< 2 Amakhosi 2 >
1 Kwasekusithi iNkosi isizamenyusela uElija emazulwini ngesivunguzane, uElija wahamba loElisha bevela eGiligali.
When Yahweh was about to take [the prophet] Elijah up to heaven in a (whirlwind/twisting wind), Elijah and [his fellow prophet] Elisha were traveling [south] from Gilgal [town].
2 UElija wasesithi kuElisha: Akuhlale lapha, ngoba iNkosi ingithumile eBhetheli. Kodwa uElisha wathi: Kuphila kukaJehova lokuphila komphefumulo wakho, kangiyikukutshiya. Basebesehlela eBhetheli.
Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, because Yahweh has told [only] me to go to Bethel [town].” But Elisha replied, “Just as certainly as Yahweh lives and you live, I will not leave you!” So they went down [together] to Bethel.
3 Lamadodana abaprofethi ayeseBhetheli aphuma eza kuElisha, athi kuye: Uyazi yini ukuthi iNkosi izayisusa inkosi yakho lamuhla ekhanda lakho? Wasesithi: Yebo, mina ngiyazi; thulani.
A group of prophets came to Elisha [and Elijah before they entered the town], and they asked Elisha, “Do you know that Yahweh is going to take your master/boss [Elijah] away from you today?” Elisha answered, “Certainly I know that, but don’t talk about it!” [IDM]
4 UElija wasesithi kuye: Elisha, akuhlale lapha, ngoba iNkosi ingithumile eJeriko. Kodwa wathi: Kuphila kukaJehova lokuphila komphefumulo wakho, kangiyikukutshiya. Basebefika eJeriko.
Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, because Yahweh has told [only] me to go to Jericho.” But Elisha replied [again], “Just as certainly as Yahweh lives and you live, I will not leave you!” So they went [together] to Jericho [city].
5 Amadodana abaprofethi aseJeriko asesondela kuElisha, athi kuye: Uyazi yini ukuthi lamuhla iNkosi izasusa inkosi yakho ekhanda lakho? Wasesithi: Yebo, mina ngiyazi; thulani.
[As they neared] Jericho, a group of prophets who were from there came to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that Yahweh is going to take your master/boss [Elijah] away from you today?” He answered again, “Certainly I know that, but don’t talk about it!” [IDM]
6 UElija wasesithi kuye: Akuhlale lapha, ngoba iNkosi ingithumile eJordani. Kodwa wathi: Kuphila kukaJehova lokuphila komphefumulo wakho, kangiyikukutshiya. Basebehamba bobabili.
Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, because Yahweh has told [only] me to go to the Jordan [River].” But [again] Elisha replied, “As certainly as Yahweh lives and you live, I will not leave you!” So they continued walking together.
7 Amadoda angamatshumi amahlanu awamadodana abaprofethi asesiyakuma khatshana maqondana labo; bona bobabili basebesima eJordani.
Fifty men from a group of prophets [who were from Jericho] also went, but they watched from a distance as Elijah and Elisha stopped at the edge of the Jordan [River].
8 UElija wasethatha isembatho sakhe, wasigoqa, watshaya amanzi, asedabuka ngapha langapha; bobabili basebechapha emhlabathini owomileyo.
Then Elijah rolled up his cloak and struck the water with it. A path opened up for them through the river, and they walked across [as though they were] on dry ground.
9 Kwasekusithi sebechaphile uElija wathi kuElisha: Cela engizakwenzela khona ngingakasuswa kuwe. UElisha wathi: Ake kuthi isabelo esiphindwe kabili somoya wakho sibe phezu kwami.
When they came to the other side, Elijah said to Elisha, “What do you want me to do for you before (I am taken away/Yahweh takes me away)?” Elisha replied, “I want to receive twice as much of your power [as you have had, ] (OR enable me to very powerfully continue your ministry).”
10 Wasesithi: Ucele ulutho olulukhuni; uba ungibona lapha ngisuswa kuwe, kuzakuba njalo kuwe; kodwa uba kungenjalo, kakuyikuba njalo.
Elijah replied, “You have asked for something which is difficult [for me to cause to happen]. But, if you see me when (I am taken from you/Yahweh takes me from you), you will get what you are requesting. But if you do not see me, then you will not get it.”
11 Kwasekusithi besahamba, behamba bekhuluma, khangela-ke, kwaba lenqola yomlilo lamabhiza omlilo, kwabehlukanisa bobabili. UElija wasesenyukela emazulwini ngesivunguzane.
As they were walking and talking, suddenly a chariot that had fire [surrounding it], pulled by horses which also had fire [surrounding them], appeared. [The chariot driver] drove the chariot between Elijah and Elisha and separated them. Then Elijah was taken up to heaven in a (whirlwind/twisting wind).
12 UElisha wasekubona wamemeza wathi: Baba wami! Baba wami! Inqola yakoIsrayeli labamabhiza ayo! Njalo kazabe esambona. Wasebamba izigqoko zakhe, wazidabula zaba yiziqa ezimbili.
Elisha saw it. He cried out, “My father/master! My father/master! The chariots of us Israeli people and their drivers [have taken my master away]!” [They disappeared into the sky, ] and Elisha never saw Elijah again. Then Elisha tore his own robe into two pieces [to show that he was sad].
13 Wasedobha isembatho sikaElija esawa kuye, wabuyela, wema ekhunjini lweJordani.
Elijah’s cloak [had fallen off when he was taken away, so] Elisha picked it up and returned to the bank of the Jordan [River].
14 Wasethatha isembatho sikaElija esawa kuye, watshaya amanzi esithi: Ingaphi iNkosi, uNkulunkulu kaElija? Yena-ke esewatshayile amanzi, ehlukana ngapha langapha; uElisha wasechapha.
He [rolled up the cloak and] struck the water with it, and cried out, “Will Yahweh, the God who [enabled] Elijah [to perform miracles, enable me to do similar things]?” Then the water separated, and a path opened up for him, and Elisha went across.
15 Kwathi amadodana abaprofethi ayeseJeriko maqondana laye embona athi: Umoya kaElija uhlezi phezu kukaElisha. Asesiza ukumhlangabeza, akhothamela emhlabathini phambi kwakhe.
When the group of prophets from Jericho saw what happened, they exclaimed, “Elisha now has the power that Elijah had!” [MTY] They walked over to him and bowed down in front of him.
16 Asesithi kuye: Khangela khathesi, kulamadoda aqinileyo angamatshumi amahlanu kanye lenceku zakho; akuwayekele ahambe adinge inkosi yakho; mhlawumbe uMoya weNkosi uyenyusile wayiphosela kwenye yezintaba, loba kwesinye sezihotsha. Wasesithi: Lingathumi.
[One of] them said, “Sir, if you permit us, 50 of our strongest men will go and search for your master [on the other side of the river]. Perhaps the Spirit of Yahweh has left him on some mountain or in some valley.” Elisha replied, “No, do not send them.”
17 Sebemphikelele waze waba lenhloni, wathi: Thumani. Basebethuma amadoda angamatshumi amahlanu; adinga insuku ezintathu, kodwa awamtholanga.
But they kept insisting. Finally he was tired of saying “No,” and he said, “Okay, send them.” So 50 men searched for three days, but they did not find Elijah.
18 Asebuyela kuye ehlezi eJeriko, wathi kuwo: Kangitshongo yini kini ukuthi: Lingahambi?
They returned to Jericho, and Elisha was still there. He said to them, “I told you that you should not go, [because you would not find him]!” [RHQ]
19 Amadoda omuzi asesithi kuElisha: Ake ukhangele, indawo yalumuzi inhle njengoba inkosi yami ibona; kodwa amanzi mabi, lomhlabathi kawuvundanga.
Then the leaders of [Jericho] city came to talk with Elisha. One of them said, “Our master, we have a problem. You can see that this is a very nice place [to live in]. But the water is bad, and as a result, crops will not grow on the land.”
20 Wasesithi: Ngilethelani umganu omutsha, lifake itshwayi kuwo. Basebewuletha kuye.
Elisha said to them, “Put some salt in a new bowl and bring the bowl to me.” So they brought it to him.
21 Wasephuma waya emthonjeni wamanzi, waphosela itshwayi kuwo, wathi: Itsho njalo iNkosi: Ngiwelaphile amanzi la; kakusayikuba khona ukufa lokungatheli okuvela lapho.
Then he went out to the spring [from which the people in the town got water]. He threw the salt into the spring. Then he said, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘I have made this water good/pure. No longer will anyone die, from having drunk this water, and now crops will be able to grow.’” [LIT]
22 Amanzi aseselatshwa kuze kube lamuhla, njengelizwi likaElisha alikhulumayo.
And the water became pure, just as Elisha said it would be. Since that time it has always remained pure.
23 Wasesenyuka esuka lapho waya eBhetheli; kwathi esenyuka endleleni kwaphuma abantwanyana emzini, bamklolodela bathi kuye: Yenyuka, mpabanga ndini! Yenyuka, mpabanga ndini!
Elisha left Jericho and went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, a group of young boys from Bethel [saw him and] started to make fun of him. They continued shouting, “Go away, you bald-headed man!”
24 Wasenyemukula, wababona wabaqalekisa ngebizo leNkosi. Kwaphuma amabhere amabili amasikazi ehlathini, adabula abafana abangamatshumi amane lambili kubo.
Elisha turned around and looked/glared at them. He asked Yahweh to (curse them/do something bad to them). Immediately two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of them.
25 Wasesuka lapho, waya entabeni iKharmeli, esuka lapho wabuyela eSamariya.
Elisha left Bethel and went to Carmel Mountain, and after that he returned to Samaria [city].