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.
And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, says to Ahab, “YHWH, God of Israel, lives, before whom I have stood, there is not dew and rain these years, except according to my word.”
2 Ilizwi leNkosi laselifika kuye lisithi:
And the word of YHWH is to him, saying,
3 Suka lapha, wena uphendukele empumalanga, uzicatshise esifuleni iKerithi, esiphambi kweJordani.
“Go from this [place]; and you have turned for yourself eastward, and been hidden by the Brook of Cherith that [is] on the front of the Jordan,
4 Kuzakuthi-ke unathe esifuleni; sengilaye amawabayi ukuthi akondle khona.
and it has been [that] you drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to sustain you there.”
5 Wasehamba wenza njengokwelizwi leNkosi, ngoba wayahlala esifuleni iKerithi esiphambi kweJordani.
And he goes and does according to the word of YHWH, indeed, he goes and dwells by the Brook of Cherith, that [is] on the front of the Jordan,
6 Amawabayi asemlethela isinkwa lenyama ekuseni, lesinkwa lenyama ntambama; wanatha esifuleni.
and the ravens are bringing bread and flesh to him in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening, and he drinks from the brook.
7 Kwasekusithi emva kwesikhathi isifula satsha, ngoba kwakungelazulu elizweni.
And it comes to pass, at the end of [the] days, that the brook dries up, for there has been no rain in the land,
8 Ilizwi leNkosi laselifika kuye lisithi:
and the word of YHWH is to him, saying,
9 Sukuma uye eZarefathi engeyeSidoni, uhlale khona. Khangela, ngilayile owesifazana ongumfelokazi khona ukuthi akondle.
“Rise, go to Zarephath, that [belongs] to Sidon, and you have dwelt there; behold, I have commanded a widow woman to sustain you there.”
10 Wasukuma-ke waya eZarefathi. Lapho efika esangweni lomuzi, khangela, owesifazana ongumfelokazi wayelapho etheza inkuni; wasembiza wathi: Ake ungikhele amanzi amalutshwana ngenkezo ukuze nginathe.
And he rises, and goes to Zarephath, and comes to the opening of the city, and behold, there [is] a widow woman gathering sticks, and he calls to her and says, “Please bring a little water to me in a vessel, and I drink.”
11 Kwathi esahamba ukuyawathatha, wambiza wathi: Ake ungiphathele ucezu lwesinkwa esandleni sakho.
And she goes to bring [it], and he calls to her and says, “Please bring a morsel of bread to me in your hand.”
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.
And she says, “Your God YHWH lives, I do not have a cake, but the fullness of the hand of meal in a pitcher, and a little oil in a dish; and behold, I am gathering two sticks, and have gone in and prepared it for myself, and for my son, and we have eaten it—and died.”
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.
And Elijah says to her, “Do not fear, go, do according to your word, only make a little cake for me there, in the first place, and you have brought [it] out to me; and for you and for your son make [it] last;
14 Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakoIsrayeli: Imbiza yempuphu kayiyikuphela, lesiphiso samafutha kasiyikuswela, kuze kube lusuku iNkosi ezanisa ngalo izulu ebusweni bomhlaba.
for thus said YHWH, God of Israel: The pitcher of meal is not consumed, and the dish of oil is not lacking, until the day of YHWH’s giving a shower on the face of the ground.”
15 Wasehamba wenza njengokwelizwi likaElija. Njalo yena kanye laye lendlu yakhe badla okwensuku ezinengi.
And she goes, and does according to the word of Elijah, and she eats, she and he and her household [for many] days;
16 Imbiza yempuphu kayiphelanga lesiphiso samafutha kasiswelanga, njengokwelizwi leNkosi eyalikhuluma ngesandla sikaElija.
the pitcher of meal was not consumed, and the dish of oil did not lack, according to the word of YHWH that He spoke by the hand of Elijah.
17 Kwasekusithi emva kwalezizinto, indodana yowesifazana, inkosikazi yendlu, yagula; lomkhuhlane wayo wawulamandla kangangokuthi akwaze kwasala umphefumulo kuyo.
And it comes to pass, after these things, the son of the woman, mistress of the house, has been sick, and his sickness is very severe until no breath has been left in him.
18 Wasesithi kuElija: Ngilani lawe, muntu kaNkulunkulu? Uze kimi ukuze kukhumbuleke isono sami lokubulala indodana yami na?
And she says to Elijah, “What [is this] to me and to you, O man of God? You have come to me to cause my iniquity to be remembered, and to put my son to death!”
19 Wasesithi kuye: Nginika indodana yakho. Waseyithatha esifubeni sakhe, wayenyusela endlini ephezulu lapho ayehlala khona, wayilalisa embhedeni wakhe.
And he says to her, “Give your son to me”; and he takes him out of her bosom, and takes him up to the upper chamber where he is abiding, and lays him on his own bed,
20 Wasekhala eNkosini wathi: Nkosi Nkulunkulu wami, umehlisele ububi lalo umfelokazi engingenise kwakhe ngokubulala indodana yakhe na?
and cries to YHWH and says, “My God YHWH, have You also brought calamity on the widow with whom I am sojourning, to put her son to death?”
21 Wasezelulela phezu komntwana kathathu, wakhala eNkosini wathi: Nkosi Nkulunkulu wami, ake ubuyele umphefumulo walumntwana phakathi kwakhe.
And he stretches himself out on the boy three times, and calls to YHWH and says, “O YHWH my God, please let the soul of this boy return into his midst”;
22 INkosi yasilizwa ilizwi likaElija, umphefumulo womntwana wasubuyela phakathi kwakhe, wasebuya ephila.
and YHWH listens to the voice of Elijah, and the soul of the boy turns back into his midst, and he lives.
23 UElija wasemthatha umntwana, wamehlisa esuka endlini ephezulu waya endlini, wamnika unina; uElija wasesithi: Bona, indodana yakho iyaphila.
And Elijah takes the boy, and brings him down from the upper chamber of the house, and gives him to his mother, and Elijah says, “See, your son lives!”
24 Owesifazana wasesithi kuElija: Khathesi sengisazi lokhu, ukuthi ungumuntu kaNkulunkulu, ukuthi ilizwi leNkosi elisemlonyeni wakho liliqiniso.
And the woman says to Elijah, “Now [by] this I have known that you [are] a man of God, and the word of YHWH in your mouth [is] truth.”
