Eyokuqala YooKumkani
18 Emva kwexesha, ngonyaka wesithathu,+ kwafika ilizwi likaYehova kuEliya, lisithi: “Hamba uye kuAhabhi, yaye mna ndiza kunisa imvula phezu komhlaba.”+ 2 Ngoko uEliya waya kuAhabhi. Ngelo xesha indlala yayiqatha+ eSamariya.
3 UAhabhi wabiza uObhadiya, owayephethe indlu. (UObhadiya lo wayemoyika kakhulu uYehova, 4 yaye xa uIzebhele wayebulala*+ abaprofeti bakaYehova, uObhadiya wathatha abaprofeti abayi-100 wabafihla emiqolombeni, baba yi-50 kumqolomba ngamnye, yaye wayebapha isonka namanzi.) 5 UAhabhi wathi kuObhadiya: “Khawuhamba-hambe kweli lizwe, uye kuyo yonke imithombo yamanzi nakuzo zonke iintlambo. Mhlawumbi singafumana ingca eyaneleyo, ukuze siwagcine ephila amahashe neemeyile, ingade ife yonke imfuyo yethu.” 6 Ngoko bahlulelana ngomhlaba ababeza kukhangela kuwo. UAhabhi wahamba yedwa ngenye indlela, no-Obhadiya wahamba yedwa ngenye indlela.
7 Uthe ke esahamba uObhadiya, uEliya wamhlangabeza. Waqonda ngoko nangoko ukuba nguye waza waqubuda wathi: “Nguwe na lo, nkosi yam Eliya?”+ 8 Wathi kuye: “Ndim. Hamba uyokuthi kwinkosi yakho: ‘UEliya ulapha.’” 9 Kodwa wathi: “Sisiphi isono endisenzileyo le nto umkhonzi wakho umnikela esandleni sika-Ahabhi ukuze andibulale? 10 Njengoko uYehova uThixo wakho ephila, akukho luhlanga nabukumkani engathumelanga ukuba ukhangelwe kubo inkosi yam. Ubukumkani nohlanga olwalusithi, ‘Akakho apha,’ wayelwenza lufunge ukuba awukho nyhani.+ 11 Ngoku wena uthi, ‘Hamba uyokuthi kwinkosi yakho: “UEliya ulapha.”’ 12 Ndiza kuthi xa ndihamba apha, umoya kaYehova ukuthwale+ ukuse apho ndingaziyo, yaye xa ndixelela uAhabhi ukuba ukhona, aze angakufumani, ngokuqinisekileyo uza kundibulala. Kanti, umkhonzi wakho oko emoyika uYehova ukususela ebuntwaneni. 13 Ayixelelwanga na inkosi yam into endayenzayo xa uIzebhele wayebulala abaprofeti bakaYehova, indlela endabafihla ngayo abaprofeti bakaYehova abayi-100, baba yi-50 kumqolomba ngamnye, ndaza ndabapha isonka namanzi?+ 14 Kodwa ngoku uthi, ‘Hamba uyokuthi kwinkosi yakho: “UEliya ulapha.”’ Nakanjani iza kundibulala.” 15 Noko ke, uEliya wathi: “Njengokuba uYehova wemikhosi endimkhonzayo* ephila, namhlanje ndiza kudibana naye.”
16 Ngoko uObhadiya wemka waya kuAhabhi wamxelela, waza uAhabhi waya kudibana noEliya.
17 Uthe nje uAhabhi akumbona uEliya, wathi kuye: “Tyhini nguwe lo! Wena umzisele inkathazo enkulu* uSirayeli!”
18 Yena wathi: “Andimziselanga nkathazo uSirayeli, kodwa iziswe nguwe nendlu katata wakho, ngokushiya kwenu imiyalelo kaYehova naza nalandela ooBhahali.+ 19 Khawundibizele wonke uSirayeli kwiNtaba YeKarmele,+ ubize nabaprofeti bakaBhahali abayi-450 nabaprofeti abayi-400 bepali engcwele,*+ abatya etafileni kaIzebhele.” 20 Ngoko uAhabhi wathumela ilizwi kubo bonke abantu bakwaSirayeli, waza wabaqokelela abaprofeti kwiNtaba YeKarmele.
21 UEliya wasondela kubo bonke abo bantu wathi: “Kuza kude kube nini ningacaci icala enikulo?+ Ukuba uYehova nguThixo wokwenene, landelani yena;+ kodwa ukuba nguBhahali, landelani yena!” Abantu bathula bathi cwaka, abamphendula. 22 Emva koko uEliya wathi ebantwini: “Ndim ndodwa umprofeti kaYehova oshiyekileyo,+ kodwa bona abaprofeti bakaBhahali bayi-450. 23 Mabasinike amathole eenkomo aziinkunzi abe mabini, baze bazikhethele libe linye, balinqunqe balibeke phezu kweenkuni, kodwa bangabasi mlilo. Nam ndiza kulungisa elinye ithole lenkomo eliyinkunzi, ndize ndilibeke phezu kweenkuni, kodwa andizukubasa mlilo. 24 Nize nibize egameni lothixo wenu,+ nam ndiza kubiza egameni likaYehova. UThixo ophendule ngomlilo uza kubonisa ukuba nguye uThixo wokwenene.”+ Baphendula bonke abantu bathi: “Le nto uyitshoyo ilungile.”
25 Wathi uEliya kubaprofeti bakaBhahali: “Zikhetheleni kuqala ithole lenkomo eliyinkunzi nize nililungise, kuba nibaninzi. Emva koko nize nibize egameni lothixo wenu, kodwa ningabasi mlilo.” 26 Ngoko balithatha ithole lenkomo eliyinkunzi ababelinikiwe, balilungisa, baza baqhubeka bethandaza kuBhahali ukususela kusasa de kwasemini, besithi: “Owu Bhahali, siphendule!” Kodwa kwathi cwaka, akwabikho mntu uphendulayo. Baqhubeka bexhentsa, bejikeleza isibingelelo ababesenzile.+ 27 Emini uEliya wahlekisa ngabo esithi: “Khanibe ngathi niyakhwaza! Kaloku nguthixo lo!+ Mhlawumbi usadla amathambo engqondo okanye usazithuma.* Okanye mhlawumbi ulele, kufuneka avuswe!” 28 Bakhwaza, bezisika ngezinkempe nemikhonto, ngokwesiko labo, de kwatsaza igazi. 29 Kwada kwaba semva kwemini oko bexhentsa,* de kwafika ixesha lokunyuswa kweminikelo yokutya, kodwa kwathi cwaka akwabikho mpendulo; uBhahali wayengabamamelanga.+
30 Ethubeni uEliya wathi kubo bonke abantu: “Sondelani kum.” Ngoko bonke abantu basondela kuye. Emva koko walungisa isibingelelo sikaYehova esasichithiwe.+ 31 Wathatha amatye ayi-12, alingana nenani lezizwe zoonyana bakaYakobi, lowo lafika kuye ilizwi likaYehova, lisithi: “Igama lakho liza kuba nguSirayeli.”+ 32 Ngala matye wakha isibingelelo+ egameni likaYehova. Emva koko wenza umsele ojikeleze isibingelelo, ibe xa iyonke loo ndawo yayilingana nentsimi enokutyalwa ngeeseha* ezimbini zembewu. 33 Walungisa iinkuni, walinqunqa ithole lenkomo eliyinkunzi, waza walibeka phezu kweenkuni.+ Emva koko wathi: “Gcwalisani iingqayi ezinkulu ezine ngamanzi, niwagalele phezu komnikelo otshiswayo naphezu kweenkuni.” 34 Wathi: “Phindani.” Baphinda. Wathi: “Phindani okwesithathu.” Baphinda okwesithathu. 35 Amanzi aphuphuma agcwala kuso sonke isibingelelo, agcwala nasemseleni.
36 Kwathi ke ngexesha lokwenziwa kweminikelo yokutya yangokuhlwa,+ umprofeti uEliya wasondela wathi: “Owu Yehova, Thixo ka-Abraham,+ kaIsake+ nokaSirayeli, makwaziwe namhlanje ukuba unguThixo kwaSirayeli yaye mna ndingumkhonzi wakho, nezi zinto zonke ndizenze ngokwelizwi lakho.+ 37 Ndiphendule, yhini Yehova! Ndiphendule, ukuze esi sizwana sazi ukuba wena, Yehova, unguThixo wokwenene yaye uzibuyisela kuwe iintliziyo zaso.”+
38 Kwehla umlilo kaYehova, wawudla wawugqiba umnikelo otshiswayo+ neenkuni namatye nothuli, wawakhotha namanzi awayesemseleni.+ 39 Bathi bakuyibona le nto abantu, baqubuda ngoko nangoko bonke baza bathi: “UYehova nguThixo wokwenene! UYehova nguThixo wokwenene!” 40 Emva koko uEliya wathi kubo: “Babambeni abaprofeti bakaBhahali! Makungaphuncuki nokuba abe mnye!” Bababamba ngoko nangoko, waza uEliya wabazisa entlanjeni yaseKishon,+ wababulalela apho.+
41 UEliya wathi kuAhabhi: “Hamba, uyokutya, usele, kuba kuvakala isandi sezantyalantyala zemvula.”+ 42 Ngoko uAhabhi wenyuka wayokutya, wasela, yena uEliya wenyuka waya encotsheni yeKarmele waza wabuthuma emhlabeni, wafaka ubuso phakathi kwamadolo.+ 43 Wathi kwisicaka sakhe: “Ndicela unyuke, ujonge ngaselwandle.” Ngoko sanyuka sajonga saza sathi: “Andiboni kwanto.” Wasithuma kasixhenxe esithi, “Phinda uye.” 44 Xa sibuya okwesixhenxe isicaka sakhe, sathi: “Jonga! Naliya ilifu elincinci elilingana nesandla somntu lisithi thu elwandle.” Ngoko wathi: “Yiya kuAhabhi uthi, ‘Bopha inqwelo yakho! Yehla ukuze ungavalelwa zizantyalantyala zemvula!’” 45 Ngelo xesha, kwavela iingqimba zamafu satsho samnyama isibhakabhaka, kwavuthuza umoya, kwaza kwagaleleka izantyalantyala zemvula;+ wabe uAhabhi ekhwele inqwelo esiya eYizereli.+ 46 Kodwa isandla sikaYehova saba noEliya, waza wabhinqa isambatho sakhe esinqeni, wabaleka wamshiya uAhabhi ukuya kutsho eYizereli.