1 Ndị Eze 17
1 Ugbu a, Ịlaịja onye Tishbe, onye si obodo Tishbe, nke dị nʼala Gilead, sịrị Ehab, “Eji m aha Onyenwe anyị Chineke Izrel dị ndụ, onye m na-efe na onye m na-ejere ozi na-agwa gị na igirigi agaghị ada, mmiri agaghị ezo ọzọ nʼafọ ndị a na-abịa karịa ma ọ bụghị naanị site nʼokwu ọnụ m!”
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 Okwu Onyenwe anyị rutere Ịlaịja ntị, sị ya,
Then Yahweh said to Elijah,
3 “Si nʼebe a pụọ. Soro ụzọ ọwụwa anyanwụ, gaa zoo onwe gị nʼakụkụ iyi Kerit, nʼakụkụ ọwụwa anyanwụ ya, nke bụ nʼihu Jọdan.
“[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 Nọdụ nʼebe ahụ ṅụọ mmiri si nʼiyi ahụ, riekwa nri ọbụla ụmụ ugolọma ga-ebutere gị, nʼihi na enyela m ha iwu ka ha nye gị nri.”
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 O mere ihe Onyenwe anyị gwara ya ka o mee. Ọ gara nʼakụkụ iyi nta Kerit nʼakụkụ ọwụwa anyanwụ Jọdan nọrọ nʼebe ahụ.
So Elijah did what Yahweh commanded him to do. He went and camped alongside Kerith Brook.
6 Ugolọma na-ebutere ya achịcha na anụ, ụtụtụ na anyasị niile. Ọ na-aṅụkwa mmiri site nʼiyi ahụ.
Crows bought bread and meat to him every morning and every evening, and he drank [water] from the brook.
7 Ma mgbe ụbọchị ụfọdụ gasịrị, mmiri ahụ tara, nʼihi na mmiri adịghị ezokwa nʼala ahụ.
But after a while, the water in the brook dried up, because rain did not fall anywhere in the land.
8 Okwu Onyenwe anyị bịakwutere ya,
Then Yahweh said to Elijah,
9 “Bilie, jee Zarefat, obodo dị Saịdọn nso, biri nʼebe ahụ. O nwere otu nwanyị di ya nwụrụ, onye m nyere iwu ka o nye gị nri.”
“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 Ịlaịja biliri jee Zarefat. Mgbe o ruru ọnụ ụzọ ama e si abanye obodo ahụ, ọ hụrụ otu nwanyị di ya nwụrụ ka ọ nọ na-achịkọta nkụ. Ịlaịja kpọrọ ya oku sị ya, “Biko, kutere m ntakịrị mmiri nʼiko ka m ṅụọ.”
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 Mgbe nwanyị ahụ na-aga ikute mmiri ahụ, Ịlaịja kpọrọ ya oku ọzọ sị ya, “Biko, wetara m otu iberibe achịcha ka m taa.”
While she was going to get it, he called out to her, “Bring me a piece of bread, too!”
12 Ma nwanyị ahụ zara sị ya, “Dịka Onyenwe anyị Chineke na-adị ndụ, enweghị m achịcha ọbụla nʼụlọ m. Naanị ihe m nwere bụ otu njuaka ụtụ ọka dị nʼite, na mmanụ ntakịrị dị na karama. Ugbu a, ana m achịkọta nkụ ka m baa ga siere onwe m siekwara nwa m nri, ka anyị rie, chere ọnwụ ga-abịa egburu anyị.”
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 Ịlaịja sịrị ya, “Atụla egwu! Gaa mee dịka i kwuru. Ma naanị buru ụzọ meere m ogbe achịcha ntakịrị site nʼihe i nwere, wetara m ya. Emesịa, mee nke gị na nwa gị ga-eri.
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 Nʼihi na nke a bụ ihe Onyenwe anyị, Chineke Izrel kwuru, ‘Ụtụ ọka dị nʼite ahụ agaghị agwụ, mmanụ ahụ dị nʼite ahụ agakwaghị akọ tutu ruo ụbọchị ahụ Onyenwe anyị ga-ezite mmiri ozuzo nʼala a.’”
[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 Nwanyị ahụ mere dịka Ịlaịja kwuru. Sitekwa nʼụbọchị ahụ gaa nʼihu, ihe oriri akọkwaghị Ịlaịja na nwanyị ahụ, na ezinaụlọ ya.
So the woman did exactly what Elijah told her to do. And she and her son and Elijah had enough food every day,
16 Nʼihi na ụtụ ọka ahụ agwụghị, mmanụ akọkwaghị nwanyị ahụ, dịka okwu Onyenwe anyị kwuru site nʼọnụ Ịlaịja, onye amụma.
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 Mgbe ihe ndị a gasịrị, nwa nwanyị ahụ nwe ụlọ rịara ọrịa. Ọrịa a bịara sie ike nke ukwuu na ume afọdụghị nʼime ya.
Some time later, the woman’s son became sick. He continued to get worse, and finally he died.
18 Mgbe ahụ, nwanyị ahụ kwaara akwa bịakwute Ịlaịja sị ya, “Ewoo, onye nke Chineke, gịnị ka i nwere megide m? Ị bịara ka i chetara m mmehie m, na igbu nwa m nwoke?”
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 Ịlaịja zara sị ya, “Kunye m nwa gị nwoke.” Ịlaịja kuuru ya site nʼaka nne ya rigoo nʼụlọ elu ebe ya onwe ya na-edina, nibe ya nʼelu ihe ndina ya.
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 Ọ kpọkuru Onyenwe anyị sị ya, “Onyenwe anyị Chineke m, gịnị mere i ji wetara nwanyị a m bi nʼụlọ ya ihe mgbu site nʼikwe ka nwa nwoke ya nwụọ?”
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 Ịlaịja gbatịrị onwe ya nʼahụ nwantakịrị ahụ ugboro atọ, kpọkuo Onyenwe anyị, sị, “Biko, Onyenwe anyị Chineke m, kwere ka mkpụrụobi nwantakịrị a laghachikwute ya.”
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 Onyenwe anyị nụrụ ekpere Ịlaịja, ndụ nwantakịrị ahụ laghachikwutere ya, ọ dịkwara ndụ ọzọ.
Yahweh heard what Elijah prayed, and [he caused] the boy [to] become alive again [DOU].
23 Mgbe ahụ, Ịlaịja kuuru ya si nʼụlọ elu ahụ rịdata, kunye ya nne ya, gwa ya okwu sị, “Lee, nwa gị dị ndụ!”
Elijah carried the boy down [the steps] and gave him to his mother. He said, “Look, your son is alive!”
24 Nwanyị ahụ sịrị Ịlaịja, “Ugbu a, amatala m na ị bụ onye nke chineke, na okwu Onyenwe anyị si nʼọnụ gị apụta bụ eziokwu.”
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!”
