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 [who was] of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, [As] the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.
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.
Depart hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that [is] before Jordan.
4 Uzanatha amanzi avela kulesosifula, njalo sengilayile amawabayi ukuthi azabe ekulethela ukudla khonapho.”
And it shall be, [that] thou shalt drink of the brook; 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: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that [is] before 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 the brook.
7 Ngemva kwesikhathi amanzi atsha esifuleni ngoba kwakungelazulu elizweni.
And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.
8 Ngakho kwabuye kwafika kuye ilizwi likaThixo lisithi:
And 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, go to Zarephath, which [belongeth] to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there 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 gate of the city, behold, the widow woman [was] there gathering sticks: and he called to her, and said, Bring 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 was going to bring [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, [As] the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but a handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and 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 Elijah said to her, Fear not; go [and] do as thou hast said: but make me of it a little cake first, and bring [it] to me, and afterward make for thee and for 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 God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day [that] the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.
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 house, did eat [many] days.
16 Ngoba ifulawa eyayisengcebethwini ayiphelanga, kanti njalo lamafutha agobhoza kokuphela kazaphela njengokutsho kukaThixo ku-Elija.
[And] the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spoke by 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, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness 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 have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come to me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay 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 thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, 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 also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying 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 cried to the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again.
22 UThixo wakuzwa ukukhala kuka-Elija lakanye impilo yomfana yabuyela, wavuka waphila.
And the LORD heard 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 from the chamber into the house, and delivered 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 to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou [art] a man of God, [and] that the word of the LORD in thy mouth [is] truth.
