1 Amakhosi 19
1 UAhabi wasetshela uJezebeli konke uElija ayekwenzile, labo bonke ababulalayo, bonke abaprofethi, ngenkemba.
When Ahab got home, he told [his wife] Jezebel what Elijah had done. He told her that Elijah had killed all the prophets of Baal.
2 Khona uJezebeli wathuma isithunywa kuElija esithi: Kabenze njalo onkulunkulu, bengezelele njalo, uba ngalesisikhathi kusasa ngingenzi impilo yakho ibe njengempilo yomunye wabo.
So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: “By this time tomorrow I will have [killed] you, just like you [killed all those prophets of Baal]. If I do not do that, I hope the gods will kill me.”
3 Esekubonile, wasukuma, wahamba ngenxa yempilo yakhe, wafika eBherishebha engeyakoJuda, watshiya khona inceku yakhe.
When Elijah received [her message], he was afraid. So [taking his servant with him], he fled in order that he would not be killed. He went [far south] to Beersheba, in Judah. He 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.
Then he went by himself further [south] into the desert. He walked all day. He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that [Yahweh] would allow him to die. He said, “Yahweh, I’ve had enough. So allow me to die, because for me to live is no better than [being with] my ancestors [who have died].”
5 Esecambalele elele ngaphansi kwesihlahla esithile serotemu, khangela-ke, khonokho ingilosi yamthinta, yathi kuye: Vuka udle.
Then he lay down under the broom tree and slept. But while he was sleeping, an angel touched him and [woke him up and] said to him, “Get up and eat some food!”
6 Wasethalaza, khangela-ke, ekhanda lakhe iqebelengwana losiwe emalahleni, lesigxingi samanzi; wasesidla wanatha, waphinda walala.
Elijah looked around and saw some bread which had been baked on hot stones, and he also saw a jar of water. So he ate some bread and drank some water and lay down [to sleep] again.
7 Ingilosi yeNkosi yasifika ngokwesibili, yamthinta yathi: Vuka udle; ngoba uhambo lwakho lukhulu kakhulu kuwe.
Then the angel [who had been sent by] Yahweh came again and touched him, and said, “Get up and eat some [more] food, because you need [more strength] to go on a long journey.”
8 Wasevuka wadla wanatha, wahamba ngamandla alokhokudla insuku ezingamatshumi amane lobusuku obungamatshumi amane, waze wafika eHorebe intaba kaNkulunkulu.
So he got up and ate and drank some more, and because of doing that, he got enough strength to enable him to travel for forty days and nights to Sinai Mountain, the mountain [that was dedicated to] God.
9 Wasengena lapho ebhalwini, walala khona ubusuku. Khangela-ke, ilizwi leNkosi lafika kuye lathi kuye: Wenzani lapha, Elija?
He went into a cave there and slept there that night. [The next morning, ] Yahweh said to him “Elijah, why are you here?”
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.
Elijah replied, “I have zealously served you, Yahweh, God Almighty. But the Israeli people have broken the agreement that they made with you. They have torn down your altars, and they have killed all of your prophets. I am the only one whom they have not killed, and now they are trying to kill me, too. [So I am running away from them].”
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.
Yahweh said to him, “Go out and stand in front of me on this mountain while I pass by.” [Suddenly] a strong windstorm struck the mountain. As a result, rocks were loosened from the mountainside. But Yahweh was not in the wind. Then there was an earthquake, but Yahweh was not in the earthquake.
12 Lemva kokunyikinyeka komhlaba umlilo; kodwa iNkosi yayingekho emlilweni. Njalo emva komlilo ilizwi elincinyane elinyenyezayo.
Then there was a fire, but Yahweh was not in the fire. Then there was a sound like someone whispering quietly.
13 Kwasekuthi uElija elizwa, wathandela ubuso bakhe ngesembatho sakhe, waphuma wema emlonyeni wobhalu. Khangela-ke, leza kuye ilizwi lathi: Wenzani lapha, Elija?
When Elijah heard that, he wrapped his cloak around his face. He went out of the cave and stood at its entrance. And he heard Yahweh speaking to him, saying again, “Elijah, why are you here?”
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.
He replied again, “I have zealously served you, Yahweh, God Almighty. But the Israeli people have broken the agreement that they made with you. They have torn down your altars, and they have killed all of your prophets. I am the only one whom they have not killed, and now they are trying to kill me, too. [So I am running away from them].”
15 INkosi yasisithi kuye: Hamba, ubuyele ngendlela yakho uye enkangala yeDamaseko; lapho usufikile ugcobe uHazayeli abe yinkosi phezu kweSiriya,
Then Yahweh told him, “Go back to the desert near Damascus. When you arrive there, anoint [with olive oil] a man named Hazael, [to appoint him] to be the king of Syria.
16 loJehu indodana kaNimshi umgcobe abe yinkosi phezu kukaIsrayeli, loElisha indodana kaShafati weAbeli-Mehola umgcobe abe ngumprofethi esikhundleni sakho.
Then anoint Jehu, the son of Nimshi, to be the king of Israel, and also anoint Elisha the son of Shaphat, from Abel-Meholah [town], to become my prophet after you are dead.
17 Kuzakuthi-ke ozaphepha enkembeni kaHazayeli uJehu uzambulala, lozaphepha enkembeni kaJehu uElisha uzambulala.
Hazael’s army [will kill many people, and] those who escape from [being killed by] his army will be killed by Jehu’s [army], and those who escape from [being killed by] Jehu’s army will be killed by Elisha.
18 Kodwa ngitshiyile koIsrayeli abazinkulungwane eziyisikhombisa, wonke amadolo angazanga aguqe kuBhali, lawo wonke umlomo ongazanga umange.
But [you need to know that] there are still 7,000 people in Israel who have never bowed to [worship] Baal or kissed his [idol].”
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 Elijah went [to Syria] and found Elisha as he was plowing a field with a team of oxen. There were eleven other men who were in front of him, plowing with teams of oxen in the same field. Elijah went to Elisha, and took off his own coat and put it on Elisha, [to show Elisha that he wanted him to take his place as a prophet. Then he started to walk away].
20 Wasetshiya izinkabi, wagijima elandela uElija, wathi: Ake ngange ubaba lomama, besengikulandela. Wasesithi kuye: Hamba ubuyele, ngoba ngenzeni kuwe?
Elisha left the oxen standing there and ran after Elijah, and said to him, “I will go with you, but first let me kiss my parents goodbye.” Elijah replied, “Okay, go home. But do not forget why I have [given my cloak] to you!”
21 Wasebuyela ekumlandeleni, wathatha isipani senkabi, wasihlaba, langezikhali zenkabi wapheka inyama yazo, wayinika abantu, bayidla. Wasesuka elandela uElija, wamsebenzela.
So Elisha went back [to his oxen]. He killed them [and cut them in pieces] and used the wood from the plow to build a fire to roast the meat. He distributed the meat to the other people [in his town], and they all ate some. Then he went with Elijah and became his helper.
