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, said to Ahab, "As Jehovah, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except by my word."
2 Ngakho ilizwi likaThixo lafika ku-Elija lisithi:
And the word of Jehovah came to him, saying,
3 “Suka lapho, khangela empumalanga uyecatsha eDongeni lwaseKherithi, empumalanga kweJodani.
"Go away from here, turn eastward, and hide yourself by the Wadi Cherith, that is near the Jordan.
4 Uzanatha amanzi avela kulesosifula, njalo sengilayile amawabayi ukuthi azabe ekulethela ukudla khonapho.”
And it shall be that you will drink from the wadi. I have commanded the ravens to feed you 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 Jehovah; for he went and lived by the Wadi Cherith, that is near the Jordan.
6 Amawabayi amlethela ukudla, isinkwa lenyama ekuseni kwathi lantambama kwaba yisinkwa lenyama, amanzi wayenatha esifuleni.
And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening. And he drank from the wadi.
7 Ngemva kwesikhathi amanzi atsha esifuleni ngoba kwakungelazulu elizweni.
And it happened after a while that the wadi dried up, because there was no rain in the land.
8 Ngakho kwabuye kwafika kuye ilizwi likaThixo lisithi:
The word of Jehovah came to him, saying,
9 “Suka khathesi uye eZarefathi yeSidoni uyehlala khona. Sengilungisile khona ukuthi umfelokazi uzakulungisela abe ekupha ukudla.”
"Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there. Look, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you."
10 Wasesiya eZarefathi. Uthe efika esangweni ledolobho, kwakukhona umfelokazi edobha incwathi. Wazibika kuye njalo ecela wathi, “Ungangilethela amanzi ngenkezo kenginathe na?”
So he got up and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, look, a widow was there gathering wood. And he called to her, and said, "Please bring me a little water in a pitcher, that I may drink."
11 Uthe esayathatha amanzi, wambiza njalo wathi, “Ngicela ungiphathele locezu lwesinkwa.”
And as she was going to get it, he called to her, and said, "Please bring me a piece of bread 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.”
She said, "As Jehovah your God lives, I do not have anything baked, except a handful of flour in a jar, and a little oil in a jug. Look, I am gathering a couple of sticks, that I may go in and bake 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 Elijah said to her, "Do not be afraid. Go and do as you have said. But make me of it a little cake first, and bring it out to me, and afterward make some for yourself and for your 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 says Jehovah, the God of Israel, 'The jar of flour shall not empty, neither shall the jug of oil be empty, until the day that Jehovah sends rain on the surface of the land.'"
15 Wasuka lapho wayakwenza njengalokho ayekutshilo u-Elija. Ngakho kwahlala kulokudla kuka-Elija lomfelokazi labendlu yakhe okwensuku zonke.
And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah. And she, and he, and her household, ate for a long time.
16 Ngoba ifulawa eyayisengcebethwini ayiphelanga, kanti njalo lamafutha agobhoza kokuphela kazaphela njengokutsho kukaThixo ku-Elija.
The jar of flour did not empty, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of Jehovah, which he spoke by Elijah.
17 Ngemva kwesikhatshana indodana yomfelokazi owayengumninindlu yagula. Wakhula umkhuhlane ngamandla, yaze yema ukuphefumula.
It happened after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick. And his illness was so severe 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 Elijah, "What do we have in common, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to memory, and to 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 he said to her, "Give me your son." And he took him out of her lap and carried him up into the room where he stayed, and laid 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?”
He cried to Jehovah, and said, "Jehovah my God, have you also brought disaster on the widow with whom I sojourn, by killing her son?"
21 Wasezelula ecambalala phezu komfana kathathu ecela kuThixo, esithi, “Wena Thixo Nkulunkulu wami, ake ubuyisele impilo yalumntwana!”
And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and called out to Jehovah, and said, "Jehovah my God, please let this child's soul come into him again."
22 UThixo wakuzwa ukukhala kuka-Elija lakanye impilo yomfana yabuyela, wavuka waphila.
Jehovah listened to the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.
23 U-Elija wamphakamisa umntwana wamthwalela endlini ephansi. Wamqhubela unina wasesithi kunina, “Khangela ubone, indodana yakho iyaphila!”
And Elijah took the child and brought him down out of the room into the house and gave him to his mother. And Elijah said, "See, your son lives."
24 Umfelokazi wasesithi ku-Elija, “Khathesi sengisazi ukuthi ungumuntu kaNkulunkulu lokuthi ilizwi likaThixo elivela emlonyeni wakho liliqiniso.”
And the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of Jehovah in your mouth is the truth."
