< 2 Kings 2 >

1 When Yahweh was about to take [the prophet] Elijah up to heaven in a (whirlwind/twisting wind), Elijah and [his fellow prophet] Elisha were traveling [south] from Gilgal [town].
Kwathi uThixo esezathatha u-Elija ukuba aye ezulwini ngesivunguzane, u-Elija lo-Elisha babevela eGiligali.
2 Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, because Yahweh has told [only] me to go to Bethel [town].” But Elisha replied, “Just as certainly as Yahweh lives and you live, I will not leave you!” So they went down [together] to Bethel.
U-Elija wathi ku-Elisha, “Hlala lapha; uThixo usengithume eBhetheli.” Kodwa u-Elisha wathi, “Njengoba uThixo ephila njalo njengoba lawe uphila, angiyikutshiyana lawe.” Ngakho basuka baya eBhetheli.
3 A group of prophets came to Elisha [and Elijah before they entered the town], and they asked Elisha, “Do you know that Yahweh is going to take your master/boss [Elijah] away from you today?” Elisha answered, “Certainly I know that, but don’t talk about it!” [IDM]
Iqula labaphrofethi eBhetheli leza ku-Elisha lambuza lisithi: “Uyakwazi yini ukuthi uThixo uzakuthathela inkosi yakho lamuhla na?” U-Elisha wathi, “Yebo, ngiyakwazi, kodwa lingakhulumi ngakho.”
4 Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, because Yahweh has told [only] me to go to Jericho.” But Elisha replied [again], “Just as certainly as Yahweh lives and you live, I will not leave you!” So they went [together] to Jericho [city].
Ngakho u-Elija wasesithi kuye, “Hlala lapha, Elisha; uThixo usengithume eJerikho.” U-Elisha waphendula wathi: “Njengoba uThixo ephila njalo njengoba lawe uphila, angiyikutshiyana lawe.” Ngakho basuka baya eJerikho.
5 [As they neared] Jericho, a group of prophets who were from there came to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that Yahweh is going to take your master/boss [Elijah] away from you today?” He answered again, “Certainly I know that, but don’t talk about it!” [IDM]
Iqula labaphrofethi eJerikho laya ku-Elisha lambuza lisithi, “Uyakwazi yini ukuthi uThixo uzathatha inkosi yakho lamuhla na?” Waphendula wathi, “Yebo, ngiyakwazi, kodwa lingakhulumi ngakho.”
6 Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, because Yahweh has told [only] me to go to the Jordan [River].” But [again] Elisha replied, “As certainly as Yahweh lives and you live, I will not leave you!” So they continued walking together.
Ngakho u-Elija wasesithi, “Hlala khonapha; uThixo usengithume eJodani.” Yena waphendula wathi, “Njengoba uThixo ephila njalo njengoba lawe uphila, angiyikutshiyana lawe.” Ngakho baqhubekela phambili ngohambo.
7 Fifty men from a group of prophets [who were from Jericho] also went, but they watched from a distance as Elijah and Elisha stopped at the edge of the Jordan [River].
Amadoda angamatshumi amahlanu exukwini labaphrofethi asuka ayakuma bucwadlana ekhangele lapho u-Elija lo-Elisha ababemi khona eJodani.
8 Then Elijah rolled up his cloak and struck the water with it. A path opened up for them through the river, and they walked across [as though they were] on dry ground.
U-Elija wasethatha ingubo yakhe, wayigoqa watshaya ngayo amanzi. Amanzi adabuka phakathi amanye aba kwesokunene amanye kwesokhohlo, basebechapha emhlabathini owomileyo.
9 When they came to the other side, Elijah said to Elisha, “What do you want me to do for you before (I am taken away/Yahweh takes me away)?” Elisha replied, “I want to receive twice as much of your power [as you have had, ] (OR enable me to very powerfully continue your ministry).”
Ekuchapheni kwabo, u-Elija wathi ku-Elisha, “Akungitshele, kambe kuyini engingakwenzela khona ngingakasuswa kuwe?” U-Elisha waphendula wathi, “Ngicela isabelo esiphindwe kabili somoya wakho.”
10 Elijah replied, “You have asked for something which is difficult [for me to cause to happen]. But, if you see me when (I am taken from you/Yahweh takes me from you), you will get what you are requesting. But if you do not see me, then you will not get it.”
U-Elija wathi, “Usucele into elukhuni, ungangibona ngisuswa kuwe kuzakuba ngokwakho, kodwa nxa kungangabinjalo akuyikuba ngokwakho.”
11 As they were walking and talking, suddenly a chariot that had fire [surrounding it], pulled by horses which also had fire [surrounding them], appeared. [The chariot driver] drove the chariot between Elijah and Elisha and separated them. Then Elijah was taken up to heaven in a (whirlwind/twisting wind).
Besahamba belokhu bekhuluma, kwafika inqola yokulwa yomlilo lamabhiza ayo avuthayo yabehlukanisa, ngakho u-Elija waya ezulwini ngesivunguzane.
12 Elisha saw it. He cried out, “My father/master! My father/master! The chariots of us Israeli people and their drivers [have taken my master away]!” [They disappeared into the sky, ] and Elisha never saw Elijah again. Then Elisha tore his own robe into two pieces [to show that he was sad].
U-Elisha ebona lokhu wamemeza wathi, “Baba! Baba! Izinqola zokulwa labamabhiza okulwa ako-Israyeli!” U-Elisha kasazange aphinde ambone futhi. Wasethatha izigqoko zakhe wazidabula.
13 Elijah’s cloak [had fallen off when he was taken away, so] Elisha picked it up and returned to the bank of the Jordan [River].
Wasedobha ingubo eyayiwe ku-Elija wabuyela emuva wayakuma okhunjini lomfula uJodani.
14 He [rolled up the cloak and] struck the water with it, and cried out, “Will Yahweh, the God who [enabled] Elijah [to perform miracles, enable me to do similar things]?” Then the water separated, and a path opened up for him, and Elisha went across.
Wathatha ingubo eyayiwe kuye watshaya ngayo amanzi wathi, “Ungaphi khathesi uThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Elija?” Wasetshaya amanzi, adabuka phakathi amanye kwesokunene amanye kwesokhohlo, wasechaphela ngaphetsheya.
15 When the group of prophets from Jericho saw what happened, they exclaimed, “Elisha now has the power that Elijah had!” [MTY] They walked over to him and bowed down in front of him.
Ixuku labaphrofethi ababevela eJerikho, ababebukele, lathi, “Umoya ka-Elija uphezu kuka-Elisha.” Basebesiya mhlangabeza bakhothama phambi kwakhe.
16 [One of] them said, “Sir, if you permit us, 50 of our strongest men will go and search for your master [on the other side of the river]. Perhaps the Spirit of Yahweh has left him on some mountain or in some valley.” Elisha replied, “No, do not send them.”
Basebesithi, “Uyabona, thina izinceku zakho silamadoda angamatshumi amahlanu enelisayo. Yekela amadoda la ayedinga inkosi yakho. Mhlawumbe uMoya kaThixo umthethe wayambeka entabeni ethile loba esihotsheni esithile.” U-Elisha wathi, “Hatshi, lingabathumi.”
17 But they kept insisting. Finally he was tired of saying “No,” and he said, “Okay, send them.” So 50 men searched for three days, but they did not find Elijah.
Kodwa baphikelela waze wakhulelwa zinhloni zokuba elokhu esala. Wasesithi, “Bathumeni.” Ngakho bathuma amadoda angamatshumi amahlanu, amdinga okwensuku ezintathu amswela.
18 They returned to Jericho, and Elisha was still there. He said to them, “I told you that you should not go, [because you would not find him]!” [RHQ]
Bathe sebebuyela ku-Elisha, owayesehlala eJerikho, wababuza wathi, “Bengingalitshelanga yini ukuthi lingamdingi?”
19 Then the leaders of [Jericho] city came to talk with Elisha. One of them said, “Our master, we have a problem. You can see that this is a very nice place [to live in]. But the water is bad, and as a result, crops will not grow on the land.”
Amadoda omuzi wakhona athi ku-Elisha, “Akubone, nkosi yethu, umuzi lo usendaweni ebukekayo, njengoba lawe uzibonela, kodwa amanzi alapha mabi lomhlaba wakhona awulazithelo.”
20 Elisha said to them, “Put some salt in a new bowl and bring the bowl to me.” So they brought it to him.
U-Elisha wathi, “Ngiphani umganu oyingubhe liwufake itswayi.” Ngakho bawuletha umganu.
21 Then he went out to the spring [from which the people in the town got water]. He threw the salt into the spring. Then he said, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘I have made this water good/pure. No longer will anyone die, from having drunk this water, and now crops will be able to grow.’” [LIT]
Wasephuma esiya emthonjeni wafika waphosela khona itswayi ekhuluma esithi, “Ilizwi likaThixo lithi: ‘Sengiwahlambulule amanzi la. Awangeke aphinde futhi abangele ukufa loba ukungatheli kuhle kwalumhlaba.’”
22 And the water became pure, just as Elisha said it would be. Since that time it has always remained pure.
Amanzi lawo kusukela mhlalokho kuze kube lamuhla mahle, njengokwakutshiwo ngu-Elisha.
23 Elisha left Jericho and went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, a group of young boys from Bethel [saw him and] started to make fun of him. They continued shouting, “Go away, you bald-headed man!”
Esuka lapho u-Elisha waya eBhetheli. Esahamba endleleni, kwavela kulowomuzi ixuku lentanga yabatsha lamhoza lisithi, “Qhubeka, wena mpabanga! Qhubeka, wena mpabanga!”
24 Elisha turned around and looked/glared at them. He asked Yahweh to (curse them/do something bad to them). Immediately two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of them.
Wanyemukula, wabakhangela wasebehlisela isiqalekiso ngebizo likaThixo. Kwasekuvela amabhele amabili ehlathini afohloza abangamatshumi amane lababili babo.
25 Elisha left Bethel and went to Carmel Mountain, and after that he returned to Samaria [city].
Wasesedlulela eNtabeni yaseKhameli, uthe esesuka lapho waya eSamariya.

< 2 Kings 2 >