe banowotitjidza.’ Apa uyapo kene ndzimu pakati kwe midzimu ye zwitjaba wakatongo sunungula itjaba mu maboko a mambo we Asiriya? 19 Ingayi kene midzimu ye Hamati ne ye Aripadi? Ye Sefarivaimu kee, ingayi? Apa yakatongo sunungula Samariya mu maboko angu kene? 20 Ndiipi midzimu pakati kwayo yose iyeyi yakatongo sunungula shango dzayo mu maboko angu kene? Apa ngono mungandibudza kuti Yahwe ungasunungula Jerusalema mu maboko angu kene?”
21 Koga ibo bakanyalala zwabo bakasitongo n'dabila ngekuti mambo bakabe bati, “Musitongo nshandula.” 22 Ipapo Eliyakimu nkololo wa Hilikiya iye wakabe ali ntjengeti we ng'umba ye bumambo ana Shebina nkwalili na Jowa nkololo wa Asafu ali nkwali we zwiyitikalo bakayenda kuna Hezekiya bapalula zwiambalo zwabakaambala, ngono bakambudza matama wose alebgwa ne nkulu we balauli be babhayani be Asiriya.
The Assyrians Threaten Jerusalem
(2 Kings 18.13-272 Chronicles 32.1-19)1 In the fourteenth year that Hezekiah was king of Judah, Sennacherib, the emperor of Assyria, attacked the fortified cities of Judah and captured them. 2 Then he ordered his chief official to go from Lachish to Jerusalem with a large military force to demand that King Hezekiah surrender. The official occupied the road where the cloth makers work, by the ditch that brings water from the upper pool. 3 Three Judeans came out to meet him: the official in charge of the palace, Eliakim son of Hilkiah; the court secretary, Shebna; and the official in charge of the records, Joah son of Asaph. 4 The Assyrian official told them that the emperor wanted to know what made King Hezekiah so confident. 5 He demanded, “Do you think that words can take the place of military skill and might? Who do you think will help you rebel against Assyria? 6 You are expecting Egypt to help you, but that would be like using a reed as a walking stick—it would break and would jab your hand. That is what the king of Egypt is like when anyone relies on him.”
7 The Assyrian official went on, “Or will you tell me that you are relying on the Lord your God? It was the Lord's shrines and altars that Hezekiah destroyed when he told the people of Judah and Jerusalem to worship at one altar only. 8 I will make a bargain with you in the name of the emperor. I will give you two thousand horses if you can find that many riders. 9 You are no match for even the lowest ranking Assyrian official, and yet you expect the Egyptians to send you chariots and horsemen. 10 Do you think I have attacked your country and destroyed it without the Lord's help? The Lord himself told me to attack it and destroy it.”
11 Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah told the official, “Speak Aramaic to us. We understand it. Don't speak Hebrew; all the people on the wall are listening.”
12 He replied, “Do you think you and the king are the only ones the emperor sent me to say all these things to? No, I am also talking to the people who are sitting on the wall, who will have to eat their excrement and drink their urine, just as you will.”
13 Then the official stood up and shouted in Hebrew, “Listen to what the emperor of Assyria is telling you. 14 He warns you not to let Hezekiah deceive you. Hezekiah can't save you. 15 And don't let him persuade you to rely on the Lord. Don't think that the Lord will save you and that he will stop our Assyrian army from capturing your city. 16 Don't listen to Hezekiah! The emperor of Assyria commands you to come out of the city and surrender. You will all be allowed to eat grapes from your own vines and figs from your own trees, and to drink water from your own wells— 17 until the emperor resettles you in a country much like your own, where there are vineyards to give wine and there is grain for making bread. 18 Don't let Hezekiah fool you into thinking that the Lord will rescue you. Did the gods of any other nations save their countries from the emperor of Assyria? 19 Where are they now, the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Did anyone save Samaria? 20 When did any of the gods of all these countries ever save their country from our emperor? Then what makes you think the Lord can save Jerusalem?”
21 The people kept quiet, just as King Hezekiah had told them to; they did not say a word. 22 Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah tore their clothes in grief and went and reported to the king what the Assyrian official had said.