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.

Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets came crying to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared Yahweh. Now the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.”

2 UElisha wasesithi kuye: Ngingakwenzelani? Ngitshela, ulani endlini? Wasesithi: Incekukazi yakho kayilalutho endlini, ngaphandle kwesiphiso samafutha.

So Elisha said to her, “What can I do for you? Tell me what do you have in the house?” She said, “Your servant has nothing in the house, except a pot of oil.”

3 Wasesithi: Hamba uyezebolekela izitsha ezivela phandle, kubomakhelwane bakho bonke, izitsha ezingelalutho, zingabi nlutshwana.

Then Elisha said, “Go out to borrow jars from your neighbors, empty jars. Borrow as many as possible.

4 Nxa usungenile uzivalele wena lamadodana akho umnyango, uthele kulezizitsha zonke; lokugcweleyo ukubeke eceleni.

Then you must go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour oil into all those jars; set aside the jars that are full.”

5 Wasesuka-ke kuye wazivalela yena lamadodana akhe umnyango; bazisondeza kuye, wathulula.

So she left Elisha and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her, and she filled them with oil.

6 Kwasekusithi izitsha sezigcwele wathi endodaneni yakhe: Ngilethela njalo isitsha. Yasisithi kuye: Kakuselasitsha. Amafutha asesima.

When the vessels were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another jar.” But he said to her, “There are no more jars.” Then the oil stopped flowing.

7 Wasesiza wamazisa umuntu kaNkulunkulu; wasesithi: Hamba uyethengisa amafutha, uhlawule isikwelede sakho; wena-ke lamadodana akho liphile ngaseleyo.

Then she came and told the man of God. He said, “Go, sell the oil; pay your debt, and live with your sons on the rest.”

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 Elisha walked to Shunem where an important woman lived; she urged him to eat food with her. So as often as Elisha passed by, he would stop there to eat.

9 Wasesithi kumkakhe: Khangela-ke, ngiyazi ukuthi lo ungumuntu ongcwele kaNkulunkulu, owedlula kithi njalonjalo.

The woman said to her husband, “See, now I realize that this is a holy man of God who is always passing by.

10 Ake senze ikamelo elincinyane eliphezulu emdulini, simfakele lapho umbheda letafula lesihlalo lesiqobane sesibane; kuzakuthi-ke lapho efika kithi aphambukele khona.

Let us make a little room on the roof for Elisha, and let us put in it a bed, a table, a seat, and a lamp. Then when he comes to us, he will stay there.”

11 Kwasekusithi ngolunye usuku wafika khona, waphambukela ekamelweni eliphezulu, walala khona.

So when the day came again that Elisha stopped there, he stayed in the room and rested there.

12 Wasesithi kuGehazi inceku yakhe: Biza lo umShunamikazi. Esembizile, wema phambi kwakhe.

Elisha said to Gehazi his servant, “Call this Shunammite.” When he had called her, she stood before him.

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 him, “Say to her, 'You have gone to all this trouble to care for us. What can be done for you? Can we speak for you to the king or to the army commander?'” She answered, “I live among my own people.”

14 Wasesithi: Kuyini-ke angakwenzelwa? UGehazi wasesithi: Qiniso, kalamntwana, lomkakhe usemdala.

So Elisha said, “What can we do for her, then?” Gehazi answered, “Indeed, she has no son, and her husband is old.”

15 Wasesithi: Mbize. Esembizile, wema emnyango.

So Elisha answered, “Call her.” When he had called her, she stood in the door.

16 Wasesithi: Ngalesisikhathi esimisiweyo njengokwesikhathi sempilo uzagona umntwana. Kodwa wathi: Hatshi, nkosi yami, muntu kaNkulunkulu, ungayiqambeli amanga incekukazi yakho.

Elisha said, “At this time of year, in one year's time, you will be holding a son.” She said, “No, my master and man of God, do not lie to your servant.”

17 Owesifazana wasekhulelwa, wabeletha umntwana ngalesosikhathi esimisiweyo njengokwesikhathi sempilo uElisha ayesitshilo kuye.

But the woman conceived and gave birth to a son at the same time in the following year, as Elisha had said to her.

18 Esekhulile umntwana, kwathi ngosuku oluthile waphuma waya kuyise kubavuni.

When the child had grown, he went out one day to his father, who was with harvesters.

19 Wasesithi kuyise: Ikhanda lami! Ikhanda lami! Wasesithi encekwini: Mthwale umuse kunina.

He said to his father, “My head, my head.” His father said to his servant, “Carry him to his mother.”

20 Isimthwele yamusa kunina, wahlala emadolweni akhe kwaze kwaba semini, wasesifa.

When the servant had picked him up and brought the boy to his mother, the child sat on her knees until noon and then died.

21 Wasesenyuka, wamlalisa embhedeni womuntu kaNkulunkulu, wamvalela, waphuma.

So the woman got up and laid the boy on the bed of the man of God, shut the door, and went out.

22 Wasememeza umkakhe wathi: Ake uthume kimi enye yezinceku lomunye wabobabhemi, ukuze ngigijime ngiye emuntwini kaNkulunkulu, ngibuye futhi.

She called to her husband, and said, “Please send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys so that I may hurry to the man of God and then come back.”

23 Wasesithi. Uyelani kuye lamuhla? Kakusikuthwasa kwenyanga njalo kakusisabatha. Owesifazana wasesithi: Kulungile.

Her husband said, “Why do you want to go to him today? It is not a new moon nor a Sabbath.” She replied, “It will be all right.”

24 Esembophelele isihlalo ubabhemi, wathi encekwini yakhe: Tshaya uhambe, ungangibambeleli ekuhambeni, ngaphandle ngikutshele.

Then she saddled a donkey and said to her servant, “Drive on quickly; do not slow down for me unless I say so.”

25 Wahamba-ke, weza emuntwini kaNkulunkulu entabeni iKharmeli. Kwasekusithi umuntu kaNkulunkulu embona esiza, wathi kuGehazi inceku yakhe: Khangela, nanguyana umShunamikazi.

So she went and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel. So when the man of God saw her in the distance, he said to Gehazi his servant, “Look, here comes 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 say to her, 'Is everything alright with you and with your husband and child?'” She answered, “It is alright.”

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.

When she came to the man of God at the mountain, she caught hold of his feet. Gehazi came near to thrust her away but the man of God said, “Leave her alone, for she is very upset, and Yahweh has hidden the problem from me, and has told me nothing.”

28 Wasesithi: Ngangicelile indodana enkosini yami yini? Kangitshongo yini ukuthi: Ungangikhohlisi?

Then she said, “Did I ask you for a son, my master? Did I not say, 'Do not deceive me'?”

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.

Then Elisha said to Gehazi, “Dress for travel and take my staff in your hand. Go to her home. If you meet any man, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not answer him. Lay my staff on the child's face.”

30 Unina womntwana wasesithi: Kuphila kukaJehova lokuphila komphefumulo wakho, kangiyikukutshiya. Wasesukuma wamlandela.

But the mother of the child said, “As Yahweh lives, and as you live, I will not leave you.” So Elisha arose and followed her.

31 UGehazi wedlulela phambi kwabo, walubeka udondolo ebusweni bomntwana, kodwa kakubanga khona ilizwi njalo kwakungelakunaka. Wasebuyela ukumhlangabeza, wamtshela esithi: Umntwana kavukanga.

Gehazi hurried on ahead of them and laid the staff on the child's face, but the child did not speak or hear. So then Gehazi returned to meet Elisha and told him saying, “The child has not awakened.”

32 UElisha esengenile endlini, khangela, umntwana wayefile, elaliswe embhedeni wakhe.

When Elisha arrived at the house, the child was dead and was still on the bed.

33 Wasengena, wavala umnyango emva kwabo bobabili, wakhuleka eNkosini.

So Elisha went in and shut the door on the child and himself and prayed to Yahweh.

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.

He went up and lay on the child; he put his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands. He stretched himself out on the boy, and the boy's body grew warm.

35 Wasebuyela, wahambahamba endlini waya kanye ngapha lakanye le, wasesenyuka wacambalala phezu kwakhe; umntwana wasethimula kwaze kwaba kasikhombisa, umntwana wasevula amehlo akhe.

Then Elisha got up and walked around the room and again went up and stretched himself out on the boy. The child sneezed seven times and then opened his eyes!

36 Wasebiza uGehazi wathi: Mbize lo umShunamikazi. Wasembiza. Esefikile kuye, wathi kuye: Thatha umntanakho.

So Elisha called Gehazi and said, “Call the Shunammite!” So he called her, and when she came into the room, Elisha said, “Pick up your son.”

37 Wasengena, wawela ezinyaweni zakhe, wakhothamela emhlabathini, waphakamisa umntanakhe, waphuma.

Then she lay facedown on the ground at his feet and bowed to the ground, and then picked up her son and went out.

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.

Then Elisha came again to Gilgal. There was famine in the land, and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him. He said to his servant, “Put the large pot on the fire and cook 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 a field to gather vegetables. He found a wild vine and gathered enough wild gourds to fill the fold of his robe. They cut them up and put them into the stew, but did not know what kind they were.

40 Basebethululela abantu ukuze badle; kwasekusithi besadla okokudla okuphekiweyo bona bamemeza bathi: Ukufa embizeni, muntu kaNkulunkulu! Njalo babengelakukudla.

So they poured out the stew for the men to eat. Later, as they were eating, they cried out and said, “Man of God, there is death in the pot!” So they could not eat it anymore.

41 Wasesithi: Lethani-ke impuphu. Waseyithela embizeni wathi: Thululela abantu, ukuze badle. Kwakungaselalutho oluyingozi embizeni.

But Elisha said, “Bring some flour.” He threw it into the pot and said, “Pour it out for the people, so that they may eat.” Then there was no longer anything hurtful 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 came from Baal Shalishah to the man of God and brought twenty loaves of barley bread in his sack from the new harvest, and fresh ears of grain. He said, “Give this to the people so they can eat.”

43 Kodwa inceku yakhe yathi: Ini, ngibeke lokhu phambi kwabantu abalikhulu? Wasesithi: Banike abantu ukuze badle, ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi: Bazakudla, batshiye.

His servant said, “What, should I set this before a hundred men?” But Elisha said, “Give this to the people, so they can eat, because Yahweh says, 'They will eat and will have some left.'”

44 Yasikubeka phambi kwabo, badla, batshiya, njengokwelizwi leNkosi.

So his servant set it before them; they ate, and left some remaining, just as the word of Yahweh promised.