1 Amakhosi 17
1 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.”
And Elias the Thesbite of the inhabitants of Galaad said to Achab: As the Lord liveth the God of Israel, in whose sight I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to the words of my mouth.
2 Ngakho ilizwi likaThixo lafika ku-Elija lisithi:
And the word of the Lord came to him, saying:
3 “Suka lapho, khangela empumalanga uyecatsha eDongeni lwaseKherithi, empumalanga kweJodani.
Get thee hence, and go towards the east and hide thyself by the torrent of Carith, which is over against the Jordan,
4 Uzanatha amanzi avela kulesosifula, njalo sengilayile amawabayi ukuthi azabe ekulethela ukudla khonapho.”
And there thou shalt drink of the torrent: and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.
5 Ngakho wenza lokho okwakutshiwo nguThixo. Waya eDongeni lwaseKherithi, empumalanga yeJodani, wafika wahlala khona.
So he went, and did according to the word of the Lord: and going, he dwelt by the torrent Carith, which is over against the Jordan.
6 Amawabayi amlethela ukudla, isinkwa lenyama ekuseni kwathi lantambama kwaba yisinkwa lenyama, amanzi wayenatha esifuleni.
And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening, and he drank of tile torrent.
7 Ngemva kwesikhathi amanzi atsha esifuleni ngoba kwakungelazulu elizweni.
But after some time the torrent was dried up, for it had not rained upon the earth.
8 Ngakho kwabuye kwafika kuye ilizwi likaThixo lisithi:
Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying:
9 “Suka khathesi uye eZarefathi yeSidoni uyehlala khona. Sengilungisile khona ukuthi umfelokazi uzakulungisela abe ekupha ukudla.”
Arise, and go to Sarephta of the Sidonians, and dwell there: for I have commanded a widow woman there to feed thee.
10 Wasesiya eZarefathi. Uthe efika esangweni ledolobho, kwakukhona umfelokazi edobha incwathi. Wazibika kuye njalo ecela wathi, “Ungangilethela amanzi ngenkezo kenginathe na?”
He arose, and went to Sarephta. And when he was come to the gate of the city, he saw the widow woman gathering sticks, and he called her, and said to her: Give me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.
11 Uthe esayathatha amanzi, wambiza njalo wathi, “Ngicela ungiphathele locezu lwesinkwa.”
And when she was going to fetch it he called after her, saying: Bring me also, I beseech thee, a morsel of bread in thy hand.
12 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.”
And she answered: As the Lord thy God liveth, I have no bread, but only a handful of meal in a pot, and a little oil in a cruse: behold I am gathering two sticks that I may go in and dress it, for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.
13 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.
And Elias said to her: Fear not, but go, and do as thou hast said: but first make for me of the same meal a little hearth cake, and bring it to me: and after make for thyself and thy son.
14 Ngoba lokhu yikho uThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli akutshiloyo: ‘Impuphu esengcebethwini kayiyikuphela, lamafutha asediweni kawayikuphela, kuze kufike usuku uThixo azanisa ngalo izulu elizweni?’”
For thus saith the Lord the God of Israel: The pot of meal shall not waste, nor the cruse of oil be diminished, until the day wherein the Lord will give rain upon the face of the earth.
15 Wasuka lapho wayakwenza njengalokho ayekutshilo u-Elija. Ngakho kwahlala kulokudla kuka-Elija lomfelokazi labendlu yakhe okwensuku zonke.
She went and did according to the word of Elias: and he ate, and she, and her house: and from that day
16 Ngoba ifulawa eyayisengcebethwini ayiphelanga, kanti njalo lamafutha agobhoza kokuphela kazaphela njengokutsho kukaThixo ku-Elija.
The pot of meal wasted not, and the cruse of oil was not diminished, according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke in the hand of Elias.
17 Ngemva kwesikhatshana indodana yomfelokazi owayengumninindlu yagula. Wakhula umkhuhlane ngamandla, yaze yema ukuphefumula.
And it came to pass after this that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick, and the sickness was very grievous, so that there was no breath left in him.
18 Umfelokazi wathi ku-Elija, “Kanti kuyini ongizondela khona, wena muntu kaNkulunkulu? Kambe ungabe ulande ukuzangikhumbuza ngesono sami ukuze ubulale indodana yami na?”
And she said to Elias: What have I to do with thee, thou man of God? art thou come to me that my iniquities should be remembered, and that thou shouldst kill my son?
19 U-Elija waphendula wathi, “Nginika indodana yakho.” Wayiphatha ngezandla indodana, wakhwela layo waya endlini ephezulu ayehlala kuyo, wayilalisa embhedeni wakhe.
And Elias said to her: Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him into the upper chamber where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed.
20 Wasecela ngamandla kuThixo esithi. “Yebo Thixo Nkulunkulu wami, wehlisele umonakalo lakulo umfelokazi engihlezi kuye na, ngokubangela ukufa kwendodana yakhe na?”
And he cried to the Lord, and said: O Lord my God, hast thou afflicted also the widow, with whom I am after a so maintained, so as to kill her son?
21 Wasezelula ecambalala phezu komfana kathathu ecela kuThixo, esithi, “Wena Thixo Nkulunkulu wami, ake ubuyisele impilo yalumntwana!”
And he stretched, and measured himself upon the child three times, and cried to the Lord, and said: O Lord my God, let the soul of this child, I beseech thee, return into his body.
22 UThixo wakuzwa ukukhala kuka-Elija lakanye impilo yomfana yabuyela, wavuka waphila.
And the Lord heard the voice of Elias: and the soul of the child returned into him, and he revived.
23 U-Elija wamphakamisa umntwana wamthwalela endlini ephansi. Wamqhubela unina wasesithi kunina, “Khangela ubone, indodana yakho iyaphila!”
And Elias took the child, and brought him down from the upper chamber to the house below, and delivered him to his mother, and said to her: Behold thy son liveth.
24 Umfelokazi wasesithi ku-Elija, “Khathesi sengisazi ukuthi ungumuntu kaNkulunkulu lokuthi ilizwi likaThixo elivela emlonyeni wakho liliqiniso.”
And the woman said to Elias: Now, by this I know that thou art a man of God, and the word of the Lord in thy mouth is true.
