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, said to Ahab, "As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except by my word."
2 Ilizwi leNkosi laselifika kuye lisithi:
And the word of the LORD came to him, saying,
3 Suka lapha, wena uphendukele empumalanga, uzicatshise esifuleni iKerithi, esiphambi kweJordani.
"Go away from here, turn eastward, and hide yourself by the Wadi Cherith, that is near the Jordan.
4 Kuzakuthi-ke unathe esifuleni; sengilaye amawabayi ukuthi akondle khona.
And it shall be that you will drink from the wadi. I have commanded the ravens to feed you there."
5 Wasehamba wenza njengokwelizwi leNkosi, ngoba wayahlala esifuleni iKerithi esiphambi kweJordani.
So he went and did according to the word of the LORD; for he went and lived by the Wadi Cherith, that is near the Jordan.
6 Amawabayi asemlethela isinkwa lenyama ekuseni, lesinkwa lenyama ntambama; wanatha esifuleni.
And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening. And he drank from the wadi.
7 Kwasekusithi emva kwesikhathi isifula satsha, ngoba kwakungelazulu elizweni.
And it happened after a while that the wadi dried up, because there was no rain in the land.
8 Ilizwi leNkosi laselifika kuye lisithi:
The word of the LORD came to him, saying,
9 Sukuma uye eZarefathi engeyeSidoni, uhlale khona. Khangela, ngilayile owesifazana ongumfelokazi khona ukuthi akondle.
"Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there. Look, 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 he got up and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, look, a widow was there gathering wood. And he called to her, and said, "Please bring me a little water in a pitcher, 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 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.
She said, "As the LORD your God lives, I do not have anything baked, except a handful of flour in a jar, and a little oil in a jug. Look, I am gathering a couple of sticks, that I may go in and bake it for me and my son, 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.
And Elijah said to her, "Do not be afraid. Go and do as you have said. But make me of it a little cake first, and bring it out to me, and afterward make some for yourself and for 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 thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'The jar of flour shall not empty, neither shall the jug of oil be empty, until the day that the LORD sends rain on the surface of the land.'"
15 Wasehamba wenza njengokwelizwi likaElija. Njalo yena kanye laye lendlu yakhe badla okwensuku ezinengi.
And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah. And she, and he, and her household, ate for a long time.
16 Imbiza yempuphu kayiphelanga lesiphiso samafutha kasiswelanga, njengokwelizwi leNkosi eyalikhuluma ngesandla sikaElija.
The jar of flour did not empty, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the LORD, which he spoke by Elijah.
17 Kwasekusithi emva kwalezizinto, indodana yowesifazana, inkosikazi yendlu, yagula; lomkhuhlane wayo wawulamandla kangangokuthi akwaze kwasala umphefumulo kuyo.
It happened after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick. And his illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him.
18 Wasesithi kuElija: Ngilani lawe, muntu kaNkulunkulu? Uze kimi ukuze kukhumbuleke isono sami lokubulala indodana yami na?
And she said to Elijah, "What do we have in common, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to memory, and to kill my son."
19 Wasesithi kuye: Nginika indodana yakho. Waseyithatha esifubeni sakhe, wayenyusela endlini ephezulu lapho ayehlala khona, wayilalisa embhedeni wakhe.
And he said to her, "Give me your son." And he took him out of her lap and carried him up into the room where he stayed, and laid him on his own bed.
20 Wasekhala eNkosini wathi: Nkosi Nkulunkulu wami, umehlisele ububi lalo umfelokazi engingenise kwakhe ngokubulala indodana yakhe na?
He cried to the LORD, and said, "LORD my God, have you also brought disaster on the widow with whom I sojourn, by killing her son?"
21 Wasezelulela phezu komntwana kathathu, wakhala eNkosini wathi: Nkosi Nkulunkulu wami, ake ubuyele umphefumulo walumntwana phakathi kwakhe.
And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and called out to the LORD, and said, "LORD my God, please let this child's soul come into him again."
22 INkosi yasilizwa ilizwi likaElija, umphefumulo womntwana wasubuyela phakathi kwakhe, wasebuya ephila.
The LORD listened to the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.
23 UElija wasemthatha umntwana, wamehlisa esuka endlini ephezulu waya endlini, wamnika unina; uElija wasesithi: Bona, indodana yakho iyaphila.
And Elijah took the child and brought him down out of the room into the house and gave him to his mother. And Elijah said, "See, your son lives."
24 Owesifazana wasesithi kuElija: Khathesi sengisazi lokhu, ukuthi ungumuntu kaNkulunkulu, ukuthi ilizwi leNkosi elisemlonyeni wakho liliqiniso.
And the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is the truth."
