1 Kings 17
1 Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As Yahweh, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there will not be dew or rain these years unless I say so.”
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 The word of Yahweh came to Elijah, saying,
Ngakho ilizwi likaThixo lafika ku-Elija lisithi:
3 “Leave from here and go eastward; hide yourself by the brook Kerith, east of the Jordan.
“Suka lapho, khangela empumalanga uyecatsha eDongeni lwaseKherithi, empumalanga kweJodani.
4 It will happen that you will 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 went and did as the word of Yahweh commanded. He went to live by the brook Kerith, east of the Jordan.
Ngakho wenza lokho okwakutshiwo nguThixo. Waya eDongeni lwaseKherithi, empumalanga yeJodani, wafika wahlala khona.
6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.
Amawabayi amlethela ukudla, isinkwa lenyama ekuseni kwathi lantambama kwaba yisinkwa lenyama, amanzi wayenatha esifuleni.
7 But after a while the brook dried up because there was no rain in the land.
Ngemva kwesikhathi amanzi atsha esifuleni ngoba kwakungelazulu elizweni.
8 The word of Yahweh came to him, saying,
Ngakho kwabuye kwafika kuye ilizwi likaThixo lisithi:
9 “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there. Look, 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 he arose and went to Zarephath, and when he came to the gate of the city a widow was there gathering sticks. So he called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a jar 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 As she was going to get water he called to her, and said, “Please bring me a piece of bread in your hand.”
Uthe esayathatha amanzi, wambiza njalo wathi, “Ngicela ungiphathele locezu lwesinkwa.”
12 She replied, “As Yahweh your God lives, I do not have any bread, but only a handful of meal in a jar and a little oil in a jug. See, I am gathering two sticks so I may go in and cook it for me and my son, 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 Elijah said to her, “Do not fear. Go and do as you have said, but make me a little bread first and bring it out to me. Then afterward make some for you and for 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 Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, 'The jar of meal will not empty, neither will the jug of oil stop flowing, until the day that Yahweh sends rain on 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 did as Elijah had told her. She and Elijah, along with her household, ate for many days.
Wasuka lapho wayakwenza njengalokho ayekutshilo u-Elija. Ngakho kwahlala kulokudla kuka-Elija lomfelokazi labendlu yakhe okwensuku zonke.
16 The jar of meal did not empty, neither did the jug of oil stop flowing, just as the word of Yahweh had said, as he had spoken by Elijah.
Ngoba ifulawa eyayisengcebethwini ayiphelanga, kanti njalo lamafutha agobhoza kokuphela kazaphela njengokutsho kukaThixo ku-Elija.
17 After these things the woman's son, the woman who owned the house, fell sick. His sickness was so severe that there was no more breath left in him.
Ngemva kwesikhatshana indodana yomfelokazi owayengumninindlu yagula. Wakhula umkhuhlane ngamandla, yaze yema ukuphefumula.
18 So his mother said to Elijah, “What do you have against me, man of God? Have you come to me to remind me of my sin and to kill 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 Then Elijah replied to her, “Give me your son.” He took the boy from her arms and carried him up into the room where he was staying, and he laid the boy 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 He cried to Yahweh and said, “Yahweh my God, have you also brought disaster on the widow with whom I am staying, by killing her son?”
Wasecela ngamandla kuThixo esithi. “Yebo Thixo Nkulunkulu wami, wehlisele umonakalo lakulo umfelokazi engihlezi kuye na, ngokubangela ukufa kwendodana yakhe na?”
21 Then Elijah stretched himself on the child three times; he cried out to Yahweh and said, “Yahweh my God, I beg you, please let this child's life return to him.”
Wasezelula ecambalala phezu komfana kathathu ecela kuThixo, esithi, “Wena Thixo Nkulunkulu wami, ake ubuyisele impilo yalumntwana!”
22 Yahweh listened to the voice of Elijah; the life of the child returned to him, and he revived.
UThixo wakuzwa ukukhala kuka-Elija lakanye impilo yomfana yabuyela, wavuka waphila.
23 Elijah took the child and brought him out of his room down into the house; he handed the boy to his mother and said, “See, your son is alive.”
U-Elija wamphakamisa umntwana wamthwalela endlini ephansi. Wamqhubela unina wasesithi kunina, “Khangela ubone, indodana yakho iyaphila!”
24 The woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of Yahweh in your mouth is true.”
Umfelokazi wasesithi ku-Elija, “Khathesi sengisazi ukuthi ungumuntu kaNkulunkulu lokuthi ilizwi likaThixo elivela emlonyeni wakho liliqiniso.”
