Hezekiah Asks Isaiah for Advice
(2 Kings 19.1-13)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 me:
3 Isaiah, 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 came to me, 6 I 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
(2 Kings 19.14-19)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 Then he prayed:
16 Lord God All-Powerful 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. 17 Just look and see how Sennacherib has insulted you, the living God.
18 It is true, our Lord, that Assyrian kings have turned nations into deserts. 19 They destroyed the idols of wood and stone that the people of those nations had made and worshiped. 20 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 Lord.
Isaiah Gives the Lord's Answer to Hezekiah
(2 Kings 19.20-34)21-22 I went to Hezekiah and told him that the Lord God of Israel had said:
Hezekiah, you prayed to me about King Sennacherib of Assyria. Now this is what I say to that king:
The people of Jerusalem
hate and make fun of you;
they laugh behind your back.
23 Sennacherib, you cursed,
shouted and sneered at me,
the holy One of Israel.
24 You let your officials
insult me, the Lord.
And here is what you
have said 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.
25 I dried up every stream
in the land of Egypt,
and I drank water
from wells I had dug.”
26 Sennacherib, now listen
to me, the Lord.
I planned all of this long ago.
And you don't even know
that I alone am the one
who decided that you
would do these things.
I let you make ruins
of fortified cities.
27 Their people became weak,
terribly confused.
They were like wild flowers
or like tender young grass
growing on a flat roof
or like a field of grain
before it matures.
28 I know all about you,
even how fiercely angry
you are with me.
29 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.
30 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. 31 Those who survive in Judah will be like a vine that puts down deep roots and bears fruit. 32 I, the Lord All-Powerful, will see to it that some who live in Jerusalem will survive.
33 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. 34 As surely as I am the Lord, he will return by the way he came and will never enter Jerusalem. 35 I will protect it for the sake of my own honor and because of the promise I made to my servant David.
The Death of King Sennacherib
(2 Kings 19.35-37)36 The Lord sent an angel to the camp of the Assyrians, and he killed 185,000 of them all in one night. The next morning, the camp was full of dead bodies. 37 After this, King Sennacherib went back to Assyria and lived in the city of Nineveh. 38 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 Okunyonauka po kwaSanheerib
1 Ndele ohamba Hiskia, eshi e shi uda, okwa pombaula oikutu yaye, ndele ta djala oshako, ta i motembeli yOmwene. 2 Opo nee ye okwa tuma Eliakim, elenga leumbo lohamba naSebna, omushangi novakulunhu vomovapristeli, va djala eeshako, ndele te va tumu kuJesaja yaAmos, omuxunganeki. 3 Ndele vo ova tya kuye: Hiskia ta ti ngaha: “Efiku eli olo efiku loudjuu nolehandu nolesheko, osheshi ounona ove uya poshivelo shoshidalelo, ndele kape na eenghono dokulikena. 4 Pamwe Omwene Kalunga koye ta udu eendjovo daRabsake, ou a tumwa komwene waye, ohamba yaAsiria, e mu tuma okusheka Kalunga omunamwenyo, ndele te mu handukilile eendjovo odo Kalunga koye e di uda. Ndele ove yelula eindilo molwoshixupe osho shi li po natango.” 5 Ndele ovapiya vohamba Hiskia, eshi ve uya kuJesaja, 6 Jesaja okwa tya kuvo: “Ka lombweleni omwene weni mu tye: ‘Omwene ota ti: ino tila eendjovo odo wa uda, da shekifwa nge kovapiya vohamba yaAsiria. 7 Tala, Ame ohandi ke mu pa omhepo, nokutya ta udu eenghundana, ota shuna koshilongo shavo, ndele handi ke mu dipaela moshilongo shavo neongamukonda.’ ”
8 Opo nee Rabsake okwa shuna, ndele okwa hanga ohamba yaAsiria tai lwifa Libna, osheshi okwa li a uda nokutya, ye a dja mo muLakis. 9 Ndele Sanheerib eshi a uda Tirhaka, ohamba yaEtiopia, taku tiwa: “Ye okwa fikama e ke mu lwife”, okwa tumununa kuHiskia ondaka 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, nghee di i teya po. Ove ngeno u xupifwe? 12 Oikalunga yoiwana oya xupifa mbela ovo va teyaulwa kootatekulu? Gosan naHaran naResef novana vaEden va kala muTelassar? 13 Ohamba yaHamat, nohamba yaArpad, nohamba yoshilando shaSefarvaim, shaHena noshaIva, odi li peni?’ ”
14 Ndele Hiskia eshi a tambula ombapila momake ovatumwa, okwe i lesha, ndele ta i motembeli yOmwene, ndele te i nyaneke koshipala shOmwene. 15 Ndele Hiskia okwa ilikana Omwene ndele ta ti: 16 “Akutu Omwene womatanga ovakwaita, Kalunga kaIsrael! Ove wa kala omutumba kolukalwapangelo tali humbatwa kovakerubi, Oove auke Kalunga koilongo aishe yedu, Ove wa shita eulu nedu. 17 Akutu Omwene, ameka okutwi kwoye, Ove u ude ko; pashula omesho oye, Omwene, Ove u tale. Pwilikina eendjovo daSanheerib adishe e di tumina okusheka Kalunga omunamwenyo. 18 Heeno, oshili, Omwene, eehamba daAsiria oda hanauna po oilongo aishe de i ninga omaputu, 19 ndele va ekela oikalunga yayo momundilo, osheshi ova li vehe fi oikalunga, ndelenee ova hongwa nomake ovanhu, ovo oiti nomamanya, onghee va dula oku va hanauna po. 20 Hano paife, Omwene Kalunga ketu, tu xupifa momake aye, oilongo aishe yedu i ka shiive, Oove auke Omwene Kalunga.”
21 Opo nee Jesaja yaAmos okwa tuma kuHiskia, ndele ta ti: “Omwene Kalunga kaIsrael ota ti: Eshi ove wa ilikana kwaame molwaSanheerib, ohamba yaAsiria, onda uda ko. 22 Ondjovo Omwene e i popya oyo ei:
‘Okakadona, omona waSion te ku dini, te ku sheke,
omona okakadona kaJerusalem
ote ku lipukaapukile komutwe.
23 Olyelye ou ove we mu dina nowe mu tuka,
nondaka yoye owe i yelulila lyelye?
Omesho oye owe a dakamena melituleko kOmuyapuki waIsrael.
24 Ove owa tukifa Omwene kovapiya voye,
ndele wa tya: Kouhapu womatemba oita ange
onda londa keexulo deemhunda,
kominghulo daLibanon;
ndele ame nda hala okuka po omisederi dayo dile,
nomisipresi dayo da hoololwa,
nonda pita, nda ya fiyo okouxulonyonyo wayo,
nomuulu wayo wa wapalelela unene;
25 ame onda xupa mo nonda nwa mo omeva,
neemhadi dange onda pwiininifa omilonga daEgipiti.
26 “ ‘Ino shi uda:
Ame onde shi lilongekidila nale
nonde shi litokolela momafiku onale?
Paife onde shi wanifa,
nokutya oilando yoye yeehote
otai ningi omaputu ongaho,
27 ndele oonakukalamo ova ngonapala,
va haluka vo va fya ohoni;
va ninga ngaashi oimeno italala yomoixwa,
nongaashi omwiidi mutalala,
ngaashi omwiidi u li kombada yeenduda
noilya ya fya omutenya fimbo inai kula.
28 Ndelenee okukala omutumba kwoye,
nokudja po kwoye nokuuyamo kwoye ondi ku shii
nongaashi okutukulukila nge kwoye.
29 Osheshi ove wa tukulukila nge,
nokuhola ounhwa kwoye okwa fika momatwi ange,
hano onda hala ndi xwekele ondjolo meyulu loye,
noshitomo mokanya koye
nohandi ku shunifile nondjila ei we uyile nayo.’
30 “Ndele oshinima eshi tashi kala edidiliko kwoove, nokutya: neudo eli, lyeni, eshi tashi mene shoovene, nomomudo omutivali eshi tashi uya natango, ndelenee momudo omutitatu kuneni, nye mu teye, twikeni oikokola yomiviinyu, nye mu lye eeviinyu dado. 31 Ndele ovaxupifwa vomeumbo laJuda, ava va xupa po, otava ka twamifa omidi davo medu, ndele tava imine pombada. 32 Osheshi muJerusalem otamu ka dja oshixupe novaxupifwa vokomhunda yaSion. Ouladi wOmwene Kalunga komatanga ovakwaita otau shi ningi. 33 Opo nee Omwene ta popi ohamba yaAsiria ta ti: ‘Ite uya mo moshilando eshi ongaashi ita umbile mo oshikuti, ye ite shi totele nande noshikelelifo, nosho ita fe omikangha domalwilo. 34 Nondjila ei e uya nayo, oyo ta shuna nayo, ndelenee moshilando eshi ye ite uya mo. Omwene osho ta ti. 35 Ndele onda hala ndi amene oshilando eshi nondi shi xupife, ndi shi xupife molwange mwene nomolwomupiya wange David.’ ”
36 Opo nee omweengeli wOmwene okwa ya ko ndele ta dipaele meenhanda daAsiria ovalumenhu omayovi efele nomafele omilongo hetatu naatano. Nongula eshi kwa sha, aveshe ova li oimhu ihe na omwenyo. 37 Ndele Sanheerib, ohamba yaAsiria, okwa fikama, ndele ta i, ta shuna, ndele a kala muNinive. 38 Ndele mefiku limwe, eshi ye a li motembeli yakalunga kaye Nisrok, ndele te linyongamene, ovana vaye ovamati Adrammelek naShareser, ove mu twa neongamukonda, ndele vo ova faduka po, va ya koshilongo shaArarat. Nomona waye Esar-Haddon okwa ninga ohamba ponhele yaye.
