1 Wafalme 17
1 Eliyas Mtishibi, kutoka Tishibi ya Gileadi, akamwambia Ahabu, “Kama BWANA, Mungu wa Israeli aishivyo, ambaye ninasimama, hakutakuwa na umande wala mvua isiipokuwa 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 nenola BWANA, likammjia Eliya, likisema,
Then a revelation from the LORD came to Elijah:
3 “Ondoka hapa uende mashariki; ukajifiche karibu na kijito cha Kerithi, mashariki mwa Yorodani.
“Leave here, turn eastward, and hide yourself by the Brook of Cherith, east of the Jordan.
4 Nawe utakunywa maji ya kijito, na nimewaamuru kunguru kukulisha mahali hapo.”
And you are to drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.”
5 Kwa hiyo Eliya akaenda kama neno la BWANA lilivyomwamuru. Akaenda kuishi karibu na kijito cha Kerithi, mashariki mwa Yorodani.
So Elijah did what the LORD had told him, and he went and lived by the Brook of Cherith, east of the Jordan.
6 Nao kunguru wakamletea mkate na nyama asubuhi, na mkate na nyama jioni, naye akanywa maji ya kijito kile.
The ravens would bring him bread and meat in the morning and evening, and he would drink from the brook.
7 Lakini baada ya muda kile kijito kikakauka kwa sababu hapakuwepo na mvua katika nchi.
Some time later, however, the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land.
8 Neno la BWANA likamjia, likisema,
Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah:
9 “Inuka, uende Sarepta, ambao ni mji wa Sidoni, na ukaishi huko. Tazama nimemmwamuru mjane kukulisha.”
“Get up and go to Zarephath of Sidon, and stay there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.”
10 Kwa hiyo akainuka na akaenda Sarepta, na alipofika kwenye lango la mji, kulikuwa na mjane akiokota kuni. Kwa hiyo akamwita na akamwambia, “Tafadhali niletee maji kidogo kwenye jagi ninywe.”
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 Naye alipokuwa akienda kuleta maji alimwita, akamwambia, “tafadhali uniletee na kipande cha mkate mkononi.”
And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a piece of bread.”
12 Naye akamjibu, “Kama BWANA Mungu wako aishivyo, sina mkate wowote, bali konzi moja ya unga katika chombo na mafuta kidogo kwenye chupa. Tazama, ninaokota kuni mbili ili niende kupika kwa ajili yangu na mwanangu, ili tule, na tusubiri kufa.”
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 ukafanye kama usemavyo. lakini nitengenezee kwanza mimi na uniletee. Ndipo baadaye ujitenegenezee wewe 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 BWANA, Mungu wa Israeli anasema 'Lile pipa la unga halitaisha, wala ile chupa ya mafuta kukoma kutoa mafuta, mpaka siku ile BWANA atakapotuma mvua duniani.”
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 Kwa hiyo yule mjane akafanya kama Eliya alivyomwelekeza, yeye, na Eliya, na mwanae wakala kwa siku nyingi.
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 Lile pipa la Unga halikuisha, wala ile chupa ya mafuta haikukoma kutoa mafuta, kama vile neno la BWANA lilivyosema, kupitia kinywa cha 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 hayo mambo, yule mwana wa yule mwanamke, yule mwanamke mwenye nyumba, aliugua. Ugonjwa wake ukazidi hata akaishiwa pumzi kabisa.
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 Kwa hiyo mama yake akamwambia Eliya, “Je, una nini nami, ewe mtu wa Mungu? Je, umekuja kwangu ili kunikumbusha dhambi zangu na kumwua 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 Naye Eliya akamjibu, “Nipe hapa mwanao.” Akambeba mtoto mikononi mwake na akampeleka mpaka chumbani alimokuwa akikaa, akamlaza yule mtoto kitanadani pake mwenyewe.
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 Akamlilia BWANA akisema, “BWANA Mungu wangu, kwa nini umeleta majanga kwa mjane ambaye mimi ninakaa, kwa kumwua mwanae?”
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 Eliya akajinyosha mwenyewe juu ya mtoto mara tatu; akamlilia BWANA akisema, “BWANA Mungu wangu, Ninakuomba, tafadhali uhai wa mtoto huyu umrudie.”
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 akaisikiliza sauti ya Eliya; uhai wa mtoto ukamrudia, na akawa hai.
And the LORD listened to the voice of Elijah, and the child’s life returned to him, and he lived.
23 Eliya akamchukua mtoto na akamtoa toka chumbani kwake akamleta kwenye ile nyumba; akampatia mama yake yule mtoto na akasema, “Tazama, mwanao yuko 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 Yule mwanamke akamwambia Eliya, “Sasa natambua kuwa wewe ni mtu wa Mungu, na kwamba neno la BWANA kinywani mwako ni la 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.”
