< 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 Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, says to Ahab, “YHWH, God of Israel, lives, before whom I have stood, there is not dew and rain these years, except according to my word.”
2 Ngakho ilizwi likaThixo lafika ku-Elija lisithi:
And the word of YHWH is to him, saying,
3 “Suka lapho, khangela empumalanga uyecatsha eDongeni lwaseKherithi, empumalanga kweJodani.
“Go from this [place]; and you have turned for yourself eastward, and been hidden by the Brook of Cherith that [is] on the front of the Jordan,
4 Uzanatha amanzi avela kulesosifula, njalo sengilayile amawabayi ukuthi azabe ekulethela ukudla khonapho.”
and it has been [that] you drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to sustain you there.”
5 Ngakho wenza lokho okwakutshiwo nguThixo. Waya eDongeni lwaseKherithi, empumalanga yeJodani, wafika wahlala khona.
And he goes and does according to the word of YHWH, indeed, he goes and dwells by the Brook of Cherith, that [is] on the front of the Jordan,
6 Amawabayi amlethela ukudla, isinkwa lenyama ekuseni kwathi lantambama kwaba yisinkwa lenyama, amanzi wayenatha esifuleni.
and the ravens are bringing bread and flesh to him in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening, and he drinks from the brook.
7 Ngemva kwesikhathi amanzi atsha esifuleni ngoba kwakungelazulu elizweni.
And it comes to pass, at the end of [the] days, that the brook dries up, for there has been no rain in the land,
8 Ngakho kwabuye kwafika kuye ilizwi likaThixo lisithi:
and the word of YHWH is to him, saying,
9 “Suka khathesi uye eZarefathi yeSidoni uyehlala khona. Sengilungisile khona ukuthi umfelokazi uzakulungisela abe ekupha ukudla.”
“Rise, go to Zarephath, that [belongs] to Sidon, and you have dwelt there; behold, I have commanded a widow woman to sustain you there.”
10 Wasesiya eZarefathi. Uthe efika esangweni ledolobho, kwakukhona umfelokazi edobha incwathi. Wazibika kuye njalo ecela wathi, “Ungangilethela amanzi ngenkezo kenginathe na?”
And he rises, and goes to Zarephath, and comes to the opening of the city, and behold, there [is] a widow woman gathering sticks, and he calls to her and says, “Please bring a little water to me in a vessel, and I drink.”
11 Uthe esayathatha amanzi, wambiza njalo wathi, “Ngicela ungiphathele locezu lwesinkwa.”
And she goes to bring [it], and he calls to her and says, “Please bring a morsel of bread to me in your 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 says, “Your God YHWH lives, I do not have a cake, but the fullness of the hand of meal in a pitcher, and a little oil in a dish; and behold, I am gathering two sticks, and have gone in and prepared it for myself, and for my son, and we have eaten it—and died.”
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 Elijah says to her, “Do not fear, go, do according to your word, only make a little cake for me there, in the first place, and you have brought [it] out to me; and for you and for your son make [it] last;
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 said YHWH, God of Israel: The pitcher of meal is not consumed, and the dish of oil is not lacking, until the day of YHWH’s giving a shower on the face of the ground.”
15 Wasuka lapho wayakwenza njengalokho ayekutshilo u-Elija. Ngakho kwahlala kulokudla kuka-Elija lomfelokazi labendlu yakhe okwensuku zonke.
And she goes, and does according to the word of Elijah, and she eats, she and he and her household [for many] days;
16 Ngoba ifulawa eyayisengcebethwini ayiphelanga, kanti njalo lamafutha agobhoza kokuphela kazaphela njengokutsho kukaThixo ku-Elija.
the pitcher of meal was not consumed, and the dish of oil did not lack, according to the word of YHWH that He spoke by the hand of Elijah.
17 Ngemva kwesikhatshana indodana yomfelokazi owayengumninindlu yagula. Wakhula umkhuhlane ngamandla, yaze yema ukuphefumula.
And it comes to pass, after these things, the son of the woman, mistress of the house, has been sick, and his sickness is very severe until no breath has been 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 says to Elijah, “What [is this] to me and to you, O man of God? You have come to me to cause my iniquity to be remembered, and to put my son to death!”
19 U-Elija waphendula wathi, “Nginika indodana yakho.” Wayiphatha ngezandla indodana, wakhwela layo waya endlini ephezulu ayehlala kuyo, wayilalisa embhedeni wakhe.
And he says to her, “Give your son to me”; and he takes him out of her bosom, and takes him up to the upper chamber where he is abiding, and lays him on 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 cries to YHWH and says, “My God YHWH, have You also brought calamity on the widow with whom I am sojourning, to put her son to death?”
21 Wasezelula ecambalala phezu komfana kathathu ecela kuThixo, esithi, “Wena Thixo Nkulunkulu wami, ake ubuyisele impilo yalumntwana!”
And he stretches himself out on the boy three times, and calls to YHWH and says, “O YHWH my God, please let the soul of this boy return into his midst”;
22 UThixo wakuzwa ukukhala kuka-Elija lakanye impilo yomfana yabuyela, wavuka waphila.
and YHWH listens to the voice of Elijah, and the soul of the boy turns back into his midst, and he lives.
23 U-Elija wamphakamisa umntwana wamthwalela endlini ephansi. Wamqhubela unina wasesithi kunina, “Khangela ubone, indodana yakho iyaphila!”
And Elijah takes the boy, and brings him down from the upper chamber of the house, and gives him to his mother, and Elijah says, “See, your son lives!”
24 Umfelokazi wasesithi ku-Elija, “Khathesi sengisazi ukuthi ungumuntu kaNkulunkulu lokuthi ilizwi likaThixo elivela emlonyeni wakho liliqiniso.”
And the woman says to Elijah, “Now [by] this I have known that you [are] a man of God, and the word of YHWH in your mouth [is] truth.”