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.”
Then said Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, unto Ahab, By the life of Yahweh, God of Israel, before whom I stand, there shall not, these two years, be either dew or rain, —save at the bidding of my word.
2 Ngakho ilizwi likaThixo lafika ku-Elija lisithi:
Then came the word of Yahweh unto him, saying:
3 “Suka lapho, khangela empumalanga uyecatsha eDongeni lwaseKherithi, empumalanga kweJodani.
Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, —and hide thyself in the ravine of Cherith, which faceth the Jordan;
4 Uzanatha amanzi avela kulesosifula, njalo sengilayile amawabayi ukuthi azabe ekulethela ukudla khonapho.”
and it shall be that, of the torrent, shalt thou drink, —and, the ravens, have I commanded to sustain 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 Yahweh, —yea he went and dwelt in the ravine of Cherith, which faceth the Jordan.
6 Amawabayi amlethela ukudla, isinkwa lenyama ekuseni kwathi lantambama kwaba yisinkwa lenyama, amanzi wayenatha esifuleni.
And, the ravens, used to bring him bread and flesh, in the morning, and bread and flesh, in the evening, —and, of the torrent, used he to drink.
7 Ngemva kwesikhathi amanzi atsha esifuleni ngoba kwakungelazulu elizweni.
But it came to pass, at the end of [certain] days, that the torrent dried up, —because there had been no rain in the land.
8 Ngakho kwabuye kwafika kuye ilizwi likaThixo lisithi:
Then came the word of Yahweh unto him, saying—
9 “Suka khathesi uye eZarefathi yeSidoni uyehlala khona. Sengilungisile khona ukuthi umfelokazi uzakulungisela abe ekupha ukudla.”
Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there, —Lo! I have commanded, there, a widow woman, to sustain thee.
10 Wasesiya eZarefathi. Uthe efika esangweni ledolobho, kwakukhona umfelokazi edobha incwathi. Wazibika kuye njalo ecela wathi, “Ungangilethela amanzi ngenkezo kenginathe na?”
So he arose and went to Zarephath, and, when he came to the entrance of the city, lo! there, a widow woman gathering sticks, —and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.
11 Uthe esayathatha amanzi, wambiza njalo wathi, “Ngicela ungiphathele locezu lwesinkwa.”
And, as she went to fetch it, he called to her and said, Bring me, I pray 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 said—By the life of Yahweh, thy God, verily I have not a cake, only a handful of meal in the jar, and a little oil in the cruse, —and lo! I have been gathering a couple of sticks, so I shall go in and make it ready for me and for 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 unto her—Do not fear, go in—make ready according to thy word, —howbeit, make me thereof a little cake, first, and bring it out to me, and, for thyself and thy son, make ready, afterwards.
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 Yahweh, God of Israel, The jar of meal, shall not waste, and, the cruse of oil, shall not fail, —until the day that Yahweh giveth rain upon the face of the ground.
15 Wasuka lapho wayakwenza njengalokho ayekutshilo u-Elija. Ngakho kwahlala kulokudla kuka-Elija lomfelokazi labendlu yakhe okwensuku zonke.
So she went and made ready, according to the word of Elijah, —and did eat, she, and he, and her house, [certain] days:
16 Ngoba ifulawa eyayisengcebethwini ayiphelanga, kanti njalo lamafutha agobhoza kokuphela kazaphela njengokutsho kukaThixo ku-Elija.
The jar of meal, did not waste, —and, the cruse of oil, did not fail, —according to the word of Yahweh, which he spake through Elijah.
17 Ngemva kwesikhatshana indodana yomfelokazi owayengumninindlu yagula. Wakhula umkhuhlane ngamandla, yaze yema ukuphefumula.
And it came to pass, after these things, that the son of the woman, owner of the house, fell sick, —yea it came to pass that his sickness was very severe, until no, breath, was 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?”
Then said she unto Elijah, What have I in common with thee, O man of God? Hast thou come unto me, to call to remembrance mine iniquity, and to cause the death of 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 unto her—Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him unto the upper room, where, he, was staying, 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?”
Then cried he unto Yahweh, and said, —O Yahweh, my God! Even upon the widow with whom I am sojourning, hast thou brought misfortune by causing the death of her son?
21 Wasezelula ecambalala phezu komfana kathathu ecela kuThixo, esithi, “Wena Thixo Nkulunkulu wami, ake ubuyisele impilo yalumntwana!”
And he stretched himself out upon the boy, three times, and cried unto Yahweh, and said, —O Yahweh, my God! Let the life of this boy, I pray thee, come again within him.
22 UThixo wakuzwa ukukhala kuka-Elija lakanye impilo yomfana yabuyela, wavuka waphila.
And Yahweh hearkened unto the voice of Elijah, —and the life of the boy came again within him, and he lived.
23 U-Elija wamphakamisa umntwana wamthwalela endlini ephansi. Wamqhubela unina wasesithi kunina, “Khangela ubone, indodana yakho iyaphila!”
Then Elijah took the boy, and carried him down out of the upper room, into the house, and gave him to his mother, —and Elijah said, See! thy son liveth.
24 Umfelokazi wasesithi ku-Elija, “Khathesi sengisazi ukuthi ungumuntu kaNkulunkulu lokuthi ilizwi likaThixo elivela emlonyeni wakho liliqiniso.”
And the woman said unto Elijah, Now, then I know, that, a man of God, thou art, —and that, the word of Yahweh, is in thy mouth, of a truth.
