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.
Aayassur taa tanta Jerusalem
(2 Aak. 18:13-372 19:14-192 35-37Jes. 36:1-22Jes. 37:8-38)1 Konima yaambika, Hiskia sho a longele Omuwa nuudhiginini, Sennakerib, omupangeli gwaAssur, okwa matukile Juda. Okwa kondeke iilandohote e ta lombwele aakwiita ye, ye yi kwate po. 2 Hiskia sho a mono Sennakerib te ya, a ponokele wo Jerusalem, 3-4 okwa tokola pamwe nomalenga ge, ya thitike omukanka gwomeya pondje yoshilando, opo ya keelele Aayassur kaaya mone omeya, uuna ya thiki popepi naJerusalem. Omalenga oga kutha ongundu onene yaantu e taa thitike oothithiya adhihe, opo omeya gaa tondokele kuyo. 5 Omukwaniilwa okwa koleke omagameneno goshilando, sho a tungulula edhingililokuma lya li lya kumunwa po e ta tungile mo ooshungo mulyo e ta tungu edhingililokuma lyokondje. Okwa tungile wo omapopilo muMillo kuuzilo wombinga onkulu yaJerusalem. Okwa hambulitha omagonga ogendji niikandekitho. 6 Okwa tula aalumentu ayehe moshilando mewiliko lyomalenga e te ya lombwele, ya gongale mehalandjandja posheelo shoshilando. Okwa ti kuyo: 7 “Kaleni mwa tokola nomu na einekelo, inamu tila omupangeli gwaAssur nenge etangakwiita ndyoka te li wilike. Otu neni oonkondo tu ya vule. 8 Oku na oonkondo dhopantu, ihe tse otu na ekwatho lyOmuwa, Kalunga ketu, te tu kwatha molugodhi lwetu.” Aantu oya pendapala pahapu dhomukwaniilwa gwawo.
9 Konima manga Sennakerib netangakwiita lye ya li muLakish, okwa tumu elaka kuHiskia nokAajuda mboka ya li puye muJerusalem tali ti: 10 “Ngame Sennakerib, omupangeli gwaAssur, ote pula kutya omwi itula mushike, sho mu li muJerusalem sha kondekwa?” 11 Hiskia ote mu lombwele kutya Omuwa, Kalunga keni, ote ke mu hupitha miikaha yetu, ihe Hiskia ote mu kotokele note mu sitha kondjala nenota. 12 Oye naanaa ngoka a hanagula po omahala gokunonoma niiyambelo, ihe nena ota lombwele Aajuda nAajerusalem, ya simaneke noya yambe iitsinino koshiyambelo shimwe ashike. 13 Inamu tseya ootatekulu sho ya ningile, nasho nda ningile iigwana? Ookalunga yiigwana oya hupitha tuu iigwana yawo komupangeli gwaAssur? 14 Ookalunga oyeni ya hupitha oshilongo shawo miikaha yetu? Ano otamu dhiladhila ngiini kutya Kalunga keni ota vulu oku mu hupitha? 15 Inamu fundjalekwa kuHiskia nenge e mu pukithe owala. Inamu mu itaala! Kakwa li kalunga a vulu okuhupitha aantu yoshigwana shontumba miikaha yomupangeli gwaAssur. Osho naanaa naKalunga keni ita vulu oku mu hupitha!
16 Omalenga gaAssur oga popi oohapu oombwinayi nokusheka Omuwa Kalunga nomuntu gwe Hiskia. 17 Ontumwafo ndjoka omupangeli a nyola, otayi kondjitha Omuwa, Kalunga kaIsrael. Otayi ti: “Ookalunga yiigwana inaa hupitha aantu yawo miikaha yandje. Osho wo Kalunga kaHiskia ita ka hupitha aantu ye miikaha yandje.” 18 Omalenga ogi igidha oohapu ndhika mOshihebeli, opo ga haluthe noga tyololokithe Aajerusalem mboka ya li kombanda yedhingililokuma lyoshilando, opo ya kwate po oshilando nuupu. 19 Oya popi Kalunga kaJerusalem, ngaashi haa popi iikalunga yiigwana yilwe, iimenka ya hongwa niikaha yaantu.
20 Nena omukwaniilwa Hiskia nomuhunganeki Jesaja yaAmos oya galikana Kalunga e taye mu kugile ekwatho. 21 Omuwa okwa tumu omuyengeli, ngoka a dhipaga aakwiita naanashihako yetangakwiita lyaAssur. Omupangeli okwa shuna kuAssur a sa ohoni. Esiku limwe manga a li motempeli yoshikalunga she, yamwe yomoyanamati oye mu dhipaga nomagongamwele.
22 Pamukalo nguka Omuwa okwa hupitha omukwaniilwa Hiskia nAajerusalem miikaha yaSennakerib, omupangeli gwaAssur, nosho wo kaatondi yawo yalwe. Okwe ya kalitha nombili niilongo ayihe yopuushiinda. 23 Aantu oyendji oye ya kuJerusalem, oya yambele Omuwa omayambo noya pe Hiskia omagano, okuza mpoka iigwana ayihe oya simaneke Hiskia.
Uuvu waHiskia nuuntsa we
(2 Aak. 20:1-32 12-19Jes. 38:1-3Jes. 39:1-8)24 Pomasiku ngeyaka Hiskia okwa kwatwa kuuvu uudhigu, konyala a se. Oye nokwa galikana Omuwa, nOmuwa okwe mu pe endhindhiliko kutya ota ka aluka. 25 Ihe Hiskia okwi inenepeke ye ina pandula Omuwa, onkee okwa adhika kegeelo pamwe naJuda naJerusalem. 26 Ihe Hiskia nAajerusalem sho yi ifupipike, Omuwa ine ya geela we, sigo okeso lyaHiskia.
Uuyamba waHiskia noshinge she
27 Omukwaniilwa Hiskia okwa yambapala unene, naayehe oye mu simaneke. Okwi itungile oompungulilo dhokupungula mo oshingoli, oshisiliveli, omamanya gondilo, iizimba, omahuuyanza niinima iikwawo yi na ondilo. 28 Okwa tungu iigandhi yiilya, oondunda dhomaviinu nomagadhi gooholivi, iigunda yoongombe noyoonzi. 29 Kalunga okwe mu yambeke e te mu pe oonzi noongombe nuuyamba owindjiwindji e ta tungu iilando oyindjii. 30 Hiskia tuu nguka a thitike omatondokelo gomeya gokweeta omeya koluthithiya lwaGihon e ta fulu okwena kwokufala omeya meni lyedhingililokuma lyaJerusalem. Hiskia okwa li e na elago mwaayihe mbyoka e yi longo. 31 Nokuli aatumwa Aababilonia sho ye ya okukonakona oshinyengandunge shoka sha ningwa moshilongo, Kalunga okwe etha Hiskia a ye nondjila ye mwene, opo a vule oku mu tala sho e li momwenyo gwe.
Eso lyaHiskia
(2 Aak. 20:20-21)32 Ashihe shilwe shoka omukwaniilwa Hiskia a ningi neiyapulilo lye Omuwa, osha nyolelwa memoniko lyomuhunganeki Jesaja yaAmos nomembo lyondjokonona yaakwaniilwa yaJuda naIsrael. 33 Hiskia okwa si nokwa fumvikwa moshitopolwa shopombanda shoombila dhaakwaniilwa. Aajuda ayehe nAajerusalem oye mu simaneke peso lye. Omwana Manasse okwe mu landula muukwaniilwa.
