1 Wafalme 17
1 Basi Eliya, Mtishbi kutoka Tishbi katika Gileadi, akamwambia Ahabu, “Kama Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, aishivyo, ambaye ninamtumikia, hapatakuwa na umande wala mvua katika miaka hii, isipokuwa kwa neno langu.”
Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was among the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As surely as the LORD lives—the God of Israel before whom I stand—there will be neither dew nor rain in these years except at my word!”
2 Kisha neno la Bwana likamjia Eliya, kusema,
Then a revelation from the LORD came to Elijah:
3 “Ondoka hapa, elekea upande wa mashariki ukajifiche katika Kijito cha Kerithi, mashariki mwa Yordani.
“Leave here, turn eastward, and hide yourself by the Brook of Cherith, east of the Jordan.
4 Utakunywa maji kutoka kile kijito, nami nimeagiza kunguru wakulishe huko.”
And you are to drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.”
5 Hivyo akafanya kile alichoambiwa na Bwana. Akaenda katika Kijito cha Kerithi, mashariki ya Yordani na akakaa huko.
So Elijah did what the LORD had told him, and he went and lived by the Brook of Cherith, east of the Jordan.
6 Kunguru wakamletea mkate na nyama asubuhi na mkate na nyama jioni, naye akanywa maji kutoka kile kijito.
The ravens would bring him bread and meat in the morning and evening, and he would drink from the brook.
7 Baada ya muda, kile kijito kikakauka kwa sababu mvua haikuwa imenyesha katika nchi.
Some time later, however, the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land.
8 Kisha neno la Bwana likamjia, kusema,
Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah:
9 “Ondoka, uende Sarepta ya Sidoni na ukae huko. Nimemwagiza mjane katika sehemu ile akupatie chakula.”
“Get up and go to Zarephath of Sidon, and stay there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.”
10 Hivyo akaenda Sarepta. Alipofika kwenye lango la mji, mjane alikuwa huko akiokota kuni. Akamwita na kumwambia, “Naomba uniletee maji kidogo kwenye gudulia ili niweze kunywa.”
So Elijah got up and went to Zarephath. When he arrived at the city gate, there was a widow gathering sticks. Elijah called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, so that I may drink.”
11 Alipokuwa anakwenda kumletea, akamwita akasema, “Tafadhali niletee pia kipande cha mkate.”
And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a piece of bread.”
12 Akamjibu, “Hakika kama Bwana Mungu wako aishivyo, sina mkate wowote, isipokuwa konzi ya unga kwenye gudulia na mafuta kidogo kwenye chupa. Ninakusanya kuni chache nipeleke nyumbani na nikapike chakula kwa ajili yangu na mwanangu, ili kwamba tule, kiishe, tukafe.”
But she replied, “As surely as the LORD your God lives, I have no bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. Look, I am gathering a couple of sticks to take home and prepare a meal for myself and my son, so that we may eat it and die.”
13 Eliya akamwambia, “Usiogope. Nenda nyumbani ukafanye kama ulivyosema. Lakini kwanza unitengenezee mimi mkate mdogo kutoka vile ulivyo navyo kisha uniletee na ndipo utayarishe chochote kwa ajili yako na mwanao.
“Do not be afraid,” Elijah said to her. “Go and do as you have said. But first make me a small cake of bread from what you have, and bring it out to me. Afterward, make some for yourself and your son,
14 Kwa kuwa hivi ndivyo asemavyo Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli: ‘Lile gudulia la unga halitakwisha wala ile chupa ya mafuta haitakauka hadi siku ile Bwana atakapoleta mvua juu ya nchi.’”
for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be exhausted and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD sends rain upon the face of the earth.’”
15 Akaondoka na kufanya kama Eliya alivyomwambia. Kwa hiyo kukawa na chakula kila siku kwa ajili ya Eliya, yule mwanamke na jamaa yake.
So she went and did according to the word of Elijah, and there was food every day for Elijah and the woman and her household.
16 Kwa kuwa lile gudulia la unga halikwisha na ile chupa ya mafuta haikukauka, sawasawa na lile neno la Bwana alilosema Eliya.
The jar of flour was not exhausted and the jug of oil did not run dry, according to the word that the LORD had spoken through Elijah.
17 Baada ya muda, mwana wa yule mwanamke mwenye nyumba akaugua. Hali yake ikaendelea kuwa mbaya sana, na hatimaye akaacha kupumua.
Later, the son of the woman who owned the house became ill, and his sickness grew worse and worse, until no breath remained in him.
18 Akamwambia Eliya, “Una nini dhidi yangu, ewe mtu wa Mungu? Umekuja ili kukumbushia dhambi yangu na kusababisha kifo cha mwanangu?”
“O man of God,” said the woman to Elijah, “what have you done to me? Have you come to remind me of my iniquity and cause the death of my son?”
19 Eliya akamjibu, “Nipe mwanao.” Eliya akampokea kutoka kifuani mwake, akambeba mpaka chumba cha juu alipokuwa anaishi, akamlaza kitandani mwake.
But Elijah said to her, “Give me your son.” So he took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed.
20 Kisha akamlilia Bwana, akasema “Ee Bwana Mungu wangu, je, pia umeleta msiba juu ya mjane huyu ninayeishi pamoja naye, kwa kusababisha mwanawe kufa?”
Then he cried out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, have You also brought tragedy on this widow who has opened her home to me, by causing her son to die?”
21 Kisha akajinyoosha juu ya kijana mara tatu na kumlilia Bwana, akisema, “Ee Bwana Mungu wangu, nakuomba roho ya huyu kijana imrudie!”
Then he stretched himself out over the child three times and cried out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, please let this boy’s life return to him!”
22 Bwana akasikia kilio cha Eliya, na roho ya kijana ikamrudia, naye akafufuka.
And the LORD listened to the voice of Elijah, and the child’s life returned to him, and he lived.
23 Eliya akamtwaa kijana na kumbeba kutoka chumbani mwake akamshusha kumpeleka kwenye nyumba. Akampa mama yake na kusema, “Tazama, mwanao yu hai!”
Then Elijah took the child, brought him down from the upper room into the house, and gave him to his mother. “Look, your son is alive,” Elijah declared.
24 Ndipo yule mwanamke akamwambia Eliya, “Sasa ninajua kwamba wewe ni mtu wa Mungu, na kwamba neno la Bwana kutoka kinywani mwako ni kweli.”
Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is truth.”
