1 Mafumu 17
1 Ndipo mneneri Eliya wa ku Tisibe ku Giliyadi, anati kwa Ahabu, “Pali Yehova wamoyo, Mulungu wa Israeli, amene ndimamutumikira, sipadzakhala mame kapena mvula zaka zikubwerazi, pokhapokha ine nditanena.”
Elijah was [a prophet] who lived in Tishbe [town] in [the] Gilead [region]. One day he [went to] King Ahab and said to him, “Yahweh is the God whom we Israelis [worship] and the God whom I worship and serve. Just as certainly as Yahweh lives, there will be no dew or rain for the next few years, if I do not command rain to fall!”
2 Pamenepo Yehova anayankhula ndi Eliya kuti,
Then Yahweh said to Elijah,
3 “Choka kuno, upite kummawa, ukabisale mʼmbali mwa mtsinje wa Keriti, pafupi ndi Yorodani.
“[Because you have made the king angry with you, escape from the king and, ] go to the east, to the Kerith Brook, east of where it flows into the Jordan [River].
4 Uzikamwa mu mtsinjemo, ndipo ndalamula makwangwala kuti azikakudyetsa kumeneko.”
You will be able to drink water from the brook, and [you will be able to eat what] the crows [bring to you, because] I have commanded them to bring food to you.”
5 Choncho Eliya anachita zomwe Yehova anamuwuza. Anapita ku mtsinje wa Keriti, pafupi ndi Yorodani, nakakhala kumeneko.
So Elijah did what Yahweh commanded him to do. He went and camped alongside Kerith Brook.
6 Makwangwala ankabweretsera buledi ndi nyama mmawa ndi madzulo, ndipo ankamwa mu mtsinjemo.
Crows bought bread and meat to him every morning and every evening, and he drank [water] from the brook.
7 Patapita masiku, mtsinjewo unaphwa chifukwa mvula sinagwe mʼdzikomo.
But after a while, the water in the brook dried up, because rain did not fall anywhere in the land.
8 Yehova anayankhula naye kuti,
Then Yahweh said to Elijah,
9 “Nyamuka tsopano, pita ku Zarefati ku Sidoni ndipo ukakhale kumeneko. Ndalamula mkazi wamasiye wa kumeneko kuti azikakudyetsa.”
“Go and live in Zarephath [village], near Sidon [city]. There is a widow there who will give you food to eat. I have [already] told her what to do about that.”
10 Choncho iye ananyamuka napita ku Zarefati. Atafika pa chipata cha mzindawo, taonani mkazi wamasiye amatola nkhuni. Anamuyitana ndi kumuwuza kuti, “Patseni madzi pangʼono mʼchikho kuti ndimwe.”
So [Elijah did what God said]. He went to Zarephath. As he arrived at the gates of the village, he saw a widow who was gathering sticks. He said to her, “Would you please bring me a cup of water?”
11 Mayi wamasiye uja ankapita kukatunga madzi, Eliya anamuyitananso namuwuza kuti, “Chonde munditengerekonso buledi.”
While she was going to get it, he called out to her, “Bring me a piece of bread, too!”
12 Iye anayankha kuti “Pali Yehova Mulungu wanu wamoyo, ine ndilibe chakudya china chilichonse, koma kaufa pangʼono mʼmbiya ndi mafuta pangʼono mʼbotolo. Ine ndikutola tinkhuni tochepa kuti ndipite nato ku nyumba ndi kukaphika chakudya changa ndi cha mwana wanga, kuti tikadye kenaka tife.”
But she replied, “Your God knows that what I am telling you is true: I do not have even one piece of bread in my house. I have only a handful of flour in a jar, and a little [olive] oil in a jug. I was gathering a few sticks to use these to [make a fire and] cook one more meal, and then after my son and I eat that, we will die [from hunger].”
13 Eliya anati kwa iye, “Musachite mantha. Pitani mukachite monga mwaneneramo. Koma poyamba mundipangire kachakudya pangʼono kuchokera pa ufa umene muli nawo ndi kubwera nako kwa ine, ndipo kenaka mukaphike choti mudye inuyo ndi mwana wanuyo.
But Elijah said to her, “Do not be worried! Go home and do what you said that you were going to do. But first, bake me a little loaf of bread and bring it to me. After you do that, take what is left and prepare some food for you and your son.
14 Pakuti Yehova Mulungu wa Israeli akuti, ‘Ufa umene uli mʼmbiyamo sudzatha ndipo mafuta amene ali mʼbotolomo sadzathanso mpaka tsiku limene Yehova adzagwetse mvula pa dziko lapansi.’”
[I know that you will be able to do that, ] because Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis [worship], says this: ‘There will always be plenty of flour and [olive] oil left in your containers, until the time when I send rain again [and the crops grow again]!’”
15 Mayi wamasiyeyo anapita nakachita zimene Eliya anamuwuza. Choncho panali chakudya cha Eliya, mayiyo pamodzi ndi banja lake lonse chimene anadya masiku ambiri.
So the woman did exactly what Elijah told her to do. And she and her son and Elijah had enough food every day,
16 Pakuti ufa umene unali mʼmbiya sunathe ndiponso mafuta amene anali mʼbotolo sanathe, monga momwe ananenera Yehova kudzera mwa Eliya.
because the flour in the jar was never finished, and the jug of oil was never empty. That happened just like Yahweh had told Elijah that it would happen.
17 Tsiku lina mwana wake wa mkazi wamasiye uja, mwini nyumbayo, anadwala. Matenda ananka nakulirakulirabe, ndipo kenaka analeka kupuma.
Some time later, the woman’s son became sick. He continued to get worse, and finally he died.
18 Mayiyo anati kwa Eliya, “Kodi ndakulakwirani chiyani, inu munthu wa Mulungu? Kodi munabwera kuno kudzandikumbutsa tchimo langa ndi kudzandiphera mwana wanga?”
So the woman went to Elijah and said to him, “You are a prophet; so why have you done this to me? Have you come here to punish me for my sins by causing my son to die?”
19 Eliya anayankha kuti, “Patseni mwana wanuyo.” Iye anatenga mwanayo mʼmanja mwa mayiyo napita naye mʼchipinda chapamwamba, kumene Eliyayo amagona, namugoneka pa bedi lake.
But Elijah replied, “Give your son to me.” So she gave her son to him, and he took the boy’s [body] from her and carried it up [the steps] to the room where he stayed. He laid the boy’s [body] on his bed.
20 Kenaka Eliya anafuwula kwa Yehova nati, “Inu Yehova Mulungu wanga, kodi mwabweretsanso choyipa chotere pa mkazi wamasiye amene ine ndikukhala naye, pakuchititsa kuti mwana wake afe?”
Then Elijah cried out to Yahweh, “O Yahweh my God, this widow [has kindly allowed] me to stay in her home. So why have you brought this tragedy to her and caused her son to die?” [RHQ]
21 Pamenepo Eliya anakumbatira mwanayo katatu ndi kufuwula kwa Yehova kuti, “Inu Yehova Mulungu wanga, mubwezereni mwanayu moyo wake!”
Then Elijah stretched himself on top of the boy’s [body] and called out to Yahweh saying, “Yahweh my God, please allow this boy to become alive again!” He did this three times.
22 Yehova anamva kufuwula kwa Eliya, ndipo moyo wa mwanayo unabwerera mwa iye ndipo anatsitsimuka.
Yahweh heard what Elijah prayed, and [he caused] the boy [to] become alive again [DOU].
23 Eliya ananyamula mwanayo natsika naye kuchoka mʼchipinda chapamwamba chija nalowa naye mʼnyumba. Anamupereka kwa amayi ake ndipo anati, “Taonani, mwana wanu ali ndi moyo!”
Elijah carried the boy down [the steps] and gave him to his mother. He said, “Look, your son is alive!”
24 Pamenepo mayiyo anati kwa Eliya, “Tsopano ndadziwa kuti ndinu munthu wa Mulungu ndipo mawu a Yehova amene mumayankhula ndi owona.”
The woman said to Elijah, “Now I know [for certain] that you are a prophet and that the words that you speak are truly from Yahweh!”
