< 2 Amakhosi 2 >
1 Kwathi uThixo esezathatha u-Elija ukuba aye ezulwini ngesivunguzane, u-Elija lo-Elisha babevela eGiligali.
When the LORD was about to take Elijah up by a whirlwind into heaven, Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
2 U-Elija wathi ku-Elisha, “Hlala lapha; uThixo usengithume eBhetheli.” Kodwa u-Elisha wathi, “Njengoba uThixo ephila njalo njengoba lawe uphila, angiyikutshiyana lawe.” Ngakho basuka baya eBhetheli.
Elijah said to Elisha, “Please wait here, for the LORD has sent me as far as Bethel.” Elisha said, “As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.
3 Iqula labaphrofethi eBhetheli leza ku-Elisha lambuza lisithi: “Uyakwazi yini ukuthi uThixo uzakuthathela inkosi yakho lamuhla na?” U-Elisha wathi, “Yebo, ngiyakwazi, kodwa lingakhulumi ngakho.”
The sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that the LORD will take away your master from over you today?” He said, “Yes, I know it. Hold your peace.”
4 Ngakho u-Elija wasesithi kuye, “Hlala lapha, Elisha; uThixo usengithume eJerikho.” U-Elisha waphendula wathi: “Njengoba uThixo ephila njalo njengoba lawe uphila, angiyikutshiyana lawe.” Ngakho basuka baya eJerikho.
Elijah said to him, “Elisha, please wait here, for the LORD has sent me to Jericho.” He said, “As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho.
5 Iqula labaphrofethi eJerikho laya ku-Elisha lambuza lisithi, “Uyakwazi yini ukuthi uThixo uzathatha inkosi yakho lamuhla na?” Waphendula wathi, “Yebo, ngiyakwazi, kodwa lingakhulumi ngakho.”
The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho came near to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that the LORD will take away your master from over you today?” He answered, “Yes, I know it. Hold your peace.”
6 Ngakho u-Elija wasesithi, “Hlala khonapha; uThixo usengithume eJodani.” Yena waphendula wathi, “Njengoba uThixo ephila njalo njengoba lawe uphila, angiyikutshiyana lawe.” Ngakho baqhubekela phambili ngohambo.
Elijah said to him, “Please wait here, for the LORD has sent me to the Jordan.” He said, “As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” Then they both went on.
7 Amadoda angamatshumi amahlanu exukwini labaphrofethi asuka ayakuma bucwadlana ekhangele lapho u-Elija lo-Elisha ababemi khona eJodani.
Fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood opposite them at a distance; and they both stood by the Jordan.
8 U-Elija wasethatha ingubo yakhe, wayigoqa watshaya ngayo amanzi. Amanzi adabuka phakathi amanye aba kwesokunene amanye kwesokhohlo, basebechapha emhlabathini owomileyo.
Elijah took his mantle, and rolled it up, and struck the waters; and they were divided here and there, so that they both went over on dry ground.
9 Ekuchapheni kwabo, u-Elija wathi ku-Elisha, “Akungitshele, kambe kuyini engingakwenzela khona ngingakasuswa kuwe?” U-Elisha waphendula wathi, “Ngicela isabelo esiphindwe kabili somoya wakho.”
When they had gone over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be on me.”
10 U-Elija wathi, “Usucele into elukhuni, ungangibona ngisuswa kuwe kuzakuba ngokwakho, kodwa nxa kungangabinjalo akuyikuba ngokwakho.”
He said, “You have asked a hard thing. If you see me when I am taken from you, it will be so for you; but if not, it will not be so.”
11 Besahamba belokhu bekhuluma, kwafika inqola yokulwa yomlilo lamabhiza ayo avuthayo yabehlukanisa, ngakho u-Elija waya ezulwini ngesivunguzane.
As they continued on and talked, behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
12 U-Elisha ebona lokhu wamemeza wathi, “Baba! Baba! Izinqola zokulwa labamabhiza okulwa ako-Israyeli!” U-Elisha kasazange aphinde ambone futhi. Wasethatha izigqoko zakhe wazidabula.
Elisha saw it, and he cried, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” He saw him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.
13 Wasedobha ingubo eyayiwe ku-Elija wabuyela emuva wayakuma okhunjini lomfula uJodani.
He also took up Elijah’s mantle that fell from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan.
14 Wathatha ingubo eyayiwe kuye watshaya ngayo amanzi wathi, “Ungaphi khathesi uThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Elija?” Wasetshaya amanzi, adabuka phakathi amanye kwesokunene amanye kwesokhohlo, wasechaphela ngaphetsheya.
He took Elijah’s mantle that fell from him, and struck the waters, and said, “Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” When he also had struck the waters, they were divided apart, and Elisha went over.
15 Ixuku labaphrofethi ababevela eJerikho, ababebukele, lathi, “Umoya ka-Elija uphezu kuka-Elisha.” Basebesiya mhlangabeza bakhothama phambi kwakhe.
When the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho facing him saw him, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” They came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.
16 Basebesithi, “Uyabona, thina izinceku zakho silamadoda angamatshumi amahlanu enelisayo. Yekela amadoda la ayedinga inkosi yakho. Mhlawumbe uMoya kaThixo umthethe wayambeka entabeni ethile loba esihotsheni esithile.” U-Elisha wathi, “Hatshi, lingabathumi.”
They said to him, “See now, there are with your servants fifty strong men. Please let them go and seek your master. Perhaps the LORD’s Spirit has taken him up, and put him on some mountain or into some valley.” He said, “Don’t send them.”
17 Kodwa baphikelela waze wakhulelwa zinhloni zokuba elokhu esala. Wasesithi, “Bathumeni.” Ngakho bathuma amadoda angamatshumi amahlanu, amdinga okwensuku ezintathu amswela.
When they urged him until he was ashamed, he said, “Send them.” Therefore they sent fifty men; and they searched for three days, but didn’t find him.
18 Bathe sebebuyela ku-Elisha, owayesehlala eJerikho, wababuza wathi, “Bengingalitshelanga yini ukuthi lingamdingi?”
They came back to him while he stayed at Jericho; and he said to them, “Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t go’?”
19 Amadoda omuzi wakhona athi ku-Elisha, “Akubone, nkosi yethu, umuzi lo usendaweni ebukekayo, njengoba lawe uzibonela, kodwa amanzi alapha mabi lomhlaba wakhona awulazithelo.”
The men of the city said to Elisha, “Behold, please, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the land is barren.”
20 U-Elisha wathi, “Ngiphani umganu oyingubhe liwufake itswayi.” Ngakho bawuletha umganu.
He said, “Bring me a new jar, and put salt in it.” Then they brought it to him.
21 Wasephuma esiya emthonjeni wafika waphosela khona itswayi ekhuluma esithi, “Ilizwi likaThixo lithi: ‘Sengiwahlambulule amanzi la. Awangeke aphinde futhi abangele ukufa loba ukungatheli kuhle kwalumhlaba.’”
He went out to the spring of the waters, and threw salt into it, and said, “The LORD says, ‘I have healed these waters. There shall not be from there any more death or barren wasteland.’”
22 Amanzi lawo kusukela mhlalokho kuze kube lamuhla mahle, njengokwakutshiwo ngu-Elisha.
So the waters were healed to this day, according to Elisha’s word which he spoke.
23 Esuka lapho u-Elisha waya eBhetheli. Esahamba endleleni, kwavela kulowomuzi ixuku lentanga yabatsha lamhoza lisithi, “Qhubeka, wena mpabanga! Qhubeka, wena mpabanga!”
He went up from there to Bethel. As he was going up by the way, some youths came out of the city and mocked him, and said to him, “Go up, you baldy! Go up, you baldy!”
24 Wanyemukula, wabakhangela wasebehlisela isiqalekiso ngebizo likaThixo. Kwasekuvela amabhele amabili ehlathini afohloza abangamatshumi amane lababili babo.
He looked behind him and saw them, and cursed them in the LORD’s name. Then two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of those youths.
25 Wasesedlulela eNtabeni yaseKhameli, uthe esesuka lapho waya eSamariya.
He went from there to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.