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.”
Then said Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, unto Ahab, By the life of Yahweh, God of Israel, before whom I stand, there shall not, these two years, be either dew or rain, —save at the bidding of my word.
2 Kisha neno la Bwana likamjia Eliya, kusema,
Then came the word of Yahweh unto him, saying:
3 “Ondoka hapa, elekea upande wa mashariki ukajifiche katika Kijito cha Kerithi, mashariki mwa Yordani.
Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, —and hide thyself in the ravine of Cherith, which faceth the Jordan;
4 Utakunywa maji kutoka kile kijito, nami nimeagiza kunguru wakulishe huko.”
and it shall be that, of the torrent, shalt thou drink, —and, the ravens, have I commanded to sustain thee, there.
5 Hivyo akafanya kile alichoambiwa na Bwana. Akaenda katika Kijito cha Kerithi, mashariki ya Yordani na akakaa huko.
So he went and did, according to the word of Yahweh, —yea he went and dwelt in the ravine of Cherith, which faceth the Jordan.
6 Kunguru wakamletea mkate na nyama asubuhi na mkate na nyama jioni, naye akanywa maji kutoka kile kijito.
And, the ravens, used to bring him bread and flesh, in the morning, and bread and flesh, in the evening, —and, of the torrent, used he to drink.
7 Baada ya muda, kile kijito kikakauka kwa sababu mvua haikuwa imenyesha katika nchi.
But it came to pass, at the end of [certain] days, that the torrent dried up, —because there had been no rain in the land.
8 Kisha neno la Bwana likamjia, kusema,
Then came the word of Yahweh unto him, saying—
9 “Ondoka, uende Sarepta ya Sidoni na ukae huko. Nimemwagiza mjane katika sehemu ile akupatie chakula.”
Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there, —Lo! I have commanded, there, a widow woman, to sustain thee.
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 he arose and went to Zarephath, and, when he came to the entrance of the city, lo! there, a widow woman gathering sticks, —and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.
11 Alipokuwa anakwenda kumletea, akamwita akasema, “Tafadhali niletee pia kipande cha mkate.”
And, as she went to fetch it, he called to her and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread, in thy hand.
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.”
And she said—By the life of Yahweh, thy God, verily I have not a cake, only a handful of meal in the jar, and a little oil in the cruse, —and lo! I have been gathering a couple of sticks, so I shall go in and make it ready for me and for my son, 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.
And Elijah said unto her—Do not fear, go in—make ready according to thy word, —howbeit, make me thereof a little cake, first, and bring it out to me, and, for thyself and thy son, make ready, afterwards.
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, thus, saith Yahweh, God of Israel, The jar of meal, shall not waste, and, the cruse of oil, shall not fail, —until the day that Yahweh giveth rain upon the face of the ground.
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 made ready, according to the word of Elijah, —and did eat, she, and he, and her house, [certain] days:
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 meal, did not waste, —and, the cruse of oil, did not fail, —according to the word of Yahweh, which he spake through Elijah.
17 Baada ya muda, mwana wa yule mwanamke mwenye nyumba akaugua. Hali yake ikaendelea kuwa mbaya sana, na hatimaye akaacha kupumua.
And it came to pass, after these things, that the son of the woman, owner of the house, fell sick, —yea it came to pass that his sickness was very severe, until no, breath, was left in him.
18 Akamwambia Eliya, “Una nini dhidi yangu, ewe mtu wa Mungu? Umekuja ili kukumbushia dhambi yangu na kusababisha kifo cha mwanangu?”
Then said she unto Elijah, What have I in common with thee, O man of God? Hast thou come unto me, to call to remembrance mine iniquity, and to 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.
And he said unto her—Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him unto the upper room, where, he, was staying, and laid him upon 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 cried he unto Yahweh, and said, —O Yahweh, my God! Even upon the widow with whom I am sojourning, hast thou brought misfortune by causing the death of her son?
21 Kisha akajinyoosha juu ya kijana mara tatu na kumlilia Bwana, akisema, “Ee Bwana Mungu wangu, nakuomba roho ya huyu kijana imrudie!”
And he stretched himself out upon the boy, three times, and cried unto Yahweh, and said, —O Yahweh, my God! Let the life of this boy, I pray thee, come again within him.
22 Bwana akasikia kilio cha Eliya, na roho ya kijana ikamrudia, naye akafufuka.
And Yahweh hearkened unto the voice of Elijah, —and the life of the boy came again within 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 boy, and carried him down out of the upper room, into the house, and gave him to his mother, —and Elijah said, See! thy son liveth.
24 Ndipo yule mwanamke akamwambia Eliya, “Sasa ninajua kwamba wewe ni mtu wa Mungu, na kwamba neno la Bwana kutoka kinywani mwako ni kweli.”
And the woman said unto Elijah, Now, then I know, that, a man of God, thou art, —and that, the word of Yahweh, is in thy mouth, of a truth.
