Hezekiah Becomes Sick
1In those days Hezekiah became very sick. He was about to die. Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him. Isaiah told Hezekiah, “The Lord says, ‘Put everything in order. Make out your will. You are going to die soon. You will not get well again.’ ”
2Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall. He prayed to the Lord. He said, 3“Lord, please remember how faithful I’ve been to you. I’ve lived the way you wanted me to. I’ve served you with all my heart. I’ve done what is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
4Isaiah was leaving the middle courtyard. Before he had left it, a message came to him from the Lord. He said, 5“Go back and speak to Hezekiah. He is the ruler of my people. Tell him, ‘The Lord, the God of King David, says, “I have heard your prayer. I have seen your tears. And I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to my temple. 6I will add 15 years to your life. And I will save you and this city from the power of the king of Assyria. I will guard this city. I will do it for myself. And I will do it for my servant David.” ’ ”
7Then Isaiah said, “Press some figs together. Spread them on a piece of cloth.” So that’s what they did. Then they applied it to Hezekiah’s boil. And he got well again.
8Hezekiah had said to Isaiah, “You say the Lord will heal me. You say that I’ll go up to his temple on the third day from now. What will the sign be to prove he’ll really do that?”
9Isaiah answered, “The Lord will do what he has promised. Here is his sign to you. Do you want the shadow the sun makes to go forward ten steps? Or do you want it to go back ten steps?”
10“It’s easy for the shadow to go forward ten steps,” said Hezekiah. “So have it go back ten steps.”
11Then Isaiah the prophet called out to the Lord. And the Lord made the shadow go back ten steps. It went back the ten steps it had gone down on the stairway Ahaz had made.
Messengers Come From Babylon to Hezekiah
12At that time Marduk-Baladan, the king of Babylon, sent Hezekiah letters and a gift. He had heard that Hezekiah had been sick. Marduk-Baladan was the son of Baladan. 13Hezekiah received the messengers. He showed them everything in his storerooms. He showed them the silver and gold. He showed them the spices and the fine olive oil. He showed them where he kept his weapons. And he showed them all his treasures. In fact, he showed them everything in his palace and in his whole kingdom.
14Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah. He asked him, “What did those men say? Where did they come from?”
“They came from a land far away,” Hezekiah said. “They came from Babylon.”
15The prophet asked, “What did they see in your palace?”
“They saw everything in my palace,” Hezekiah said. “I showed them all my treasures.”
16Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Listen to the Lord’s message. He says, 17‘You can be sure the time will come when everything in your palace will be carried off to Babylon. Everything the kings before you have stored up until this day will be taken away. There will not be anything left,’ says the Lord. 18‘Some of the members of your family line will be taken away. They will be your own flesh and blood. They will include the children who will be born into your family line in years to come. And they will serve the king of Babylon in his palace.’ ”
19“The message the Lord has spoken through you is good,” Hezekiah replied. He thought, “There will be peace and safety while I’m still living.”
20The other events of the rule of Hezekiah are written down. That includes how he made the pool and the tunnel. He used them to bring water into Jerusalem. Everything he accomplished is written in the official records of the kings of Judah. 21Hezekiah joined the members of his family who had already died. Hezekiah’s son Manasseh became the next king after him.
Okulwala kwa Keezeekiya
1Mu biro ebyo Keezeekiya n’alwala n’abulako katono okufa. Nnabbi Isaaya mutabani wa Amozi n’agenda gy’ali n’amugamba nti, “Bw’ati bw’ayogera Mukama nti: Teekateeka ennyumba yo, kubanga ogenda kufa so togenda kuwona.”
2Keezeekiya ne yeekyusa n’atunuulira ekisenge, ne yeegayirira Mukama ng’agamba nti, 320:3 a Nek 13:22 b 2Bk 18:3-6“Jjukira, Ayi Mukama Katonda, nga bwe ntambulidde mu maaso go mu bwesigwa n’omutima ogutuukiridde, era ne nkola ebirungi mu maaso go.” Keezeekiya n’akaaba nnyo.
4Awo Isaaya bwe yali nga tannava mu luggya olwa wakati, ekigambo kya Mukama ne kimujjira nti, 520:5 a 1Sa 9:16; 1Bk 9:3; 2Bk 19:20 b Zab 39:12; 56:8“Ddayo ogambe Keezeekiya omukulembeze w’abantu bange nti, ‘Bw’ati bw’ayogera Mukama, Katonda wa jjajjaawo Dawudi nti: Mpulidde okusaba kwo, era n’amaziga go ngalabye. Nzija kukuwonya. Oluvannyuma lw’ennaku ssatu onooyambuka n’olaga mu yeekaalu ya Mukama. 620:6 2Bk 19:34Ndikwongerako emyaka emirala kkumi n’ettaano, era laba ndikulokola ggwe n’ekibuga kino mu mukono gwa kabaka w’e Bwasuli, nga nnwanirira ekibuga kino ku lwange nze ne ku lw’omuddu wange Dawudi.’ ”
720:7 Is 38:21Awo Isaaya n’alagira baleete ekitole ky’ettiini, ne bakisiiga ku jjute, Keezeekiya n’awona.
8Keezeekiya yali abuuzizza Isaaya nti, “Kabonero ki akalindaga nti Mukama amponyezza, era nti ndyambuka mu yeekaalu ya Mukama nga wayiseewo ennaku ssatu?”
920:9 Ma 13:2; Yer 44:29Isaaya n’addamu nti, “Kano ke kaliba akabonero gy’oli okuva eri Mukama nti ajja kutuukiriza kye yasuubiza: ekisiikirize kinaatambula mu maaso amadaala kkumi, oba kinaaddayo emabega amadaala kkumi?”
10Keezeekiya n’addamu nti, “Kintu kyangu nnyo ekisiikirize okugenda mu maaso amadaala kkumi, Noolwekyo kiddeyo emabega amadaala kkumi.”
1120:11 Yos 10:13Awo Isaaya n’akoowoola erinnya lya Mukama, era Mukama n’azzaayo ekisiikirize emabega amadaala kkumi okuva ne we kyali ku madaala ga Akazi.
Obusirusiru bwa Keezeekiya
12Mu biro ebyo Berodakubaladani mutabani wa Baladani kabaka w’e Babulooni n’aweereza Keezeekiya ebbaluwa n’ekirabo, kubanga yawulira nti Keezeekiya yali alwadde. 13Keezeekiya n’ayaniriza ababaka abaleeta ebbaluwa, n’abalambuza amawanika ge gonna omwali eby’omuwendo ebingi ng’effeeza, ne zaabu, n’ebyakaloosa n’amafuta ag’omuwendo omungi. Yabalambuza ennyumba omwali ebyokulwanyisa, n’eby’omuwendo ebirala ebyali mu mawanika ge. Tewali kintu mu lubiri wadde mu bwakabaka bwe bwonna Keezeekiya ky’ataabalaga.
14Awo nnabbi Isaaya n’agenda eri Kabaka Keezeekiya n’amubuuza nti, “Abasajja abo bagambye ki era bavudde wa?”
Keezeekiya n’addamu nti, “Bavudde mu nsi ey’ewala mu Babulooni.”
15Nnabbi n’amubuuza nti, “Balabye ki mu lubiri lwo?”
N’addamu nti, “Balabye buli kintu mu lubiri lwange, tewali na kimu ku by’omu mawanika gange kye nabakwese.”
16Isaaya n’agamba Keezeekiya nti, “Wuliriza Mukama Katonda ky’agamba: 1720:17 2Bk 24:13; 25:13; 2By 36:10; Yer 27:22; 52:17-23Laba, ekiseera kijja byonna ebiri mu lubiri lwo, ne byonna bajjajjaabo bye baatereka, lwe biritwalibwa e Babulooni. Tewaliba kintu ekirisigalawo,” bw’ayogera Mukama. 1820:18 2Bk 24:15; 2By 33:11; Dan 1:3“Era abamu ku bazzukulu bo, ab’omubiri gwo n’omusaayi gwo, abaliba bakuzaaliddwa balitwalibwa mu busibe, era baliba balaawe mu lubiri lwa kabaka w’e Babulooni.”
19Keezeekiya n’addamu nti, “Ekigambo kya Mukama ekyo ky’oyogedde kirungi.” Yalowooza mu mutima gwe nti, “Kasita, emirembe n’obutebenkevu binaabeerangawo mu mirembe gyange.”
2020:20 Nek 3:16Ebirala byonna ebyabaawo mu mirembe gya Keezeekiya n’ebyobuzira bye byonna, ne bwe yakola ekidiba n’omudumu omunene ebyaleetanga amazzi mu kibuga, tebyawandiikibwa mu kitabo ky’ebyafaayo eky’ebyomumirembe bya bassekabaka ba Yuda? 21Keezeekiya n’afa, mutabani we Manase n’amusikira okuba kabaka.
