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.
Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As Yahweh, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there will not be dew or rain these years unless I say so.”
2 Ilizwi leNkosi laselifika kuye lisithi:
The word of Yahweh came to Elijah, saying,
3 Suka lapha, wena uphendukele empumalanga, uzicatshise esifuleni iKerithi, esiphambi kweJordani.
“Leave from here and go eastward; hide yourself by the brook Kerith, east of the Jordan.
4 Kuzakuthi-ke unathe esifuleni; sengilaye amawabayi ukuthi akondle khona.
It will happen that you will 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 went and did as the word of Yahweh commanded. He went to live by the brook Kerith, east of the Jordan.
6 Amawabayi asemlethela isinkwa lenyama ekuseni, lesinkwa lenyama ntambama; wanatha esifuleni.
The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.
7 Kwasekusithi emva kwesikhathi isifula satsha, ngoba kwakungelazulu elizweni.
But after a while the brook dried up because there was no rain in the land.
8 Ilizwi leNkosi laselifika kuye lisithi:
The word of Yahweh 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 live 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 arose and went to Zarephath, and when he came to the gate of the city a widow was there gathering sticks. So he called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a jar so that I may drink.”
11 Kwathi esahamba ukuyawathatha, wambiza wathi: Ake ungiphathele ucezu lwesinkwa esandleni sakho.
As she was going to get water 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 replied, “As Yahweh your God lives, I do not have any bread, but only a handful of meal in a jar and a little oil in a jug. See, I am gathering two sticks so I may go in and cook 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.
Elijah said to her, “Do not fear. Go and do as you have said, but make me a little bread first and bring it out to me. Then afterward make some for you 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 Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, 'The jar of meal will not empty, neither will the jug of oil stop flowing, until the day that Yahweh sends rain on the earth.”
15 Wasehamba wenza njengokwelizwi likaElija. Njalo yena kanye laye lendlu yakhe badla okwensuku ezinengi.
So she did as Elijah had told her. She and Elijah, along with her household, ate for many days.
16 Imbiza yempuphu kayiphelanga lesiphiso samafutha kasiswelanga, njengokwelizwi leNkosi eyalikhuluma ngesandla sikaElija.
The jar of meal did not empty, neither did the jug of oil stop flowing, just as the word of Yahweh had said, as he had spoken by Elijah.
17 Kwasekusithi emva kwalezizinto, indodana yowesifazana, inkosikazi yendlu, yagula; lomkhuhlane wayo wawulamandla kangangokuthi akwaze kwasala umphefumulo kuyo.
After these things the woman's son, the woman who owned the house, fell sick. His sickness was so severe that there was no more breath left in him.
18 Wasesithi kuElija: Ngilani lawe, muntu kaNkulunkulu? Uze kimi ukuze kukhumbuleke isono sami lokubulala indodana yami na?
So his mother said to Elijah, “What do you have against me, man of God? Have you come to me to remind me of my sin and to kill my son?”
19 Wasesithi kuye: Nginika indodana yakho. Waseyithatha esifubeni sakhe, wayenyusela endlini ephezulu lapho ayehlala khona, wayilalisa embhedeni wakhe.
Then Elijah replied to her, “Give me your son.” He took the boy from her arms and carried him up into the room where he was staying, and he laid the boy on his own bed.
20 Wasekhala eNkosini wathi: Nkosi Nkulunkulu wami, umehlisele ububi lalo umfelokazi engingenise kwakhe ngokubulala indodana yakhe na?
He cried to Yahweh and said, “Yahweh my God, have you also brought disaster on the widow with whom I am staying, by killing her son?”
21 Wasezelulela phezu komntwana kathathu, wakhala eNkosini wathi: Nkosi Nkulunkulu wami, ake ubuyele umphefumulo walumntwana phakathi kwakhe.
Then Elijah stretched himself on the child three times; he cried out to Yahweh and said, “Yahweh my God, I beg you, please let this child's life return to him.”
22 INkosi yasilizwa ilizwi likaElija, umphefumulo womntwana wasubuyela phakathi kwakhe, wasebuya ephila.
Yahweh listened to the voice of Elijah; the life of the child returned to him, and he revived.
23 UElija wasemthatha umntwana, wamehlisa esuka endlini ephezulu waya endlini, wamnika unina; uElija wasesithi: Bona, indodana yakho iyaphila.
Elijah took the child and brought him out of his room down into the house; he handed the boy to his mother and said, “See, your son is alive.”
24 Owesifazana wasesithi kuElija: Khathesi sengisazi lokhu, ukuthi ungumuntu kaNkulunkulu, ukuthi ilizwi leNkosi elisemlonyeni wakho liliqiniso.
The woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of Yahweh in your mouth is true.”
