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Senakeribu Aopseza Yerusalemu

32 Zitatha zonse zimene Hezekiya anachita mokhulupirika, Senakeribu mfumu ya ku Asiriya anabwera ndi kuthira nkhondo dziko la Yuda. Iye anazinga mizinda yotetezedwa ya Yuda, kuganiza kuti ayigonjetsa. Pamene Hezekiya anaona kuti Senakeribu wabwera ndipo wakonzeka kuchita nkhondo ndi Yerusalemu, iye anakambirana ndi akuluakulu ake pamodzi ndi atsogoleri a gulu lankhondo za kutseka akasupe ochoka ku kasupe amene anali kunja kwa mzinda, ndipo iwo anamuthandiza. Gulu lalikulu la anthu linasonkhana, ndipo anatseka akasupe onse pamodzi ndi mtsinje umene umayenda mʼkati mwa nthakamo. Iwo ankanena kuti, “Nʼchifukwa chiyani mafumu a Asiriya akabwera kuno adzapeze madzi ambiri?” Kenaka iye anagwira ntchito molimbika kukonza madera ogumuka a khoma ndi kumangapo msanja. Anamanganso mpanda wina kunja kwa mpanda winawo ndipo anamanga zolimbitsa Milo ku mzinda wa Davide.

Iye anasankha atsogoleri a ankhondo olamulira anthu ndipo anawasonkhanitsa pamaso pake pa bwalo la chipata cha mzinda ndi kuwalimbikitsa ndi mawu awa: “Khalani amphamvu ndi olimba mtima. Musachite mantha kapena kutaya mtima chifukwa cha mfumu ya ku Asiriya ndi gulu lalikulu lankhondo limene ali nalo, pakuti ife tili ndi mphamvu yayikulu kuposa imene ili ndi iye. Iye ali ndi mphamvu ya anthu basi, koma ife tili ndi Yehova Mulungu wathu kutithandiza ndi kuchita nkhondo zathu.” Ndipo anthu anapeza chilimbikitso kuchokera pa zimene Hezekiya mfumu ya Yuda ananena.

Nthawi ina, pamene Senakeribu mfumu ya ku Asiriya ndi gulu lake lonse lankhondo anali atazinga Lakisi, iye anatumiza atsogoleri ake ankhondo ku Yerusalemu ndi uthenga uwu kwa Hezekiya mfumu ya Yuda ndi anthu onse a ku Yuda amene anali kumeneko:

10 “Senakeribu mfumu ya ku Asiriya akuti: Kodi inu mukukhulupirira chiyani, kuti mukukhalabe mu Yerusalemu mutazingidwa? 11 Pamene Hezekiya akunena kuti ‘Yehova Mulungu wathu adzatipulumutsa kuchoka mʼdzanja la mfumu ya ku Asiriya,’ iye akukusocheretsani, kuti mufe ndi njala ndi ludzu. 12 Kodi si Hezekiya amene anachotsa malo opembedzerapo Mulungu ameneyu ndi maguwa ansembe ndi kunena kwa anthu a ku Yuda ndi Yerusalemu kuti, ‘Muzipembedza pa guwa lansembe limodzi ndi kupserezapo nsembe?’

13 “Kodi inu simukudziwa zimene ine ndi makolo anga tachita kwa anthu a mitundu ina? Kodi milungu ya mitundu imeneyi inatha kupulumutsa dziko lawo kuchoka mʼdzanja langa? 14 Kodi ndi milungu iti mwa milungu ya mitundu ina ya anthuwo, imene makolo anga anayiwononga kotheratu, inatha kupulumutsa anthu ake mʼdzanja langa? Nanga tsono Mulungu wanuyo adzakupulumutsani mʼdzanja langa motani? 15 Choncho inu musalole kuti Hezekiya akunamizeni ndi kukusocheretsani motere. Musamukhulupirire, pakuti palibe mulungu wa mtundu wina uliwonse kapena ufumu wina uliwonse umene unatha kupulumutsa anthu ake kuchoka mʼdzanja langa kapena mʼdzanja la makolo anga. Nanga bwanji Mulungu wanuyo, sadzatha kukupulumutsani kuchoka mʼdzanja langa!”

16 Atsogoleri a ankhondo a Senakeribu anapitiriza kuyankhula zotsutsana ndi Yehova Mulungu ndi mtumiki wake Hezekiya. 17 Mfumunso inalemba makalata onyoza Yehova, Mulungu wa Israeli, ndipo inanena zotsutsana naye izi: “Monga momwe milungu ya anthu a mayiko ena sinathe kuwapulumutsa kuchoka mʼdzanja langa, chonchonso Mulungu wa Hezekiya sadzapulumutsa anthu ake kuchoka mʼdzanja langa.” 18 Kenaka iwo anafuwula mu Chihebri kwa anthu a mu Yerusalemu amene anali pa khoma, kuwaopseza ndi kuwachititsa mantha ndi cholinga choti alande mzindawo. 19 Iwo anayankhula za Mulungu wa Yerusalemu monga anayankhulira za milungu ya anthu ena a pa dziko lapansi, ntchito ya manja a anthu.

20 Mfumu Hezekiya ndi mneneri Yesaya mwana wa Amozi anafuwulira kumwamba mʼpemphero chifukwa cha zimenezi. 21 Ndipo Yehova anatumiza mngelo amene anadzapha anthu onse odziwa nkhondo ndi atsogoleri ndiponso oyangʼanira misasa ya mfumu ya ku Asiriya. Choncho Senakeribu anabwerera kwawo wamanyazi. Ndipo atalowa mʼnyumba ya mulungu wake, ena mwa ana ake anamupha ndi lupanga.

22 Kotero Yehova anapulumutsa Hezekiya ndi anthu a ku Yerusalemu kuchoka mʼdzanja la Senakeribu mfumu ya ku Asiriya ndi mʼdzanja la anthu ena. Yehova anawateteza ku mbali zonse. 23 Anthu ambiri anabweretsa zopereka kwa Yehova ku Yerusalemu ndi mphatso zamtengowapatali kwa Hezekiya mfumu ya Yuda. Kuyambira nthawi imeneyo Hezekiya ankalemekezedwa kwambiri ndi mitundu ina yonse.

Kunyada, Kupambana ndi Imfa ya Hezekiya

24 Pa nthawi imeneyo Hezekiya anadwala ndipo anali pafupi kufa. Iye anapemphera kwa Yehova, amene anamuyankha ndi kumupatsa chizindikiro chodabwitsa. 25 Koma Hezekiya anali ndi mtima wonyada ndipo sanachite molingana ndi kukoma mtima kumene Mulungu anamuonetsera. Choncho mkwiyo wa Yehova unali pa iye ndi pa Yuda ndi Yerusalemu. 26 Koma kenaka Hezekiya analapa za kunyada kwakeko, monga anachitanso anthu a mu Yerusalemu. Choncho mkwiyo wa Yehova sunafike pa iwo pa nthawi ya Hezekiya.

27 Hezekiya anali ndi chuma ndi ulemu wambiri ndipo anamanga nyumba zosungiramo chuma cha siliva wake ndi golide ndi za miyala yokongola, zokometsera zakudya, zishango ndi mtundu uliwonse wa zinthu zamtengowapatali. 28 Iye anamanganso nyumba zosungiramo tirigu, vinyo watsopano ndi mafuta a olivi, ndiponso anamanga nyumba zodyeramo ngʼombe zosiyanasiyana, ndi makola a nkhosa. 29 Iyeyo anamanga midzi ndipo anali ndi nkhosa ndi ngʼombe zambiri, pakuti Mulungu anamupatsa chuma chambiri.

30 Ndi Hezekiya amene anatseka ku mtunda kwa kasupe wa Gihoni, ndi kumuwongolera kuti madzi ake apite mbali ya kumadzulo kwa Mzinda wa Davide. Iye ankachita bwino pa ntchito iliyonse imene ankagwira. 31 Koma pamene nthumwi zotumizidwa ndi atsogoleri a ku Babuloni zinabwera kudzamufunsa za chizindikiro chozizwitsa chimene chinachitika mʼdzikomo, Mulungu anamusiya yekha, kumuyesa kuti adziwe zonse zimene zinali mu mtima mwake.

32 Zina ndi zina zokhudza ulamuliro wa Hezekiya ndi ntchito za kudzipereka kwake zalembedwa mʼmasomphenya a Yesaya mwana wa Amozi, mʼbuku la mafumu a Yuda ndi Israeli. 33 Hezekiya anamwalira ndipo anayikidwa mʼmanda pa phiri pamene pali manda a zidzukulu za Davide. Ayuda onse ndi anthu a mu Yerusalemu anamulemekeza atamwalira. Ndipo Manase mwana wake analowa ufumu mʼmalo mwake.

Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem(A)(B)

32 After all that Hezekiah had so faithfully done, Sennacherib(C) king of Assyria came and invaded Judah. He laid siege to the fortified cities, thinking to conquer them for himself. When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that he intended to wage war against Jerusalem,(D) he consulted with his officials and military staff about blocking off the water from the springs outside the city, and they helped him. They gathered a large group of people who blocked all the springs(E) and the stream that flowed through the land. “Why should the kings[a] of Assyria come and find plenty of water?” they said. Then he worked hard repairing all the broken sections of the wall(F) and building towers on it. He built another wall outside that one and reinforced the terraces[b](G) of the City of David. He also made large numbers of weapons(H) and shields.

He appointed military officers over the people and assembled them before him in the square at the city gate and encouraged them with these words: “Be strong and courageous.(I) Do not be afraid or discouraged(J) because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him.(K) With him is only the arm of flesh,(L) but with us(M) is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.”(N) And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said.

Later, when Sennacherib king of Assyria and all his forces were laying siege to Lachish,(O) he sent his officers to Jerusalem with this message for Hezekiah king of Judah and for all the people of Judah who were there:

10 “This is what Sennacherib king of Assyria says: On what are you basing your confidence,(P) that you remain in Jerusalem under siege? 11 When Hezekiah says, ‘The Lord our God will save us from the hand of the king of Assyria,’ he is misleading(Q) you, to let you die of hunger and thirst. 12 Did not Hezekiah himself remove this god’s high places and altars, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You must worship before one altar(R) and burn sacrifices on it’?

13 “Do you not know what I and my predecessors have done to all the peoples of the other lands? Were the gods of those nations ever able to deliver their land from my hand?(S) 14 Who of all the gods of these nations that my predecessors destroyed has been able to save his people from me? How then can your god deliver you from my hand? 15 Now do not let Hezekiah deceive(T) you and mislead you like this. Do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver(U) his people from my hand or the hand of my predecessors.(V) How much less will your god deliver you from my hand!”

16 Sennacherib’s officers spoke further against the Lord God and against his servant Hezekiah. 17 The king also wrote letters(W) ridiculing(X) the Lord, the God of Israel, and saying this against him: “Just as the gods(Y) of the peoples of the other lands did not rescue their people from my hand, so the god of Hezekiah will not rescue his people from my hand.” 18 Then they called out in Hebrew to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to terrify them and make them afraid in order to capture the city. 19 They spoke about the God of Jerusalem as they did about the gods of the other peoples of the world—the work of human hands.(Z)

20 King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out in prayer(AA) to heaven about this. 21 And the Lord sent an angel,(AB) who annihilated all the fighting men and the commanders and officers in the camp of the Assyrian king. So he withdrew to his own land in disgrace. And when he went into the temple of his god, some of his sons, his own flesh and blood, cut him down with the sword.(AC)

22 So the Lord saved Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria and from the hand of all others. He took care of them[c] on every side. 23 Many brought offerings to Jerusalem for the Lord and valuable gifts(AD) for Hezekiah king of Judah. From then on he was highly regarded by all the nations.

Hezekiah’s Pride, Success and Death(AE)

24 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. He prayed to the Lord, who answered him and gave him a miraculous sign.(AF) 25 But Hezekiah’s heart was proud(AG) and he did not respond to the kindness shown him; therefore the Lord’s wrath(AH) was on him and on Judah and Jerusalem. 26 Then Hezekiah repented(AI) of the pride of his heart, as did the people of Jerusalem; therefore the Lord’s wrath did not come on them during the days of Hezekiah.(AJ)

27 Hezekiah had very great wealth and honor,(AK) and he made treasuries for his silver and gold and for his precious stones, spices, shields and all kinds of valuables. 28 He also made buildings to store the harvest of grain, new wine and olive oil; and he made stalls for various kinds of cattle, and pens for the flocks. 29 He built villages and acquired great numbers of flocks and herds, for God had given him very great riches.(AL)

30 It was Hezekiah who blocked(AM) the upper outlet of the Gihon(AN) spring and channeled(AO) the water down to the west side of the City of David. He succeeded in everything he undertook. 31 But when envoys were sent by the rulers of Babylon(AP) to ask him about the miraculous sign(AQ) that had occurred in the land, God left him to test(AR) him and to know everything that was in his heart.

32 The other events of Hezekiah’s reign and his acts of devotion are written in the vision of the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 33 Hezekiah rested with his ancestors and was buried on the hill where the tombs of David’s descendants are. All Judah and the people of Jerusalem honored him when he died. And Manasseh his son succeeded him as king.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 32:4 Hebrew; Septuagint and Syriac king
  2. 2 Chronicles 32:5 Or the Millo
  3. 2 Chronicles 32:22 Hebrew; Septuagint and Vulgate He gave them rest