1 Bassekabaka 17
1 Awo Eriya Omutisubi ow’e Tisubi mu Gireyaadi, n’agamba Akabu nti, “Mukama Katonda wa Isirayiri gwe mpeereza nga bw’ali omulamu, tewaabe musulo newaakubadde enkuba mu myaka egijja wabula olw’ekigambo kyange.”
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 Awo ekigambo kya Mukama ne kijjira Eriya nga kigamba nti,
Then Yahweh said to Elijah,
3 “Vva wano ogende ebuvanjuba weekweke ku kagga Kerisi akoolekera Yoludaani.
“[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 Ojja kunywanga mu kagga, era ndagidde bannamuŋŋoona okukuliisiza eyo.”
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 N’akola nga Mukama bwe yamulagira, n’alaga ku kagga Kerisi, akoolekera Yoludaani, n’abeera eyo.
So Elijah did what Yahweh commanded him to do. He went and camped alongside Kerith Brook.
6 Bannamuŋŋoona ne bamuleeteranga emmere n’ennyama buli nkya na buli kawungeezi, era n’anywanga mu kagga.
Crows bought bread and meat to him every morning and every evening, and he drank [water] from the brook.
7 Bwe waayitawo ebbanga, akagga ne kakalira olw’obutabaawo nkuba mu nsi.
But after a while, the water in the brook dried up, because rain did not fall anywhere in the land.
8 Awo ekigambo kya Mukama ne kimujjira nga kigamba nti,
Then Yahweh said to Elijah,
9 “Situkiramu ogende e Zalefaasi ekya Sidoni obeere eyo. Ndagidde nnamwandu ali eyo okukuwanga emmere.”
“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 Awo n’agolokoka n’alaga e Zalefaasi. Bwe yatuuka ku wankaaki w’ekibuga, waliwo nnamwandu eyali alondalonda obuku. Eriya n’amusaba ng’agamba nti, “Nkwegayiridde, ndeetera ku mazzi matono mu kibya nnyweko.”
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 Bwe yali ng’agenda okugakima, Eriya n’amukoowoola ng’agamba nti, “Nkwegayiridde, ndeeteraayo n’omugaati.”
While she was going to get it, he called out to her, “Bring me a piece of bread, too!”
12 N’addamu nti, “Mukama nga bw’ali omulamu, sirina mugaati okuggyako olubatu lw’obutta mu kibya n’otufuta mu kasumbi, era kaakano nkuŋŋaanya buku mbutwale eka neefumbire nze n’omwana wange tubulye tufe.”
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 Eriya n’amugamba nti, “Totya. Genda eka okole nga bw’ogambye. Naye sooka onfumbire akagaati, okuva mu by’olina okandeteere, oluvannyuma weefumbire ggwe n’omwana wo.
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 Kubanga kino Mukama Katonda wa Isirayiri ky’agamba nti, ‘Ekibya ky’obutta tekiriggwaamu, so n’akasumbi k’amafuta tekalikalira okutuusa olunaku Mukama lw’alitonyesa enkuba ku nsi.’”
[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 N’agenda n’akola nga Eriya bwe yamugamba, era ne waba emmere bulijjo eya Eriya ne nnamwandu n’amaka ge.
So the woman did exactly what Elijah told her to do. And she and her son and Elijah had enough food every day,
16 Ekibya ky’obutta tekyakendeera wadde akasumbi k’amafuta okukalira, ng’ekigambo kya Mukama kye yayogerera mu Eriya bwe kyali.
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 Bwe waayitawo ebbanga, omwana wa nnamwandu n’alwala nnyo, obulwadde ne bweyongera okutuusa lwe yafa.
Some time later, the woman’s son became sick. He continued to get worse, and finally he died.
18 Nnamwandu n’agamba Eriya nti, “Kiki ky’onnanga, omusajja wa Katonda? Wajja okunzijukiza ekibi kyange n’okutta omwana wange?”
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 Eriya n’amuddamu nti, “Mpa omwana wo.” N’amuggya mu kifuba kye, n’amusitula n’amutwala mu kisenge ekya waggulu gye yabeeranga, n’amugalamiza ku kitanda kye.
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 N’akoowoola Mukama ng’agamba nti, “Ayi Mukama Katonda wange, ne nnamwandu ono gwe mbeera naye omuleeseko ekikangabwa kino, n’otta omwana we?”
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 Eriya ne yeegololera ku mulenzi emirundi esatu, n’akaabira Mukama ng’agamba nti, “Ayi Mukama Katonda wange, obulamu bw’omulenzi ono bukomewo nate!”
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 Mukama n’awulira okukaaba kwa Eriya, obulamu bw’omulenzi ne bumuddamu, era n’alama.
Yahweh heard what Elijah prayed, and [he caused] the boy [to] become alive again [DOU].
23 Awo Eriya n’asitula omwana n’amuserengesa okuva mu kisenge n’amuleeta mu nnyumba, n’amuwa nnyina, n’amugamba nti, “Laba mutabani wo mulamu!”
Elijah carried the boy down [the steps] and gave him to his mother. He said, “Look, your son is alive!”
24 Awo nnamwandu n’agamba Eriya nti, “Kaakano ntegedde ng’oli musajja wa Katonda, era n’ekigambo kya Mukama ekiva mu kamwa ko kiba kya mazima.”
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!”
