1 Wafalme 19
1 Ahabu akamwambia Yezebeli mambo yote ambayo Eliya amefanya na jinsi alivyowaua manabii wote kwa upanga.
Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.
2 Ndipo Yezebeli alipotuma mjumbe kwa Eliya, akisema, “miungu wanifanye hivyo na mimi, na zaidi yake, kama kesho muda kama huu sitayafanya maisha yako kuwa kama mmoja wa hao manabii waliokufa.”
Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I don’t make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time!”
3 Eliya aliposikia hayo, akaiinuka na akakimbia kwa ajili ya kuokoa maisha yake akaja mpaka Beerisheba, ambao ni mji wa Yuda, na akamwacha mtumishi wake huko.
When he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.
4 Lakini yeye mwenyewe akaenda mwendo wa siku moja huko jangwani, akaja akakaa chini ya mti wa mretemu. Akajiombea mwenyewe kufa, akasema, “Sasa yatosha, BWANA, ichukue roho yangu, kwa kuwa mimi si mzuri kuliko mababu zangu waliokufa.”
But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree. Then he requested for himself that he might die, and said, “It is enough. Now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.”
5 Kwa hiyo akalala chini ya mretemu. Ghafula malaika akamgusa na akamwambia, “Inuka ule.”
He lay down and slept under a juniper tree; and behold, an angel touched him, and said to him, “Arise and eat!”
6 Eliya akatazama, karibu na kichwa chake kulikuwa na mkate uliokuwa umeokwa kwa mkaa na gudulia la maji. Kwa hiyo akala na kunywa na kulala tena.
He looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on the coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and lay down again.
7 Malaika wa BWANA akaja tena mara ya pili akamgusa na kumwambia, “Inuka ule, kwa sababu safari bado ndefu kwako.”
The LORD’s angel came again the second time, and touched him, and said, “Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.”
8 Kwa hiyo akainuka na kula na kunywa, naye akasafiri kwa nguvu ya chakula hicho kwa siku arobaini mchana na usiku hata akafika Horebu, mlima wa Mungu.
He arose, and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, God’s Mountain.
9 Akaingia kwenye pango akakaa humo. Kisha neno la BWANA likamjia likimwambia, “Unafanya nini hapa, Eliya?”
He came to a cave there, and camped there; and behold, the LORD’s word came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
10 Eliya akajibu, “Nimeona wivu mwingi kwa BWANA, Mungu wa majeshi, kwa kuwa watu wa Israeli wameliacha agano lako, wameziharibu madhabahu zako, na wamewaua manabii wako kwa upanga. Sasa ni mimi, pekee yangu, nimebaki na wanataka kuichukua roho yangu.
He said, “I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of Armies; for the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”
11 BWANA akamwambia, “Nenda nje ukasimame kwenye mlima mbele yangu.” Kisha BWANA akapita, na upepo mkali ukaupiga mlima ukavunja miamba katika vipande vipande mbele ya BWANA, lakini BWANA hakuwemo kwenye huo mlima. Kisha baada ya upepo, tetemeko lakaja, lakini BWANA hakuwemo kwenye hilo tetemeko.
He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” Behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake.
12 Kisha baada ya tetemeko, moto ukaja, lakini BWANA hakuwemo kwenye moto. Ndipo baada ya moto, sauti ya upole ikaja.
After the earthquake a fire passed; but the LORD was not in the fire. After the fire, there was a still small voice.
13 Naye Eliya alipoisikia sauti, akafunika uso wake kwa vazi lake, akatoka nje, akasimama kwenye lango la hilo pango. Na sauti ikaja kwake ikisema, “unafanya nini hapa?,
When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle, went out, and stood in the entrance of the cave. Behold, a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
14 Eliya akajibu, “nimeona wivu sana kwa ajili ya BWANA, Muungu wa majeshi, kwa kuwa watu wa Israeli wameliacha agano lako, wamezihariibu madhabahu zako, na wamewaua manabii kwa upanga. Sasa, ni mimi pekee yangu, nimebaki na wanajaribu kuichukua roho yangu.”
He said, “I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of Armies; for the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”
15 Kisha BWANA akamwambia, “Nenda, rudi kwa njia yako kwenye jangwa la Dameski, na utakapofika utamtia mafuta Hazaeli awe Mfalme wa Shamu,
The LORD said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria.
16 na utamtia mafuta Yehu mwana wa Nimshi kuwa mfalme wa Israeli, na utamtia mafuta Elisha mwana wa Shafeti wa Abeli Mehola kuwa nabii mahali pako.
Anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi to be king over Israel; and anoint Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah to be prophet in your place.
17 Itakuwa hivi Yehu atamwua kila mmoja atakayejaribu kutoroka upanga wa Hazaeli, na kwamba Elisha atamwua kila atakayejaribu kukwepa upanga wa Yehu.
He who escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and he who escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill.
18 Lakini nitawaacha watu elfu saba katika Israeli kwa ajili yangu, ambao magoti yao hayajawahi kupigwa kwa Baali, na ambao midomo yao haijambusu.”
Yet I reserved seven thousand in Israel, all the knees of which have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth which has not kissed him.”
19 Kwa hiyo Eliya akaondoka mahali pale na akamkuta Elisha mwana wa Shafati, akilima na jozi za makisai kumi na mbili mbele yake, na yeye mwenyewe alikuwa akilima na ile jozi ya kumi na mbili. Eliya akaenda mpaka kwa Elisha akamtupia vazi lake juu yake.
So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was ploughing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth. Elijah went over to him and put his mantle on him.
20 Elisha naye akawaacha wale makisai akamkimbilia Eliya; akamwambia, “Tafadhali naomba nikambusu baba yangu na mama yangu kisha nitakufuata.” Naye Eliya akamwambia, “Rudi, lakini fikiria juu ya kile nilichokufanyia.”
Elisha left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, “Let me please kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” He said to him, “Go back again; for what have I done to you?”
21 Kwa hiyo Elisha akarudi toka kwa Eliya na akachukua ile jozi ya makisai, akawaua wale wanyama, na akapika ile nyama kwa kuni za ile nira. Kisha akawapa watu wakala. Kisha akaamka, akamfuata Eliya akamtumikia.
He returned from following him, and took the yoke of oxen, killed them, and boiled their meat with the oxen’s equipment, and gave to the people; and they ate. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and served him.
