2 Amakhosi 4
1 Kwasekukhala kuElisha umfazi othile wabafazi bamadodana abaprofethi esithi: Inceku yakho umkami sewafa; lawe uyazi ukuthi inceku yakho yayiyesaba iNkosi; sekufikile umkweledisi ukuzithathela abantwana bami ababili babe yizigqili.
The wife of one of the sons of the prophets appealed to Elisha, “My husband, your servant, is dead, and you know that he honored the Lord. But now to pay his debts his creditor is coming to take my two sons as his slaves!”
2 UElisha wasesithi kuye: Ngingakwenzelani? Ngitshela, ulani endlini? Wasesithi: Incekukazi yakho kayilalutho endlini, ngaphandle kwesiphiso samafutha.
“What can I do to help you?” asked Elisha. “Tell me, what do you have in your house?” “I, your servant, don't have anything in my house except a jar of olive oil,” she replied.
3 Wasesithi: Hamba uyezebolekela izitsha ezivela phandle, kubomakhelwane bakho bonke, izitsha ezingelalutho, zingabi nlutshwana.
“Go and borrow empty jars from your neighbors—as many as possible, not just a few,” Elisha told her.
4 Nxa usungenile uzivalele wena lamadodana akho umnyango, uthele kulezizitsha zonke; lokugcweleyo ukubeke eceleni.
“Then go inside, shut the door behind you and your sons, and start pouring olive oil into all these jars, placing the full jars to one side.”
5 Wasesuka-ke kuye wazivalela yena lamadodana akhe umnyango; bazisondeza kuye, wathulula.
She left Elisha, went home, and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept on pouring.
6 Kwasekusithi izitsha sezigcwele wathi endodaneni yakhe: Ngilethela njalo isitsha. Yasisithi kuye: Kakuselasitsha. Amafutha asesima.
When all the jars were full, she told her son, “Bring me another one.” But he replied, “There aren't any jars left.” Then the olive oil stopped flowing.
7 Wasesiza wamazisa umuntu kaNkulunkulu; wasesithi: Hamba uyethengisa amafutha, uhlawule isikwelede sakho; wena-ke lamadodana akho liphile ngaseleyo.
She went and told the man of God what had happened, and he said, “Go and sell the olive oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on what's left.”
8 Kwasekusithi ngolunye usuku uElisha wedlulela eShunemi lapho okwakulowesifazana oyisikhulu owamcindezela ukuthi adle isinkwa. Kwakusithi-ke lanini esedlula, aphambukele khona ukuthi adle isinkwa.
One day as Elisha was passing through Shunem, a wealthy woman who lived there convinced him to have a meal. After that, whenever he was passing by he would stop there to eat.
9 Wasesithi kumkakhe: Khangela-ke, ngiyazi ukuthi lo ungumuntu ongcwele kaNkulunkulu, owedlula kithi njalonjalo.
She told her husband, “I'm sure that this man who regularly visits us is a holy man of God.
10 Ake senze ikamelo elincinyane eliphezulu emdulini, simfakele lapho umbheda letafula lesihlalo lesiqobane sesibane; kuzakuthi-ke lapho efika kithi aphambukele khona.
Please let's make a small room on the roof, We can put a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp in it for him. Then he can stay there whenever he visits us.”
11 Kwasekusithi ngolunye usuku wafika khona, waphambukela ekamelweni eliphezulu, walala khona.
One day Elisha arrived and went up to his room and lay down.
12 Wasesithi kuGehazi inceku yakhe: Biza lo umShunamikazi. Esembizile, wema phambi kwakhe.
He said to his servant Gehazi, “Ask the Shunammite woman to come here.” Gehazi called her and she came to see Elisha.
13 Wasesithi kuyo: Tshono kuye-ke uthi: Khangela, usinakekele ngakho konke lokhukunaka; kuyini ongakwenzelwa? Kukhona ongakukhulunyelwa enkosini kumbe enduneni yebutho yini? Wasesithi: Ngihlala phakathi kwabantu bakithi.
Elisha said to Gehazi, “Please tell her, ‘You have gone to a lot of trouble on our behalf. Now what can we do for you? Do you want us to speak for you to the king or the army commander?’” “I live with my own people,” she replied.
14 Wasesithi: Kuyini-ke angakwenzelwa? UGehazi wasesithi: Qiniso, kalamntwana, lomkakhe usemdala.
After she had left, Elisha asked, “What can we do for her?” “She doesn't have a son, and her husband is old,” Gehazi replied.
15 Wasesithi: Mbize. Esembizile, wema emnyango.
Elisha said, “Ask her to come back.” So Gehazi called her, and she came stood by the door.
16 Wasesithi: Ngalesisikhathi esimisiweyo njengokwesikhathi sempilo uzagona umntwana. Kodwa wathi: Hatshi, nkosi yami, muntu kaNkulunkulu, ungayiqambeli amanga incekukazi yakho.
Elisha told her, “Around this time next year, you will be holding a son in your arms.” “No, my lord!” she responded. “Man of God, don't tell your servant lies!”
17 Owesifazana wasekhulelwa, wabeletha umntwana ngalesosikhathi esimisiweyo njengokwesikhathi sempilo uElisha ayesitshilo kuye.
But the woman did indeed become pregnant, and the next year around that same time she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had promised her.
18 Esekhulile umntwana, kwathi ngosuku oluthile waphuma waya kuyise kubavuni.
The child grew up, but one day he when went out to see his father who was with the reapers,
19 Wasesithi kuyise: Ikhanda lami! Ikhanda lami! Wasesithi encekwini: Mthwale umuse kunina.
he complained to his father, “My head hurts! My head hurts!” His father told one of his servants, “Carry him back to his mother.”
20 Isimthwele yamusa kunina, wahlala emadolweni akhe kwaze kwaba semini, wasesifa.
The servant picked him up and took him back to his mother. The boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died.
21 Wasesenyuka, wamlalisa embhedeni womuntu kaNkulunkulu, wamvalela, waphuma.
She went upstairs and laid him on the bed of the man of God. Then she shut the door behind her and left.
22 Wasememeza umkakhe wathi: Ake uthume kimi enye yezinceku lomunye wabobabhemi, ukuze ngigijime ngiye emuntwini kaNkulunkulu, ngibuye futhi.
She called her husband and said, “Please send me one of the servants and a donkey so I can run to the man of God and come back.”
23 Wasesithi. Uyelani kuye lamuhla? Kakusikuthwasa kwenyanga njalo kakusisabatha. Owesifazana wasesithi: Kulungile.
“Why do you need to go and see him today?” he asked. “It's not the New Moon or the Sabbath.” “Don't worry about it,” she replied.
24 Esembophelele isihlalo ubabhemi, wathi encekwini yakhe: Tshaya uhambe, ungangibambeleli ekuhambeni, ngaphandle ngikutshele.
She put the saddle on the donkey and told her servant, “Let's go quickly! Don't slow down for me unless I tell you to!”
25 Wahamba-ke, weza emuntwini kaNkulunkulu entabeni iKharmeli. Kwasekusithi umuntu kaNkulunkulu embona esiza, wathi kuGehazi inceku yakhe: Khangela, nanguyana umShunamikazi.
So she set off, and went to the man of God who was at Mount Carmel. When he saw her way in the distance, the man of God told his servant Gehazi, “Look! There's the Shunammite woman!
26 Khathesi akugijime umhlangabeze, uthi kuye: Kulungile yini kuwe? Kulungile yini ngomkakho? Kulungile yini ngomntwana? Wasesithi: Kulungile.
Please run to meet her and ask her, ‘Is everything fine with you, your husband, and your boy?’” “Everything's fine,” she replied.
27 Esefikile entabeni kumuntu kaNkulunkulu wabamba inyawo zakhe. Kodwa uGehazi wasondela ukumsunduza asuke. Kodwa umuntu kaNkulunkulu wathi: Myekele, ngoba umphefumulo wakhe umunyu kuye, leNkosi ingifihlele lokhu, kayingitshelanga.
But when she got to the man of God at the mountain, she grabbed hold of his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone, for she's in terrible misery, but the Lord has hidden it from me and has not explained it to me.”
28 Wasesithi: Ngangicelile indodana enkosini yami yini? Kangitshongo yini ukuthi: Ungangikhohlisi?
“Did I ask you for a son, my lord?” she asked. “Didn't I tell you, ‘Don't tell me lies’?”
29 UElisha wasesithi kuGehazi: Bopha ukhalo lwakho, uthathe udondolo lwami esandleni sakho, uhambe. Uba uhlangana lomuntu ungambingeleli, njalo uba umuntu ekubingelela ungamphenduli; ubeke udondolo lwami ebusweni bomntwana.
Elisha said to Gehazi, “Put your cloak in your belt, pick up my staff, and go! Don't even say hello to anyone you meet, and if anyone says hello you, don't reply. Place my staff on the boy's face.”
30 Unina womntwana wasesithi: Kuphila kukaJehova lokuphila komphefumulo wakho, kangiyikukutshiya. Wasesukuma wamlandela.
But the boy's mother said, “As the Lord lives and as you live, I'm not leaving without you!” So he got up and went with her.
31 UGehazi wedlulela phambi kwabo, walubeka udondolo ebusweni bomntwana, kodwa kakubanga khona ilizwi njalo kwakungelakunaka. Wasebuyela ukumhlangabeza, wamtshela esithi: Umntwana kavukanga.
Gehazi ran on ahead and placed the staff on the boy's face, but there was no sound or sign of life. So Gehazi went back to meet Elisha and told him, “The boy hasn't woken up.”
32 UElisha esengenile endlini, khangela, umntwana wayefile, elaliswe embhedeni wakhe.
When Elisha got to the house, there was the boy, lying dead on his bed.
33 Wasengena, wavala umnyango emva kwabo bobabili, wakhuleka eNkosini.
He went in, shut the door behind them both, and prayed to the Lord.
34 Wenyuka walala phezu komntwana, wabeka umlomo wakhe phezu komlomo wakhe lamehlo akhe phezu kwamehlo akhe lezandla zakhe phezu kwezandla zakhe, wacambalala phezu kwakhe; inyama yomntwana yasikhudumala.
Then he got on the bed and lay on top of the boy, and put his mouth on the boy's mouth, his eyes on the boy's eyes, his hands on the boy's hands. As he stretched out on him, the boy's body warmed up.
35 Wasebuyela, wahambahamba endlini waya kanye ngapha lakanye le, wasesenyuka wacambalala phezu kwakhe; umntwana wasethimula kwaze kwaba kasikhombisa, umntwana wasevula amehlo akhe.
Elisha got up, walked back and forth once in the room, and then got back on the bed and stretched out on him again. The boy sneezed seven times and then opened his eyes.
36 Wasebiza uGehazi wathi: Mbize lo umShunamikazi. Wasembiza. Esefikile kuye, wathi kuye: Thatha umntanakho.
Elisha called Gehazi and said, “Ask the Shunammite woman to come.” So he did. When she arrived, Elisha said to her, “Here's your son. You can pick him up.”
37 Wasengena, wawela ezinyaweni zakhe, wakhothamela emhlabathini, waphakamisa umntanakhe, waphuma.
She came in, fell at his feet, and bowed to the ground. Then she picked up her son and left.
38 UElisha wasebuyela eGiligali, njalo kwakukhona indlala elizweni, amadodana abaprofethi ayehlezi-ke phambi kwakhe, wathi encekwini yakhe: Beka imbiza enkulu eziko, uphekele abaprofethi ukudla okuphekiweyo.
When Elisha went back to Gilgal, there was a famine in that area. The sons of the prophets were sitting at his feet, and he said to his servant, “Use the large pot and boil some stew for the sons of the prophets.”
39 Omunye wasephuma waya egangeni ukukha imibhida, wathola intandela yeganga, wakha amajodwana ayo eganga, isembatho sakhe sagcwala, weza wawaqobelela embizeni yokudla okuphekiweyo, ngoba ayengawazi.
One of them went out into the countryside to pick herbs. He found a wild vine and picked as many wild gourds as his cloak could hold. Then he came back and chopped them up into the pot of stew. But nobody knew they were dangerous to eat.
40 Basebethululela abantu ukuze badle; kwasekusithi besadla okokudla okuphekiweyo bona bamemeza bathi: Ukufa embizeni, muntu kaNkulunkulu! Njalo babengelakukudla.
They served it to the men to eat, but when they tasted the stew they shouted, “There's death in the pot, man of God!” They couldn't eat it.
41 Wasesithi: Lethani-ke impuphu. Waseyithela embizeni wathi: Thululela abantu, ukuze badle. Kwakungaselalutho oluyingozi embizeni.
Elisha said, “Get some flour.” He threw it into the pot, and said, “Serve it to the people to eat.” There was nothing bad to eat in the pot.
42 Kwasekufika umuntu evela eBhali-Shalisha, walethela umuntu kaNkulunkulu ukudla kwezithelo zokuqala, izinkwa zebhali ezingamatshumi amabili, lezikhwebu zamabele amatsha emgodleni wakhe. Wasesithi: Banike abantu ukuze badle.
A man from Baal-shalishah came to the man of God with a sack of firstfruits—the first grain of the year, along with twenty loaves of barley bread. “Give it to the people to eat,” said Elisha.
43 Kodwa inceku yakhe yathi: Ini, ngibeke lokhu phambi kwabantu abalikhulu? Wasesithi: Banike abantu ukuze badle, ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi: Bazakudla, batshiye.
“How can I serve just twenty loaves to a hundred men?” his servant asked. “Give it to the people to eat,” said Elisha, “for this is what the Lord says: ‘They will eat and there will still be some left over.’”
44 Yasikubeka phambi kwabo, badla, batshiya, njengokwelizwi leNkosi.
So he served the bread to them. They ate, and had some left over, just as the Lord had said.
