1 Amakhosi 19
1 UAhabi wasetshela uJezebeli konke uElija ayekwenzile, labo bonke ababulalayo, bonke abaprofethi, ngenkemba.
And Ahab told Jezebel, all that Elijah had done, —and withal, how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.
2 Khona uJezebeli wathuma isithunywa kuElija esithi: Kabenze njalo onkulunkulu, bengezelele njalo, uba ngalesisikhathi kusasa ngingenzi impilo yakho ibe njengempilo yomunye wabo.
Then sent Jezebel a messenger unto Elijah, saying, —So, let the gods do, and, so, let them add, if, by this time to-morrow, I make not thy life as the life of one of them.
3 Esekubonile, wasukuma, wahamba ngenxa yempilo yakhe, wafika eBherishebha engeyakoJuda, watshiya khona inceku yakhe.
And, when he saw [that], he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belongeth to Judah, —and left his servant there.
4 Kodwa yena wahamba uhambo losuku enkangala, wafika wahlala ngaphansi kwesihlahla serotemu, wacela ukuthi umphefumulo wakhe ufe, wathi: Kwanele, khathesi, Nkosi, thatha impilo yami, ngoba kangingcono kulabobaba.
But, he himself, went into the wilderness a day’s journey, and came and sat down under a certain shrub, —and asked for his life, that he might die, and said—Enough, now, O Yahweh! take away my life, for, no better, am, I, than, my fathers.
5 Esecambalele elele ngaphansi kwesihlahla esithile serotemu, khangela-ke, khonokho ingilosi yamthinta, yathi kuye: Vuka udle.
And, as he lay, and slept, under a certain shrub, lo! a messenger, touching him, who said to him—Rise, eat.
6 Wasethalaza, khangela-ke, ekhanda lakhe iqebelengwana losiwe emalahleni, lesigxingi samanzi; wasesidla wanatha, waphinda walala.
So he looked about, and lo! at his head, a cake baked on hot stones, and a cruse of water, —and he did eat and drink, and then went back and lay down.
7 Ingilosi yeNkosi yasifika ngokwesibili, yamthinta yathi: Vuka udle; ngoba uhambo lwakho lukhulu kakhulu kuwe.
And the messenger of Yahweh came again a second time, and touched him, and said—Rise, eat, —because, too much for thee, is the journey.
8 Wasevuka wadla wanatha, wahamba ngamandla alokhokudla insuku ezingamatshumi amane lobusuku obungamatshumi amane, waze wafika eHorebe intaba kaNkulunkulu.
So he arose, and did eat and drink, —and journeyed, in the strength of that eating, forty days and forty nights, as far as the mountain of God—Horeb.
9 Wasengena lapho ebhalwini, walala khona ubusuku. Khangela-ke, ilizwi leNkosi lafika kuye lathi kuye: Wenzani lapha, Elija?
And he entered, there, into a cave, and lodged there, —and lo! the word of Yahweh [came] unto him, and said to him, What doest thou here, Elijah?
10 Wathi: Bengitshiseka lokutshisekela iNkosi, uNkulunkulu wamabandla, ngoba abantwana bakoIsrayeli basitshiyile isivumelwano sakho, badiliza amalathi akho, babulala abaprofethi bakho ngenkemba; yimi ngedwa engiseleyo, njalo badinga impilo yami ukuyisusa.
And he said—Very jealous, have I been, for Yahweh, God of hosts, because the sons of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thine altars, have they thrown down, thy prophets, also have they slain with the sword, —and, I alone, am left, and they have sought my life, to take it.
11 Wasesithi: Phuma ume entabeni phambi kweNkosi. Khangela-ke, iNkosi yadlula. Umoya omkhulu olamandla wasudabula izintaba, waqhekeza amadwala phambi kweNkosi; kodwa iNkosi yayingekho emoyeni. Lemva komoya ukunyikinyeka komhlaba; kodwa iNkosi yayingekho ekunyikinyekeni komhlaba.
And he said—Go forth to-morrow, and stand in the mountain, before Yahweh. And lo! Yahweh, passing by, and a great and strong wind—rending the mountains, and breaking in pieces the crags, before Yahweh, Not, in the wind, was, Yahweh, —And, after the wind, an, earthquake, Not, in the earthquake, was, Yahweh;
12 Lemva kokunyikinyeka komhlaba umlilo; kodwa iNkosi yayingekho emlilweni. Njalo emva komlilo ilizwi elincinyane elinyenyezayo.
And, after the earthquake, a, fire, Not, in the fire, was, Yahweh, —And, after the fire, the voice of a gentle whisper.
13 Kwasekuthi uElija elizwa, wathandela ubuso bakhe ngesembatho sakhe, waphuma wema emlonyeni wobhalu. Khangela-ke, leza kuye ilizwi lathi: Wenzani lapha, Elija?
And it came to pass, when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went forth, and stood at the entrance of the cave, —and lo! unto him, a voice; and it said—What doest thou here, Elijah?
14 Wathi: Bengitshisekela lokutshisekela iNkosi, uNkulunkulu wamabandla, ngoba abantwana bakoIsrayeli basitshiyile isivumelwano sakho, badiliza amalathi akho, babulala abaprofethi bakho ngenkemba; yimi ngedwa engiseleyo, njalo badinga impilo yami ukuyisusa.
And he said—Very jealous, have I been, for Yahweh, God of hosts, because the sons of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thine altars, have they thrown down, thy prophets also, have they slain with the sword, —and, I alone, am left, and they rove sought my life, to take it.
15 INkosi yasisithi kuye: Hamba, ubuyele ngendlela yakho uye enkangala yeDamaseko; lapho usufikile ugcobe uHazayeli abe yinkosi phezu kweSiriya,
And Yahweh said unto him, Go, return to thy way, towards the wilderness of Damascus, —and, when thou enterest, then shalt thou anoint Hazael to be king over Syria;
16 loJehu indodana kaNimshi umgcobe abe yinkosi phezu kukaIsrayeli, loElisha indodana kaShafati weAbeli-Mehola umgcobe abe ngumprofethi esikhundleni sakho.
And, Jehu son of Minshi, shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel, —and, Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah, shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy stead:
17 Kuzakuthi-ke ozaphepha enkembeni kaHazayeli uJehu uzambulala, lozaphepha enkembeni kaJehu uElisha uzambulala.
Then shall it come to pass, that—him that escapeth the sword of Hazael, shall, Jehu, slay, —and, him that escapeth the sword of Jehu, shall, Elisha, slay;
18 Kodwa ngitshiyile koIsrayeli abazinkulungwane eziyisikhombisa, wonke amadolo angazanga aguqe kuBhali, lawo wonke umlomo ongazanga umange.
Yet will I leave remaining in Israel, seven thousand, —all knees which have not bowed to Baal, and all mouths which have not kissed to him.
19 Wasesuka lapho, wafica uElisha indodana kaShafati; wayelima ngezipani zenkabi zamajogwe alitshumi lambili phambi kwakhe, yena wayelesetshumi lambili. UElija wesesedlula eceleni kwakhe, waphosela isembatho sakhe phezu kwakhe.
So he departed from thence, and found Elisha son of Shaphat, as he was plowing, with twelve yoke of oxen before him, he being with the twelfth, —so Elijah crossed over unto him, and cast his mantle towards him;
20 Wasetshiya izinkabi, wagijima elandela uElija, wathi: Ake ngange ubaba lomama, besengikulandela. Wasesithi kuye: Hamba ubuyele, ngoba ngenzeni kuwe?
and he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said—Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, that I may follow thee. And he said unto him, —Go, turn back, for what have I done to thee?
21 Wasebuyela ekumlandeleni, wathatha isipani senkabi, wasihlaba, langezikhali zenkabi wapheka inyama yazo, wayinika abantu, bayidla. Wasesuka elandela uElija, wamsebenzela.
So he turned back from following him, and took the yoke of oxen, and sacrificed them, and, with the implements of the oxen, boiled their flesh, and gave unto the people, and they did eat, —then he arose, and followed Elijah, and ministered unto him.
