1 Ndị Eze 19
1 Ehab kọọrọ Jezebel ihe niile Ịlaịja mere, na otu o si jiri mma agha gbuo ndị amụma Baal niile.
When Ahab got home, he told [his wife] Jezebel what Elijah had done. He told her that Elijah had killed all the prophets of Baal.
2 Nʼihi nke a, Jezebel zigara onyeozi ka ọ ga zie Ịlaịja sị, “Ka chi ndị a mesoo m mmeso, nʼagbanyeghị otu mmeso ahụ si dị njọ, ma ọ bụrụ na oge dịka oge a echi, egbughị gị dịka i si gbuo ndị amụma Baal.”
So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: “By this time tomorrow I will have [killed] you, just like you [killed all those prophets of Baal]. If I do not do that, I hope the gods will kill me.”
3 Ịlaịja tụrụ egwu, gbapụ ọsọ, nʼihi ichebe ndụ ya. Mgbe ọ bịaruru Bịasheba, dị na Juda, ọ hapụrụ nwokorobịa na-ejere ya ozi nʼebe ahụ.
When Elijah received [her message], he was afraid. So [taking his servant with him], he fled in order that he would not be killed. He went [far south] to Beersheba, in Judah. He left his servant there.
4 Ma ya onwe ya pụkwara jee ije otu ụbọchị nʼọzara naanị ya. Nʼikpeazụ, ọ kwụsịrị nọdụ ala nʼokpuru otu osisi brum, kpee ekpere rịọọ ka a napụ ya ndụ ya. Ekpere o kpere nʼoge a bụ, “O zuorela m Onyenwe anyị, biko napụ ndụ m. O nweghị ụzọ m si dị mma karịa nna nna m ha.”
Then he went by himself further [south] into the desert. He walked all day. He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that [Yahweh] would allow him to die. He said, “Yahweh, I’ve had enough. So allow me to die, because for me to live is no better than [being with] my ancestors [who have died].”
5 O dinara nʼokpuru osisi brum rahụ ụra. Ma lee, otu oge ahụ, mmụọ ozi metụrụ ya aka, sị ya, “Bilie, rie nri.”
Then he lay down under the broom tree and slept. But while he was sleeping, an angel touched him and [woke him up and] said to him, “Get up and eat some food!”
6 Ịlaịja biliri legharịa anya, hụ ogbe achịcha na ite mmiri nta nke dị nʼakụkụ ebe ọ tụkwasịrị isi ya. O riri ogbe achịcha ahụ a hụrụ nʼicheku ọkụ, ṅụọkwa mmiri ahụ. Emesịa, o dinakwara ọzọ.
Elijah looked around and saw some bread which had been baked on hot stones, and he also saw a jar of water. So he ate some bread and drank some water and lay down [to sleep] again.
7 Mmụọ ozi nke Onyenwe anyị bịaghachikwara nke ugboro abụọ, sị ya, “Bilie rie ihe, nʼihi na ije dị gị nʼihu dị ukwuu.”
Then the angel [who had been sent by] Yahweh came again and touched him, and said, “Get up and eat some [more] food, because you need [more strength] to go on a long journey.”
8 Ịlaịja biliri rie ihe, ṅụọkwa mmiri. Nri ahụ nyere ya ike ije ije iri ụbọchị anọ ọzọ, ehihie na abalị, tutu ruo mgbe ọ bịaruru nʼugwu Horeb nke bụ ugwu Chineke.
So he got up and ate and drank some more, and because of doing that, he got enough strength to enable him to travel for forty days and nights to Sinai Mountain, the mountain [that was dedicated to] God.
9 Nʼebe ahụ, ọ banyere nʼotu ọgba nkume rahụ ụra abalị nʼime ya. Ma okwu Onyenwe anyị rutere ya sị, “Ịlaịja, gịnị ka ị na-eme nʼebe a?”
He went into a cave there and slept there that night. [The next morning, ] Yahweh said to him “Elijah, why are you here?”
10 Ọ zaghachiri sị, “Eji m ịnụ ọkụ nʼobi na-ejere Onyenwe anyị Chineke Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile ozi. Ndị Izrel ajụla ọgbụgba ndụ gị, tidasịakwa ebe ịchụ aja gị, were mma agha gbukwaa ndị amụma gị niile, ugbu a, ọ bụ naanị mụ onwe m bụ onye fọdụrụ, ma ha na-achọkwa iwepụ ndụ m.”
Elijah replied, “I have zealously served you, Yahweh, God Almighty. But the Israeli people have broken the agreement that they made with you. They have torn down your altars, and they have killed all of your prophets. I am the only one whom they have not killed, and now they are trying to kill me, too. [So I am running away from them].”
11 Onyenwe anyị sịrị ya, “Pụọ gaa guzo nʼelu ugwu, nʼihu Onyenwe anyị, nʼihi na Onyenwe anyị na-aga isite nʼebe ahụ gafee.” Mgbe ahụ, oke ifufe dị ike gbawara ugwu ahụ, tipịasịa nkume ndị ahụ nʼihu Onyenwe anyị, ma Onyenwe anyị anọghị nʼime ifufe ahụ. Mgbe ifufe ahụ gasịrị, e nwere oke ala ọma jijiji nʼugwu ahụ, ma Onyenwe anyị anọkwaghị nʼala ọma jijiji ahụ.
Yahweh said to him, “Go out and stand in front of me on this mountain while I pass by.” [Suddenly] a strong windstorm struck the mountain. As a result, rocks were loosened from the mountainside. But Yahweh was not in the wind. Then there was an earthquake, but Yahweh was not in the earthquake.
12 Mgbe ala ọma jijiji ahụ gasịrị, ọkụ nwuuru, ma Onyenwe anyị anọghị nʼime ọkụ ahụ. Ma mgbe ọkụ ahụ gasịrị, nwa olu nta dị nwayọọ dara.
Then there was a fire, but Yahweh was not in the fire. Then there was a sound like someone whispering quietly.
13 Mgbe Ịlaịja nụrụ ya, o ji uwe mwụda ya kpuchie ihu ya, pụọ gaa guzo nʼọnụ ụzọ ọgba nkume ahụ. Mgbe ahụ, ọ nụrụ olu jụrụ ya sị, “Ịlaịja, gịnị ka ị na-eme nʼebe a?”
When Elijah heard that, he wrapped his cloak around his face. He went out of the cave and stood at its entrance. And he heard Yahweh speaking to him, saying again, “Elijah, why are you here?”
14 Ọ zaghachiri sị, “Eji m ịnụ ọkụ nʼobi na-ejere Onyenwe anyị Chineke Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile ozi. Ndị Izrel ajụla ọgbụgba ndụ gị, tidasịakwa ebe ịchụ aja gị, were mma agha gbukwaa ndị amụma gị niile, ugbu a ọ bụ naanị mụ onwe m bụ onye fọdụrụ, ma ha na-achọkwa iwepụ ndụ m.”
He replied again, “I have zealously served you, Yahweh, God Almighty. But the Israeli people have broken the agreement that they made with you. They have torn down your altars, and they have killed all of your prophets. I am the only one whom they have not killed, and now they are trying to kill me, too. [So I am running away from them].”
15 Onyenwe anyị sịrị ya, “Sikwa ụzọ i si bịa laghachi, gaa nʼọzara Damaskọs. Mgbe i ruru ebe ahụ, tee Hazael mmanụ ịbụ eze Aram.
Then Yahweh told him, “Go back to the desert near Damascus. When you arrive there, anoint [with olive oil] a man named Hazael, [to appoint him] to be the king of Syria.
16 Teekwa Jehu, nwa Nimshi mmanụ ịbụ eze Izrel. Ị ga-etekwa Ịlaisha nwa Shafat, onye Ebel-Mehola mmanụ ịbụ onye amụma nʼọnọdụ gị.
Then anoint Jehu, the son of Nimshi, to be the king of Israel, and also anoint Elisha the son of Shaphat, from Abel-Meholah [town], to become my prophet after you are dead.
17 Onye ọbụla gbanarịrị Hazael ga-anwụ nʼaka Jehu. Otu a kwa, ndị niile gbanarịrị mma agha Jehu ka Ịlaisha ga-egbu.
Hazael’s army [will kill many people, and] those who escape from [being killed by] his army will be killed by Jehu’s [army], and those who escape from [being killed by] Jehu’s army will be killed by Elisha.
18 Ma ghọta na ọ dị puku mmadụ asaa nọ nʼIzrel, ndị na-egbubeghị ikpere ha nʼala nye Baal, maọbụ sutu ya ọnụ, ife ya ofufe.”
But [you need to know that] there are still 7,000 people in Israel who have never bowed to [worship] Baal or kissed his [idol].”
19 Ịlaịja sitere nʼebe ahụ pụọ gaa chọta Ịlaisha nwa Shafat ebe ọ nọ na-akọ ala ubi. Iri ehi abụọ na anọ e jikọtara abụọ abụọ dị ya nʼihu, ma ya onwe ya ji ehi abụọ e jikọtara ọnụ, nke iri na abụọ ya na-akọ ala ubi. Ịlaịja jekwuru Ịlaisha wụkwasị ya uwe mwụda ya nʼubu ya.
So Elijah went [to Syria] and found Elisha as he was plowing a field with a team of oxen. There were eleven other men who were in front of him, plowing with teams of oxen in the same field. Elijah went to Elisha, and took off his own coat and put it on Elisha, [to show Elisha that he wanted him to take his place as a prophet. Then he started to walk away].
20 Mgbe ahụ, Ịlaisha hapụrụ ehi ndị ahụ ebe ha guzoro nʼubi ahụ gbara ọsọ gbakwuru Ịlaịja sị ya, “Biko, kwere ka m gaa sutu nna m na nne m ọnụ, sị ha nọdụ nke ọma. Emesịa, aga m esokwa gị.” Ịlaịja zara sị ya, “Laghachi azụ, ọ bụ gịnị ka m mere gị?”
Elisha left the oxen standing there and ran after Elijah, and said to him, “I will go with you, but first let me kiss my parents goodbye.” Elijah replied, “Okay, go home. But do not forget why I have [given my cloak] to you!”
21 Ịlaisha laghachiri azụ, gbuo ehi abụọ ahụ e jikọtara nʼotu, kpọọ ihe ahụ e ji arụ ọrụ nʼubi ọkụ, were ha sie anụ ahụ nye ndị mmadụ, ha rie. Mgbe ahụ, o biliri ije pụọ ga soro Ịlaịja, bụrụ nwaodibo ya.
So Elisha went back [to his oxen]. He killed them [and cut them in pieces] and used the wood from the plow to build a fire to roast the meat. He distributed the meat to the other people [in his town], and they all ate some. Then he went with Elijah and became his helper.
