1 Kings 17
1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was among the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As surely as the LORD lives—the God of Israel before whom I stand—there will be neither dew nor rain in these years except at my word!”
U-Elija umThishibi owayevela ngaseThishibi eGiliyadi, wasesithi ku-Ahabi, “Njengoba uThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, engimkhonzayo ephila, akuyikuba lamazolo njalo akuyikuba lezulu okweminyaka embalwa ezayo ngaphandle kokuba ngitsho.”
2 Then a revelation from the LORD came to Elijah:
Ngakho ilizwi likaThixo lafika ku-Elija lisithi:
3 “Leave here, turn eastward, and hide yourself by the Brook of Cherith, east of the Jordan.
“Suka lapho, khangela empumalanga uyecatsha eDongeni lwaseKherithi, empumalanga kweJodani.
4 And you are to drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.”
Uzanatha amanzi avela kulesosifula, njalo sengilayile amawabayi ukuthi azabe ekulethela ukudla khonapho.”
5 So Elijah did what the LORD had told him, and he went and lived by the Brook of Cherith, east of the Jordan.
Ngakho wenza lokho okwakutshiwo nguThixo. Waya eDongeni lwaseKherithi, empumalanga yeJodani, wafika wahlala khona.
6 The ravens would bring him bread and meat in the morning and evening, and he would drink from the brook.
Amawabayi amlethela ukudla, isinkwa lenyama ekuseni kwathi lantambama kwaba yisinkwa lenyama, amanzi wayenatha esifuleni.
7 Some time later, however, the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land.
Ngemva kwesikhathi amanzi atsha esifuleni ngoba kwakungelazulu elizweni.
8 Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah:
Ngakho kwabuye kwafika kuye ilizwi likaThixo lisithi:
9 “Get up and go to Zarephath of Sidon, and stay there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.”
“Suka khathesi uye eZarefathi yeSidoni uyehlala khona. Sengilungisile khona ukuthi umfelokazi uzakulungisela abe ekupha ukudla.”
10 So Elijah got up and went to Zarephath. When he arrived at the city gate, there was a widow gathering sticks. Elijah called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, so that I may drink.”
Wasesiya eZarefathi. Uthe efika esangweni ledolobho, kwakukhona umfelokazi edobha incwathi. Wazibika kuye njalo ecela wathi, “Ungangilethela amanzi ngenkezo kenginathe na?”
11 And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a piece of bread.”
Uthe esayathatha amanzi, wambiza njalo wathi, “Ngicela ungiphathele locezu lwesinkwa.”
12 But she replied, “As surely as the LORD your God lives, I have no bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. Look, I am gathering a couple of sticks to take home and prepare a meal for myself and my son, so that we may eat it and die.”
Umfelokazi waphendula wathi, “Ngeqiniso lanjengoba uThixo uNkulunkulu wakho ephila, angilaso isinkwa kodwa ngilengcosana nje yefulawa engcebethwini encane lamafutha angenganani ediweni. Ngidobha incwathi lezi nje ngiya lazo ngekhaya ukuze ngiyezigoqozela engingakudla mina lendodana yami, kube yikho esizakudla andubana sife.”
13 “Do not be afraid,” Elijah said to her. “Go and do as you have said. But first make me a small cake of bread from what you have, and bring it out to me. Afterward, make some for yourself and your son,
U-Elija wathi kumfelokazi, “Ungesabi. Hamba uye ekhaya uyekwenza khonokho okutshoyo. Kodwa uqale ungiphekele iqebelengwane eliyisinkwa ngalokho olakho ube usuliletha lapha kimi, andubana uziphekele okwakho lendodana yakho.
14 for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be exhausted and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD sends rain upon the face of the earth.’”
Ngoba lokhu yikho uThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli akutshiloyo: ‘Impuphu esengcebethwini kayiyikuphela, lamafutha asediweni kawayikuphela, kuze kufike usuku uThixo azanisa ngalo izulu elizweni?’”
15 So she went and did according to the word of Elijah, and there was food every day for Elijah and the woman and her household.
Wasuka lapho wayakwenza njengalokho ayekutshilo u-Elija. Ngakho kwahlala kulokudla kuka-Elija lomfelokazi labendlu yakhe okwensuku zonke.
16 The jar of flour was not exhausted and the jug of oil did not run dry, according to the word that the LORD had spoken through Elijah.
Ngoba ifulawa eyayisengcebethwini ayiphelanga, kanti njalo lamafutha agobhoza kokuphela kazaphela njengokutsho kukaThixo ku-Elija.
17 Later, the son of the woman who owned the house became ill, and his sickness grew worse and worse, until no breath remained in him.
Ngemva kwesikhatshana indodana yomfelokazi owayengumninindlu yagula. Wakhula umkhuhlane ngamandla, yaze yema ukuphefumula.
18 “O man of God,” said the woman to Elijah, “what have you done to me? Have you come to remind me of my iniquity and cause the death of my son?”
Umfelokazi wathi ku-Elija, “Kanti kuyini ongizondela khona, wena muntu kaNkulunkulu? Kambe ungabe ulande ukuzangikhumbuza ngesono sami ukuze ubulale indodana yami na?”
19 But Elijah said to her, “Give me your son.” So he took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed.
U-Elija waphendula wathi, “Nginika indodana yakho.” Wayiphatha ngezandla indodana, wakhwela layo waya endlini ephezulu ayehlala kuyo, wayilalisa embhedeni wakhe.
20 Then he cried out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, have You also brought tragedy on this widow who has opened her home to me, by causing her son to die?”
Wasecela ngamandla kuThixo esithi. “Yebo Thixo Nkulunkulu wami, wehlisele umonakalo lakulo umfelokazi engihlezi kuye na, ngokubangela ukufa kwendodana yakhe na?”
21 Then he stretched himself out over the child three times and cried out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, please let this boy’s life return to him!”
Wasezelula ecambalala phezu komfana kathathu ecela kuThixo, esithi, “Wena Thixo Nkulunkulu wami, ake ubuyisele impilo yalumntwana!”
22 And the LORD listened to the voice of Elijah, and the child’s life returned to him, and he lived.
UThixo wakuzwa ukukhala kuka-Elija lakanye impilo yomfana yabuyela, wavuka waphila.
23 Then Elijah took the child, brought him down from the upper room into the house, and gave him to his mother. “Look, your son is alive,” Elijah declared.
U-Elija wamphakamisa umntwana wamthwalela endlini ephansi. Wamqhubela unina wasesithi kunina, “Khangela ubone, indodana yakho iyaphila!”
24 Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is truth.”
Umfelokazi wasesithi ku-Elija, “Khathesi sengisazi ukuthi ungumuntu kaNkulunkulu lokuthi ilizwi likaThixo elivela emlonyeni wakho liliqiniso.”
