2. Lapho uHezekiya esebona ukuthi uSaneheribi ufikile nokuthi uqonda ukulwa neJerusalema,
3. welulekana nezikhulu zakhe namaqhawe akhe ukuba bavimbe amanzi emithombo eyayingaphandle komuzi; bamsiza.
4. Kwabuthana abantu abaningi, bavimba yonke imithombo, nomfudlana owawugobhoza phakathi nezwe, bathi: “Kungangani ukuba kufike amakhosi ase-Asiriya, afumane amanzi amaningi, na?”
5. Waziqinisa, wakha lonke ugange olwaludiliziwe, wabeka imibhoshongo phezu kwalo, nolunye ugange ngaphandle, waqinisa iMilo emzini kaDavide, wenza izikhali nezihlangu eziningi.
6. Wabeka izinduna zempi phezu kwabantu, wazibuthela bona esigcawini ngasesangweni lomuzi, wakhuluma kahle kubo, wathi:
7. “Qinani, nime isibindi, ningesabi, ningapheli amandla ngenkosi yase-Asiriya nangesixuku sonke esinayo, ngokuba onathi mkhulu kunonaye;
8. okunaye yingalo yenyama; okunathi nguJehova uNkulunkulu wethu ukuba asisize, alwe izimpi zethu.” Abantu bencika emazwini kaHezekiya inkosi yakwaJuda.
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:
10. “Usho kanje uSaneheribi, inkosi yase-Asiriya, uthi: Nethembani nina, njengokuba nihlala nivinjezelwe eJerusalema, na?
11. UHezekiya akaniyengi yini ukuba aninikele, nife ngendlala nangokoma, ethi: ‘UJehova uNkulunkulu wethu uyakusophula esandleni senkosi yase-Asiriya,’ na?
12. Yena lowo Hezekiya akasusanga yini izindawo eziphakemeyo nama-altare akhe, wayala uJuda neJerusalema, wathi: ‘Niyakukhuleka phambi kwe-altare linye, nishise impepho,’ na?
13. “Anazi yini ukuthi mina nawobaba senzeni kubo bonke abezizwe na? Onkulunkulu babezizwe babe namandla yini nakanjani okophula izwe labo esandleni sami na?
14. Ngubani phakathi kwabo bonke onkulunkulu balezo zizwe ezachithwa ngobaba owayenamandla okophula abantu bakhe esandleni sami, ukuze uNkulunkulu wenu anophule nina esandleni sami, na?
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?”
16. Izinceku zakhe zazikhuluma nokunye okuphambene noJehova uNkulunkulu nenceku yakhe uHezekiya.
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.”
18. Bamemeza ngezwi elikhulu ngolimi lwabaJuda kubantu baseJerusalema ababe sogangeni ukuba babethuse, babesabise, ukuze bawuthathe umuzi.
19. Bakhuluma ngoNkulunkulu waseJerusalema njengangawonkulunkulu babantu bomhlaba abangumsebenzi wezandla zabantu.
20. UHezekiya inkosi no-Isaya umprofethi, indodana ka-Amose, bakhuleka ngenxa yalokho, bakhala ngasezulwini.