< 1 Kings 17 >
1 Then said Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gil'ad, unto Achab, As the Lord the God of Israel liveth, before whom I have stood, there shall not be in these years dew or rain, except according to my word.
Basi Eliya, Mtishbi kutoka Tishbi katika Gileadi, akamwambia Ahabu, “Kama Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, aishivyo, ambaye ninamtumikia, hapatakuwa na umande wala mvua katika miaka hii, isipokuwa kwa neno langu.”
2 And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying,
Kisha neno la Bwana likamjia Eliya, kusema,
3 Go away from here, and turn thyself eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Kerith, which is to the east of the Jordan.
“Ondoka hapa, elekea upande wa mashariki ukajifiche katika Kijito cha Kerithi, mashariki mwa Yordani.
4 And it shall be, that out of the brook shalt thou drink; and the ravens have I ordained to sustain thee there.
Utakunywa maji kutoka kile kijito, nami nimeagiza kunguru wakulishe huko.”
5 And he went and did according to the word of the Lord; and he went and remained by the brook Kerith, that is to the east of the Jordan.
Hivyo akafanya kile alichoambiwa na Bwana. Akaenda katika Kijito cha Kerithi, mashariki ya Yordani na akakaa huko.
6 And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening: and out of the brook he used to drink.
Kunguru wakamletea mkate na nyama asubuhi na mkate na nyama jioni, naye akanywa maji kutoka kile kijito.
7 And it came to pass after a while that the brook dried up; because there had been no rain in the land.
Baada ya muda, kile kijito kikakauka kwa sababu mvua haikuwa imenyesha katika nchi.
8 And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying,
Kisha neno la Bwana likamjia, kusema,
9 Arise, go unto Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and remain there: behold, I have ordained there a widow-woman to sustain thee.
“Ondoka, uende Sarepta ya Sidoni na ukae huko. Nimemwagiza mjane katika sehemu ile akupatie chakula.”
10 So he arose and went to Zarephath; and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, there was there a widow-woman gathering sticks of wood: and he called her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.
Hivyo akaenda Sarepta. Alipofika kwenye lango la mji, mjane alikuwa huko akiokota kuni. Akamwita na kumwambia, “Naomba uniletee maji kidogo kwenye gudulia ili niweze kunywa.”
11 And as she went to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thy hand.
Alipokuwa anakwenda kumletea, akamwita akasema, “Tafadhali niletee pia kipande cha mkate.”
12 And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have nothing baked, but a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil in a cruise: and, behold, I am gathering a couple of sticks, that I may go in and prepare it for me and my son; and when we have eaten it, we shall have to die.
Akamjibu, “Hakika kama Bwana Mungu wako aishivyo, sina mkate wowote, isipokuwa konzi ya unga kwenye gudulia na mafuta kidogo kwenye chupa. Ninakusanya kuni chache nipeleke nyumbani na nikapike chakula kwa ajili yangu na mwanangu, ili kwamba tule, kiishe, tukafe.”
13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said; but make me thereof a little cake at first, and bring it out unto me, and for thee and for thy son shalt thou prepare [something] afterward.
Eliya akamwambia, “Usiogope. Nenda nyumbani ukafanye kama ulivyosema. Lakini kwanza unitengenezee mimi mkate mdogo kutoka vile ulivyo navyo kisha uniletee na ndipo utayarishe chochote kwa ajili yako na mwanao.
14 For thus hath said the Lord the God of Israel, The jar of meal shall not fail, neither shall the cruise of oil diminish, until the day that the Lord giveth rain upon the face of the earth.
Kwa kuwa hivi ndivyo asemavyo Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli: ‘Lile gudulia la unga halitakwisha wala ile chupa ya mafuta haitakauka hadi siku ile Bwana atakapoleta mvua juu ya nchi.’”
15 And she went and did according to the word of Elijah: and she, and he, and her household, did eat [many] days.
Akaondoka na kufanya kama Eliya alivyomwambia. Kwa hiyo kukawa na chakula kila siku kwa ajili ya Eliya, yule mwanamke na jamaa yake.
16 The jar of meal failed not, nor did the cruise of oil diminish, according to the word of the Lord, which he had spoken through means of Elijah.
Kwa kuwa lile gudulia la unga halikwisha na ile chupa ya mafuta haikukauka, sawasawa na lile neno la Bwana alilosema Eliya.
17 And it came to pass after these events, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness became very severe, until that at length there was no breath left in him.
Baada ya muda, mwana wa yule mwanamke mwenye nyumba akaugua. Hali yake ikaendelea kuwa mbaya sana, na hatimaye akaacha kupumua.
18 And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O man of God? thou art come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son!
Akamwambia Eliya, “Una nini dhidi yangu, ewe mtu wa Mungu? Umekuja ili kukumbushia dhambi yangu na kusababisha kifo cha mwanangu?”
19 And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into the upper chamber, in which he abode, and he laid him upon his own bed.
Eliya akamjibu, “Nipe mwanao.” Eliya akampokea kutoka kifuani mwake, akambeba mpaka chumba cha juu alipokuwa anaishi, akamlaza kitandani mwake.
20 And he called unto the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?
Kisha akamlilia Bwana, akasema “Ee Bwana Mungu wangu, je, pia umeleta msiba juu ya mjane huyu ninayeishi pamoja naye, kwa kusababisha mwanawe kufa?”
21 And he stretched himself out over the child three times, and called unto the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, let, I pray thee, the soul of this child return again within him.
Kisha akajinyoosha juu ya kijana mara tatu na kumlilia Bwana, akisema, “Ee Bwana Mungu wangu, nakuomba roho ya huyu kijana imrudie!”
22 And the Lord listened to the voice of Elijah: and the soul of the child returned into him, and he revived.
Bwana akasikia kilio cha Eliya, na roho ya kijana ikamrudia, naye akafufuka.
23 And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the upper chamber into the house, and gave him unto his mother; and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth.
Eliya akamtwaa kijana na kumbeba kutoka chumbani mwake akamshusha kumpeleka kwenye nyumba. Akampa mama yake na kusema, “Tazama, mwanao yu hai!”
24 And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this do I know, that thou art a man of God, and the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth.
Ndipo yule mwanamke akamwambia Eliya, “Sasa ninajua kwamba wewe ni mtu wa Mungu, na kwamba neno la Bwana kutoka kinywani mwako ni kweli.”