Hezekiah Asks Isaiah the Prophet for Advice
(Isaiah 37.1-13)1 As soon as Hezekiah heard the news, he tore off his clothes in sorrow and put on sackcloth. Then he went into the temple of the Lord. 2 He told Prime Minister Eliakim, Assistant Prime Minister Shebna, and the senior priests to dress in sackcloth and tell the prophet Isaiah:
3 These are difficult and disgraceful times. Our nation is like a woman too weak to give birth, when it's time for her baby to be born. 4 Please pray for those of us who are left alive. The king of Assyria sent his army commander to insult the living God. Perhaps the Lord heard what he said and will do something, if you will pray.
5 When these leaders went to Isaiah, 6 he told them that the Lord had this message for Hezekiah:
I am the Lord. Don't worry about the insulting things that have been said about me by these messengers from the king of Assyria. 7 I will upset him with rumors about what's happening in his own country. He will go back, and there I will make him die a violent death.
8 Meanwhile, the commander of the Assyrian forces heard that his king had left the town of Lachish and was now attacking Libnah. So he went there.
9 About this same time the king of Assyria learned that King Tirhakah of Ethiopia was on his way to attack him. Then the king of Assyria sent some messengers with this note for Hezekiah:
10 Don't trust your God or be fooled by his promise to defend Jerusalem against me. 11 You have heard how we Assyrian kings have completely wiped out other nations. What makes you feel so safe? 12 The Assyrian kings before me destroyed the towns of Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and everyone from Eden who lived in Telassar. What good did their gods do them? 13 The kings of Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah have all disappeared.
Hezekiah Prays
(Isaiah 37.14-20)14 After Hezekiah had read the note from the king of Assyria, he took it to the temple and spread it out for the Lord to see. 15 He prayed:
Lord God of Israel, your throne is above the winged creatures. You created the heavens and the earth, and you alone rule the kingdoms of this world. 16 But just look how Sennacherib has insulted you, the living God.
17 It is true, our Lord, that Assyrian kings have turned nations into deserts. 18 They destroyed the idols of wood and stone that the people of those nations had made and worshiped. 19 But you are our Lord and our God! We ask you to keep us safe from the Assyrian king. Then everyone in every kingdom on earth will know that you are the only God.
The Lord's Answer to Hezekiah
(Isaiah 37.21-35)20 Isaiah went to Hezekiah and told him that the Lord God of Israel had said:
Hezekiah, I heard your prayer about King Sennacherib of Assyria. 21 Now this is what I say to that king:
The people of Jerusalem
hate and make fun of you;
they laugh
behind your back.
22 Sennacherib, you cursed,
shouted, and sneered at me,
the holy God of Israel.
23 You let your officials
insult me, the Lord.
And this is how you
bragged about yourself:
“I led my chariots
to the highest heights
of Lebanon's mountains.
I went deep into its forest,
cutting down the best cedar
and cypress trees.
24 I dried up every stream
in the land of Egypt,
and I drank water
from wells I had dug.”
25 Sennacherib, now listen
to me, the Lord.
I planned all this long ago.
And you don't even realize
that I alone am the one
who decided that you
would do these things.
I let you make ruins
of fortified cities.
26 Their people became weak,
terribly confused.
They were like wild flowers
or tender young grass
growing on a flat roof,
scorched before it matures.
27 I know all about you,
even how fiercely angry
you are with me.
28 I have seen your pride
and the tremendous hatred
you have for me.
Now I will put a hook
in your nose,
a bit in your mouth,
then I will send you back
to where you came from.
29 Hezekiah, I will tell you what's going to happen. This year you will eat crops that grow on their own, and the next year you will eat whatever springs up where those crops grew. But the third year you will plant grain and vineyards, and you will eat what you harvest. 30 Those who survive in Judah will be like a vine that puts down deep roots and bears fruit. 31 I, the Lord All-Powerful, will see to it that some who live in Jerusalem will survive.
32 I promise that the king of Assyria won't get into Jerusalem, or shoot an arrow into the city, or even surround it and prepare to attack. 33 As surely as I am the Lord, he will return by the way he came and will never enter Jerusalem. 34 I will protect it for myself and for my servant David.
The Death of King Sennacherib
(Isaiah 37.36-38)35 That same night the Lord sent an angel to the camp of the Assyrians, and he killed 185,000 of them. And so the next morning, the camp was full of dead bodies. 36 After this King Sennacherib went back to Assyria and lived in the city of Nineveh. 37 One day he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, when his sons, Adrammelech and Sharezer, killed him with their swords. They escaped to the land of Ararat, and his son Esarhaddon became king.
Okuxupifwa kwaJerusalem
1 Nohamba Hiskia eshi ye shi uda, oya pombaula oikutu yayo ndele tai djala oikutu yeefya, ndele tai i mongulu yOmwene. 2 Opo nee ye a tuma komuxunganeki Jesaja yaAmos Eliakim, elenga leumbo lohamba naSebna, omushangi, novakulunhu vomovapristeli, va djala oikutu yeefya. 3 Ndele vo otava ti kuye: “Hiskia ta ti ngaha: Efiku eli, olo efiku loudjuu nolehandu nolesheko. Osheshi ounona ve uya poshivelo shoshidalelo, ndelenee kape neenghono dokudala. 4 Kashiimba Omwene Kalunga koye ta udu eendjovo adishe daRabsake, ou a tumwa komwene waye, ohamba yaAsiria, opo a sheke Kalunga, ndele Ye ote mu handukile omolweendjovo odo Omwene Kalunga koye a uda. Yelula hano eindilo molwoshixupe osho shi li po natango.” 5 Ndele ovapiya vohamba Hiskia eshi ve uya kuJesaja, 6 Jesaja ta ti kuvo: “Omwene weni, mu lombweleni: ‘Omwene osho ta ti: Ino tila eendjovo odo we di uda, da shekifwa nge kovapiya vohamba yaAsiria. 7 Tala, Ame ohandi ke mu pa omhepo, nokutya ta udu eenghundana, ndele ta shuna koshilongo shaye, ndele Ame ohandi ke mu dipaa neongamukonda moshilongo shaye.’ ”
8 Opo nee Rabsake a shuna, ndele ta hange ohamba yaAsiria tai lwifa Libna, osheshi okwa li, a uda nokutya, yo ya dja muLakis. 9 Ndele ye eshi a uda Tirhaka, ohamba yaEtiopia, taku tiwa: “Ye okwa fikama e ku lwife,” okwa tumununa ovatumwa kuHiskia nondaka tai ti: 10 “Ka lombweleni Hiskia, ohamba yaJuda, mu tye: ‘Ino shiivika oulai kuKalunga koye, ou we mu lineekela, eshi to ti, Jerusalem itashi yandjwa momake ohamba yaAsiria. 11 Tala, ove mwene wa uda, eshi eehamba daAsiria da ningila oilongo aishe ndele de i teya po. Oove ngeno u xupifwe? 12 Oikalunga yoiwana oyo ya hanaunwa po kutate, oye i xupifa ngeno, Gosan naHaran naResef novana vaEden sha li muTelassar? 13 Ohamba yaHamat oi li peni? Nohamba yaArpad nohamba yoshilando shaSefarvaim, noyaHena noyaIva, oi li peni?’ ”
14 Hiskia eshi a tambula onhumwafo oyo momake ovatumwa nokwe i lesha, ye okwa ya mongulu yOmwene. Ndele Hiskia okwe i yala koshipala shOmwene. 15 Ndele Hiskia okwa indila koshipala shOmwene ndele ta ti: “Omwene, Kalunga kaIsrael, Ove ho kala omutumba kovakerubi, Oove auke Kalunga koilongo aishe yokombada yedu. Ove wa shita eulu nedu! 16 Akutu Omwene, ameka okutwi kwoye, ove u ude ko. Pashula omesho oye, Omwene, u tale. Ndele uda eendjovo daSanheerib, ou a tuma okusheka Kalunga omunamwenyo! 17 Oshili, Omwene eehamba daAsiria oda hanauna po oiwana noilongo yayo, 18 noikalunga yayo ya xwikwa momundilo, osheshi kai li oikalunga ndelenee oilonga yomake ovanhu, oshiti nemanya. Onghee hano odo da dula oku i hanauna po. 19 Tu xupifa, Omwene Kalunga ketu, momake ayo, opo oilongo aishe yokombada yedu i shiive nokutya, Oove Omwene auke Kalunga kashili.”
20 Opo nee Jesaja yaAmos a tuma kuHiskia, ta ti: “Omwene Kalunga kaIsrael ta ti ngaha: ‘Osho we shi indila nge omolwaSanheerib, ohamba yaAsiria, Ame nde shi uda.’ 21 Ondjovo ei, Omwene e i tongela Hiskia:
‘Okakadona kaSion take ku dini, take ku sheke.
Omona okakadona kaJerusalem
otake ku lipukaapukile komutwe.
22 Olyelye ou, ove we mu dina nowe mu tuka?
Nondaka yoye we i yelulila lyelye?
Nomesho oye we a dakamena
melituleko kOmuyapuki waIsrael!
23 Ove wa tukifa Omwene kovatumwa voye
ndele wa tile: “Nouhapu womatemba ange
ame nda londa keenhele deemhunda,
keexulo daLibanon,
ndele ame nda ka omisederi dayo dile dinene,
nomisipresi dayo da hoololwa onde di ka,
ndele nda pita nda ya fiyo okouxulonyonyo wayo,
nomuulu wayo ou u li ngaashi oshikunino.
24 Ame nda xupa mo ndele nda nwa mo omeva omoilongo,
neemhadi dange nda pwiininifa omilonga adishe domuEgipiti.”
25 ‘Ino shi uda?
Ame nde shi lilongekidila nale
nonde shi litokolela momafiku onale?
Paife onde shi wanifa nokutya,
oilando yoye yeehotekuma
ove u i ninge eenduba dongaho,
26 noonakukalamo muyo ova ngonopala,
va haluka ndele va kala va lengwa.
Vo va li ngaashi oimeno italala yomoixwa,
nongaashi omwiidi tai mene keenduda,
nonhimba fimbo inai kula.
27 ‘Ndelenee okukala omutumba kwoye
nokudja po kwoye nokuuya mo kwoye
ondi ku shii nonhumbi ho tukulukile nge.
28 Shaashi ove ho tukulukile nge,
ndele ounhwa woye wa fika momatwi ange,
onghee hano nda hala ndi xwekele ongona meyulu loye
noshitomo mokanya koye
ndele handi ku shunifa nondjila oyo we uya nayo.
29 ‘Ndele oshinima eshi tashi ka kala edidiliko kwoove: Neudo eli, lyeni, eshi tashi mene shoovene, ndele momudo omutivali osho tashi mene natango. Ndelenee momudo omutitatu, kuneni, nye mu teye, twikeni oikokola yomiviinyu nye mu lye eeviinyu dayo. 30 Opo nee ovaxupifwa vomeumbo laJuda, ava va xupa po, tava ka twamifa omidi davo medu, ndele tava ka imika oiimati pombada, 31 osheshi muJerusalem tamu ka dja oshixupe, novaxupifwa komhunda yaSion.”
Ouladi wOmwene womatanga ovakwaita tau ke shi ninga.
32 “Onghee hano Omwene ta ti mokupopya ohamba yaAsiria: Yo itai uya mo moshilando eshi, ndele itai umbile mo oshikuti, yo itai shi totele nande noikelelifo, ndele itai tungu ko omatelendja. 33 Nondjila tuu oyo e uya nayo, yo i nokushuna. Ndelenee moshilando tuu eshi yo itai ke uya mo nande. 34 Ndele Ame ohandi ka amena oshilando eshi, ndi shi xupife omolwange mwene nomolwomupiya wange David.’ ”
Enyonauko lomatanga ovakwaita vaSanheerib
35 Ndele oufiku tuu winya omweengeli wOmwene e uya nokwa dipaa monhanda yOvaasiria ovalumenhu omayovi efele nomilongo hetatu naatano. Nongula eshi kwa sha ndele va penduka, aveshe va li oimhu ihe nomwenyo. 36 Ndele Sanheerib, ohamba yaAsiria, oya fikama ndele tai i, tai shuna ndele ya kala muNinive. 37 Ndele yo eshi ye linyongamena motembeli yaNisrok, ovana vayo ovamati Adrammelek naShareser, ve mu dipaa neongamukonda. Ndelenee va ya onhapo koshilongo shaArarat. Nomona waye omumati Esar-Haddon okwa ninga ohamba ponhele yaye.
