Verse 1: Emva kwalezo zinto naleso sibonelo sokuthembeka kwafika uSaneheribi inkosi yase-Asiriya, wangena kwaJuda, wamisa malungana nemizi ebiyelweyo, wathi uyakuzifohlela yona.
Verse 2: Lapho uHezekiya esebona ukuthi uSaneheribi ufikile nokuthi uqonda ukulwa neJerusalema,
Verse 3: welulekana nezikhulu zakhe namaqhawe akhe ukuba bavimbe amanzi emithombo eyayingaphandle komuzi; bamsiza.
Verse 4: Kwabuthana abantu abaningi, bavimba yonke imithombo, nomfudlana owawugobhoza phakathi nezwe, bathi: “Kungangani ukuba kufike amakhosi ase-Asiriya, afumane amanzi amaningi, na?”
Verse 5: Waziqinisa, wakha lonke ugange olwaludiliziwe, wabeka imibhoshongo phezu kwalo, nolunye ugange ngaphandle, waqinisa iMilo emzini kaDavide, wenza izikhali nezihlangu eziningi.
Verse 6: Wabeka izinduna zempi phezu kwabantu, wazibuthela bona esigcawini ngasesangweni lomuzi, wakhuluma kahle kubo, wathi:
Verse 7: “Qinani, nime isibindi, ningesabi, ningapheli amandla ngenkosi yase-Asiriya nangesixuku sonke esinayo, ngokuba onathi mkhulu kunonaye;
Verse 8: okunaye yingalo yenyama; okunathi nguJehova uNkulunkulu wethu ukuba asisize, alwe izimpi zethu.” Abantu bencika emazwini kaHezekiya inkosi yakwaJuda.
Verse 9: Emva kwalokho uSaneheribi inkosi yase-Asiriya wathuma izinceku zakhe eJerusalema wayephambi kweLakishi nabo bonke ababusi benaye kuHezekiya inkosi yakwaJuda nakuye wonke uJuda waseJerusalema, wathi:
Verse 10: “Usho kanje uSaneheribi, inkosi yase-Asiriya, uthi: Nethembani nina, njengokuba nihlala nivinjezelwe eJerusalema, na?
Verse 11: UHezekiya akaniyengi yini ukuba aninikele, nife ngendlala nangokoma, ethi: ‘UJehova uNkulunkulu wethu uyakusophula esandleni senkosi yase-Asiriya,’ na?
Verse 12: Yena lowo Hezekiya akasusanga yini izindawo eziphakemeyo nama-altare akhe, wayala uJuda neJerusalema, wathi: ‘Niyakukhuleka phambi kwe-altare linye, nishise impepho,’ na?
Verse 13: “Anazi yini ukuthi mina nawobaba senzeni kubo bonke abezizwe na? Onkulunkulu babezizwe babe namandla yini nakanjani okophula izwe labo esandleni sami na?
Verse 14: Ngubani phakathi kwabo bonke onkulunkulu balezo zizwe ezachithwa ngobaba owayenamandla okophula abantu bakhe esandleni sami, ukuze uNkulunkulu wenu anophule nina esandleni sami, na?
Verse 15: Ngalokho uHezekiya makanganikhohlisi, anganiyengi ngale ndlela, ningakholwa nguye, ngokuba kwakungekho nkulunkulu nakusiphi isizwe noma kumuphi umbuso owayenamandla okophula abantu bakhe esandleni sami nasesandleni sawobaba; kakhulu kangakanani anganophula esandleni sami uNkulunkulu wenu na?”
Verse 16: Izinceku zakhe zazikhuluma nokunye okuphambene noJehova uNkulunkulu nenceku yakhe uHezekiya.
Verse 17: Wayelobe nencwadi yokumhlambalaza uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, wakhuluma okuphambene naye, wathi: “Njengalokho onkulunkulu babezizwe bengabophulanga abantu babo esandleni sami, kanjalo uNkulunkulu kaHezekiya akayikubophula abantu bakhe esandleni sami.”
Verse 18: Bamemeza ngezwi elikhulu ngolimi lwabaJuda kubantu baseJerusalema ababe sogangeni ukuba babethuse, babesabise, ukuze bawuthathe umuzi.
Verse 19: Bakhuluma ngoNkulunkulu waseJerusalema njengangawonkulunkulu babantu bomhlaba abangumsebenzi wezandla zabantu.
Verse 20: UHezekiya inkosi no-Isaya umprofethi, indodana ka-Amose, bakhuleka ngenxa yalokho, bakhala ngasezulwini.
Verse 21: UJehova wathuma ingelosi eyanquma onke amaqhawe anamandla, nabaholi, nezinduna ekamu lenkosi yase-Asiriya. Yayisibuyela ezweni layo ijabhile. Isingenile endlini kankulunkulu wayo, ababephume ezibilinini zayo bayibulala khona ngenkemba.
Verse 22: UJehova wasindisa-ke uHezekiya nabakhileyo eJerusalema esandleni sikaSaneheribi inkosi yase-Asiriya nasesandleni sabo bonke abanye, wabahola nxazonke.
Verse 23: Abaningi baletha izipho kuJehova eJerusalema namagugu kuHezekiya inkosi yakwaJuda, waze waphakanyiswa emehlweni abo bonke abezizwe ngasemuva.
Verse 24: Ngalezo zinsuku uHezekiya wagula waze waba sengozini yokufa; wakhuleka kuJehova; yena wakhuluma kuye, wamnika isibonakaliso.
Verse 25: Kepha uHezekiya akabuyiselanga okuhle okwenzelwe yena, ngokuba inhliziyo yakhe yayikhukhumele; ngalokho kwaba khona ulaka phezu kwakhe, naphezu kukaJuda, naphezu kweJerusalema.
Verse 26: Kepha lapho uHezekiya esezithoba ekukhukhumaleni kwenhliziyo yakhe, yena nabakhileyo eJerusalema, ulaka lukaJehova alubehlelanga emihleni kaHezekiya.
Verse 27: UHezekiya wayenengcebo nodumo oluningi kakhulu, wazenzela izindlu zesiliva, nezegolide, nezamatshe angamagugu, nezamakha, nezezihlangu, nezezinto zonke ezinxanelekayo,
Verse 28: nezinqolobane zezithelo zamabele nezewayini nezamafutha, nezibaya zezinhlobo zonke zezilwane, nezindawo zezimvu.
Verse 29: Wazenzela nemizi, nemfuyo yezimvu, nezinkomo eziningi, ngokuba uNkulunkulu wayemnike impahla eningi kakhulu.
Verse 30: Yena lowo Hezekiya wavimbezela umthombo wasenhla wamanzi aseGihoni, wawaqondisa ngasentshonalanga komuzi kaDavide. UHezekiya waphumelela emisebenzini yakhe yonke.
Verse 31: Kanjalo namaqondana nezithunywa zezikhulu zaseBabele ezathumela kuye ukubuza ngesibonakaliso esenziwa ezweni uNkulunkulu wamshiya ukumvivinya nje ukuba azi konke okusenhliziyweni yakhe.
Verse 32: Ezinye izindaba zikaHezekiya nezenzo zakhe ezinhle, bheka, zilotshiwe embonweni ka-Isaya umprofethi, indodana ka-Amose, encwadini yamakhosi akwaJuda nakwa-Israyeli.
Verse 33: UHezekiya wayeselala koyise; bammbela emmangweni wamathuna amadodana kaDavide; wonke uJuda nabakhileyo eJerusalema bamenzela udumo ekufeni kwakhe. UManase indodana yakhe waba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe.