umPhrofethi uIzaya
uJona uthunywa eNiniveUmphrofethi uIzaya waphila wasebenza eJerusalema, ekomkhulu lombuso wakwaJuda, ngesikhathi esiphakathi konyaka wamakhulu ayisikhombisa namashumi amathathu nesithupha kuya kowamakhulu ayisikhombisa nanye ngaphambi kwale nkathi esiphila kuyo (736-701 ph.Khr.).
Kukulesi sikhathi-ke futhi lapho umbuso waseAsiriya waqala ukunwebeka ukugudlule imingcele yawo – entshonalanga kuze kuyoma ngolwandlekazi olumaphakathi, eningizimu kwaya ngokuya umngcele waze wema ngelaseGibhithe. Umbuso wakwaJuda kanye neminye elingana nawo ngobuncane yathikaziseka kulokho. Wazama ukuziphephisa umbuso wakwaJuda ngokuthi uvele uvume ukubuswa ngabaseAsiriya; uthé usuka wase uhlangana namaFilisti nabaseGibhithe emzabalazweni wokuzikhulula ekubusweni ngabaseAsiriya.
Entshumayelweni yakhe uIzaya akavumelani mpela nalezi zaba zabakwaJuda; uthi uSmakade uyoqakamelela mathupha ukuthi “iNtaba yaseSiyoni”, ahlanganiswe nayo yithempeli lakhe, ingalokothwa muntu (Izaya 31,4-5). Isizwe sakhe asingahlomeki ngengcacamezela yomzabalazo oyogcina wehlulekile, asibekezele sibambelele esethembisweni soPhezukonke, sishiyele konke ezandleni zakhe (Izaya 7,4.9; 28,16; 30,15). Ukuvivinywa kwabakwaJuda kwashesha kwavela: Ngengxabano eyagcina ngempi phakathi kombuso waseAsiriya nowakwaEfrayimi, lapho abakwaJuda babephoqelelwa ukubambisana nabaseSiriya kanye nabasenyakatho kwaIzrayeli, abakwaEfrayimi, ekuhlanganyeleni abaseAsiriya. Esikhundleni sokubambelela esethembisweni sikaSmakade, umbusi wabakwaJuda wanxusa abaseAsiriya ukuthi bamelekelele. UIzaya kwamcacela zisuka-nje ukuthi abezile ngosizo-nje kuphela abaseAsiriya (Izaya 7 – 8).
Ingxoxo eyehlukile kule itholakala ekupheleni kwesikhathi uIzaya ayephila kuso: Lonke elakwaJuda lisezandleni sabaseAsiriya, iJerusalema lizingelezwé ngamabutho abo. Ngokuthi umbusi wabakwaJuda usezibona engenathuba elinye elingcono, usephendukela ekunxuseni uSmakade ukuthi aphuthume abophule engozini; basinda ngomzuzu wokugcina (Izaya 36 – 38). AbaseAsiriya uIzaya ubabona beluswazi uSmakade aphaphamisa ajezise ngalo isizwe sakhe (Izaya 10,5-6), kokunye-ke kodwa umphrofethi ulibona elaseAsiriya lingumbuso onamandla, odlondlobala wedlulele kokufiswa nguSmakade (Izaya 10,7-15), okungakho nje-ke liyagcina lisakazeke lachitheka izicucu emadwaleni entaba yaseSiyoni (Izaya 28,16; 31,9).
Indlela ahlelwé ngayo amazwi enkulumo kaIzaya ayihambisani njalo nokulandelana kwawo ngokomlando: Lezi zindima – uIzaya 22; 28-31; 36-38 – zandulela isikhathi esiya ngasekupheleni kwenkonzo kaIzaya (ukugungwa kweJerusalema ngonyaka wamakhulu ayisikhombisa nanye ngaphambi kwale nkathi esiphila kuyo, 701 ph.Khr.), bese kuthi indima esesahlukweni sesikhombisa (Izaya 7,1-9,6) ithintene nesikhathi sokuqala kokushumayela kwakhe (isikhathi sempi yabaseAsiriya nabakwaEfrayimi, phakathi konyaka wamakhulu ayisikhombisa namashumi amathathu nane kuya kowamashumi amathathu nantathu ngaphambi kwale nkathi esiphila kuyo, 734/33 ph.Khr.). Zimbalwa kabi izindima kule ncwadi okukwazekayo ukusho ukuthi zalotshwa nini; kukhona nezinye ezikhuluma ngesikhathi esiphambili kakhulu kunesikhathi uIzaya ayephila kuso, isikhathi esisemuva kokubhidlizwa kwethempeli laseJerusalema okwakungonyaka wamakhulu amahlanu namashumi ayisishiyagalombili nesikhombisa ngaphambi kwenkathi esiphila kuyo, 587 ph.Khr. ezinye zikhuluma ngesikhathi sokuthunjwa kwabakwaJuda bethunjelwa kwelaseBhabhiloni (Izaya 13-14; 21; 34-35) ezinye ziphathelene nezikhathi zokubhubha komhlaba (Izaya 11,1-10; 24 – 27). Phakathi nesahluko zamashumi amathathu nesishiyagalolunye (39) kanye nesamashumi amane (40) kunomkhathi omkhulu. Kusukela lapho ingxoxo ifundeka sengathi isiqhutshwa yiphimbo lomunye umphrofethi ogama lakhe lingaziwa okusoleka sengathi incwadi yakhe yavele yajotshelelwa kulena kaIzaya eyayaziwa.
Okuqukethwe
Isahlulelo ngabakwaJuda nangeJerusalema (izahluko 1 – 5)
Ukusebenza kukaIzaya njengomphrofethi 6 – 9
Ingcosana iyokophulwa [iyosinda | iyohlengeka] 10 – 12
Isahlulelo soPhezukonke ngabezizwe 13 – 23; 34
Ukwahlulelwa komhlaba nokukhululwa kukaIzrayeli 24 – 27
ElakwaJuda phakathi kwabaseAsirya nabaseGibhithe 28 – 35
AbaseAsirya sebengaseJerusalema 36 – 39
Induduzo kwabavalelwe eBhabhiloni 40 – 55
Ithemba ngobuhle obulindelwe 56 – 66