< 2 Amakhosi 1 >

1 Ngemva kokufa kuka-Ahabi, amaMowabi ahlamukela u-Israyeli.
And Moab rebelled against Israel, after the death of Achab.
2 U-Ahaziya wayewele embotsheni yendlu yakhe engaphezulu eSamariya walimala. Wathumela izithunywa, wathi kuzo, “Hambani liyebuza kuBhali-Zebhubhi, unkulunkulu wase-Ekroni, ukuthi kambe ngizasila yini kulokhu kulimala na.”
And Ochozias fell through the lattices of his upper chamber which he had in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, saying to them: Go, consult Beelzebub, the god of Accaron, whether I shall recover of this my illness.
3 Kodwa ingilosi kaThixo yathi ku-Elija umThishibi, “Suka uyehlangabeza izithunywa zenkosi yaseSamariya uyezibuza ukuthi, ‘Kambe yikuthi akuselaNkulunkulu ko-Israyeli na ukuze uyehlahlula kuBhali-Zebhubhi, unkulunkulu wase-Ekroni?’
And an angel of the Lord spoke to Elias the Thesbite, saying: Arise, and go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say to them: Is there not a God in Israel, that ye go to consult Beelzebub the god of Accaron?
4 Ngakho uThixo uthi: ‘Awuyikusuka kulowombheda ogulela kuwo. Ngempela uzakufa!’”
Wherefore thus saith the Lord: From the bed, on which thou art gone up, thou shalt not come down, but thou shalt surely die. And Elias went away.
5 Ekubuyeleni kwezithunywa enkosini, yazibuza yathi, “Kungani selibuyile na?”
And the messengers turned back to Ochozias. And he said to them: Why are you come back?
6 Izithunywa zaphendula zathi, “Kulendoda esihlangabezileyo yathi kithi, ‘Buyelani enkosini elithumileyo liyeyitshela ukuthi, “Ilizwi likaThixo lithi: Kungenxa yokuthi akulaNkulunkulu yini ko-Israyeli okubangele ukuthi uthumele abantu ukuyahlahlula kuBhali-Zebhubhi, unkulunkulu we-Ekroni na? Ngakho awuyikuvuka kulowombheda olele kuwo. Ngempela uzakufa!”’”
But they answered him: A man met us, and said to us: Go, and return to the king, that sent you, and you shall say to him: Thus saith the Lord: Is it because there was no God in Israel that thou sendest to Beelzebub the god of Accaron? Therefore thou shalt not come down from the bed, on which thou art gone up, but then shalt surely die.
7 Inkosi yabuza izithunywa yathi, “Ngumuntu onjani lowo olihlangabezileyo waselitshela lokhu?”
And he said to them: What manner of man was he who met you, and spoke these words?
8 Izithunywa zaphendula zathi, “Yindoda ebigqoke isigqoko soboya ekhalweni ibophe ngozwezwe.” Inkosi yathi, “Lowo ngu-Elija umThishibi.”
But they said: A hairy man with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said: It is Elias the Thesbite.
9 Inkosi yasithumela ku-Elija induna yebutho labantu bayo abangamatshumi amahlanu. Induna yebutho yakhwela yaya ku-Elija, owayehlezi phezu koqaqa, yafika yathi kuye, “Muntu kaNkulunkulu, inkosi ithi, ‘Yehla!’”
And he sent to him a captain of fifty, and the fifty men that were under him. And he went up to him, and as he was sitting on the top of a hill, said to him: Man of God, the king hath commanded that thou come down.
10 U-Elija ephendula induna yebutho wathi, “Nxa ngingumuntu kaNkulunkulu, kakwehle umlilo ovela ezulwini ukuqothule wena kanye labantu bakho abangamatshumi amahlanu!” Lakanye wehla umlilo uvela ezulwini wayiqothula induna yebutho kanye labantu bayo.
And Elias answering, said to the captain of fifty: If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee, and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him, and the fifty that were with him.
11 Ngokubona lokho inkosi yathuma ku-Elija eyinye induna yebutho lamanye amadoda angamatshumi amahlanu. Induna yathi ku-Elija, “Muntu kaNkulunkulu, inkosi ithi, ‘Yehla khathesi.’”
And again he sent to him another captain of fifty men, and his fifty with him. And he said to him: Man of God, thus saith the king: Make haste and come down.
12 U-Elija waphendula wathi, “Nxa ngingumuntu kaNkulunkulu, kakwehle umlilo ovela ezulwini ukuqothule wena kanye labantu bakho!” Ngakho umlilo kaNkulunkulu wehla uvela ezulwini waqothula izinduna zamabutho ezakuqala zombili kanye labo bonke abantu bayo abangamatshumi amahlanu.
Elias answering, said: If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And fire came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.
13 Ngakho inkosi yathuma induna yebutho yesithathu labantu bayo abangamatshumi amahlanu. Induna yebutho yesithathu yakhwela yafika yaguqa ngamadolo phambi kuka-Elija yamncenga yathi, “Muntu kaNkulunkulu, akube lesihawu ngempilo yami leyamadoda la angamatshumi amahlanu, thina sizinceku zakho!
Again he sent a third captain of fifty men, and the fifty that were with him. And when he was come, he fell upon his knees, before Elias, and besought him and said: Man of God, despise not my life, and the lives of thy servants that are with me.
14 Angithi uyabona, umlilo wehle uvela ezulwini waqothula izinduna zamabutho lamadoda angamatshumi amahlanu induna nganye. Kodwa manje akunakekele impilo yami!”
Behold fire came down from heaven, and consumed the two first captains of fifty men, and the fifties that were with them: but now I beseech thee to spare my life.
15 Ingilosi kaThixo yathi ku-Elija, “Yehla kanye layo induna; ungayesabi.” Ngakho u-Elija wasukuma wehla kanye lenduna waya enkosini.
And the angel of the Lord spoke to Elias, saying: Go down with him, fear not. He arose therefore, and went down with him to the king,
16 Wasesithi enkosini, “Ilizwi likaThixo lithi: Kungenxa yokuthi akulaNkulunkulu yini ko-Israyeli ukuze uthume izithunywa ukuthi ziyohlahlula kuBhali-Zebhubhi, unkulunkulu we-Ekroni na? Ngenxa yesenzo sakho lesi, awuyikuvuka kulowombheda olele kuwo. Ngempela uzakufa!”
And said to him: Thus saith the Lord: Because thou hast sent messengers to consult Beelzebub the god of Accaron, as though there were not a God in Israel, of whom thou mightest inquire the word; therefore from the bed on which thou art gone up, thou shalt not come down, but thou shalt surely die.
17 Lakanye wafa, njengelizwi likaThixo elakhulunywa ngu-Elija. Njengoba u-Ahaziya wayengelandodana, ubukhosi bakhe bathathwa nguJoramu owaba yinkosi ngomnyaka wesibili wokubusa kukaJehoramu indodana kaJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda.
So he died according to the word of the Lord which Elias spoke, and Joram his brother reigned in his stead, in the second year of Joram the son of Josaphat king of Juda: because he had no son.
18 Konke okwembali yokubusa kuka-Ahaziya, kanye lakwenzayo, akulotshwanga yini egwalweni lwembali yamakhosi ako-Israyeli na?
But the rest of the acts of Ochozias which he did, are they not written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Israel?

< 2 Amakhosi 1 >