1 Amakhosi 17
1 UElija umTishibi wabahlali beGileyadi wasesithi kuAhabi: Kuphila kukaJehova, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, engimi phambi kwakhe, kakuyikuba khona lamazolo lezulu kuliminyaka, kuphela njengokwelizwi lami.
Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was among the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As surely as the LORD lives—the God of Israel before whom I stand—there will be neither dew nor rain in these years except at my word!”
2 Ilizwi leNkosi laselifika kuye lisithi:
Then a revelation from the LORD came to Elijah:
3 Suka lapha, wena uphendukele empumalanga, uzicatshise esifuleni iKerithi, esiphambi kweJordani.
“Leave here, turn eastward, and hide yourself by the Brook of Cherith, east of the Jordan.
4 Kuzakuthi-ke unathe esifuleni; sengilaye amawabayi ukuthi akondle khona.
And you are to drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.”
5 Wasehamba wenza njengokwelizwi leNkosi, ngoba wayahlala esifuleni iKerithi esiphambi kweJordani.
So Elijah did what the LORD had told him, and he went and lived by the Brook of Cherith, east of the Jordan.
6 Amawabayi asemlethela isinkwa lenyama ekuseni, lesinkwa lenyama ntambama; wanatha esifuleni.
The ravens would bring him bread and meat in the morning and evening, and he would drink from the brook.
7 Kwasekusithi emva kwesikhathi isifula satsha, ngoba kwakungelazulu elizweni.
Some time later, however, the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land.
8 Ilizwi leNkosi laselifika kuye lisithi:
Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah:
9 Sukuma uye eZarefathi engeyeSidoni, uhlale khona. Khangela, ngilayile owesifazana ongumfelokazi khona ukuthi akondle.
“Get up and go to Zarephath of Sidon, and stay there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.”
10 Wasukuma-ke waya eZarefathi. Lapho efika esangweni lomuzi, khangela, owesifazana ongumfelokazi wayelapho etheza inkuni; wasembiza wathi: Ake ungikhele amanzi amalutshwana ngenkezo ukuze nginathe.
So Elijah got up and went to Zarephath. When he arrived at the city gate, there was a widow gathering sticks. Elijah called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, so that I may drink.”
11 Kwathi esahamba ukuyawathatha, wambiza wathi: Ake ungiphathele ucezu lwesinkwa esandleni sakho.
And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a piece of bread.”
12 Wasesithi: Kuphila kukaJehova uNkulunkulu wakho, kangilaqebelengwana, kuphela impuphu egcwala isandla embizeni lamafutha ayingcosana esiphisweni; khangela-ke ngitheza izinkuni ezimbili ukuze ngingene ngizilungisele khona mina lendodana yami, ukuze sidle sife.
But she replied, “As surely as the LORD your God lives, I have no bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. Look, I am gathering a couple of sticks to take home and prepare a meal for myself and my son, so that we may eat it and die.”
13 UElija wasesithi kuye: Ungesabi; hamba wenze njengokwelizwi lakho, kodwa ngenzela kuqala iqebelengwana elincinyane ngakho, ulilethe lapha kimi, ngemva kwalokho-ke wenzele wena lendodana yakho.
“Do not be afraid,” Elijah said to her. “Go and do as you have said. But first make me a small cake of bread from what you have, and bring it out to me. Afterward, make some for yourself and your son,
14 Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakoIsrayeli: Imbiza yempuphu kayiyikuphela, lesiphiso samafutha kasiyikuswela, kuze kube lusuku iNkosi ezanisa ngalo izulu ebusweni bomhlaba.
for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be exhausted and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD sends rain upon the face of the earth.’”
15 Wasehamba wenza njengokwelizwi likaElija. Njalo yena kanye laye lendlu yakhe badla okwensuku ezinengi.
So she went and did according to the word of Elijah, and there was food every day for Elijah and the woman and her household.
16 Imbiza yempuphu kayiphelanga lesiphiso samafutha kasiswelanga, njengokwelizwi leNkosi eyalikhuluma ngesandla sikaElija.
The jar of flour was not exhausted and the jug of oil did not run dry, according to the word that the LORD had spoken through Elijah.
17 Kwasekusithi emva kwalezizinto, indodana yowesifazana, inkosikazi yendlu, yagula; lomkhuhlane wayo wawulamandla kangangokuthi akwaze kwasala umphefumulo kuyo.
Later, the son of the woman who owned the house became ill, and his sickness grew worse and worse, until no breath remained in him.
18 Wasesithi kuElija: Ngilani lawe, muntu kaNkulunkulu? Uze kimi ukuze kukhumbuleke isono sami lokubulala indodana yami na?
“O man of God,” said the woman to Elijah, “what have you done to me? Have you come to remind me of my iniquity and cause the death of my son?”
19 Wasesithi kuye: Nginika indodana yakho. Waseyithatha esifubeni sakhe, wayenyusela endlini ephezulu lapho ayehlala khona, wayilalisa embhedeni wakhe.
But Elijah said to her, “Give me your son.” So he took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed.
20 Wasekhala eNkosini wathi: Nkosi Nkulunkulu wami, umehlisele ububi lalo umfelokazi engingenise kwakhe ngokubulala indodana yakhe na?
Then he cried out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, have You also brought tragedy on this widow who has opened her home to me, by causing her son to die?”
21 Wasezelulela phezu komntwana kathathu, wakhala eNkosini wathi: Nkosi Nkulunkulu wami, ake ubuyele umphefumulo walumntwana phakathi kwakhe.
Then he stretched himself out over the child three times and cried out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, please let this boy’s life return to him!”
22 INkosi yasilizwa ilizwi likaElija, umphefumulo womntwana wasubuyela phakathi kwakhe, wasebuya ephila.
And the LORD listened to the voice of Elijah, and the child’s life returned to him, and he lived.
23 UElija wasemthatha umntwana, wamehlisa esuka endlini ephezulu waya endlini, wamnika unina; uElija wasesithi: Bona, indodana yakho iyaphila.
Then Elijah took the child, brought him down from the upper room into the house, and gave him to his mother. “Look, your son is alive,” Elijah declared.
24 Owesifazana wasesithi kuElija: Khathesi sengisazi lokhu, ukuthi ungumuntu kaNkulunkulu, ukuthi ilizwi leNkosi elisemlonyeni wakho liliqiniso.
Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is truth.”
