Eyokuqala YooKumkani
17 UEliya*+ umTishbhi owayehlala eGiliyadi+ wathi kuAhabhi: “Ephila nje uYehova uThixo kaSirayeli endimkhonzayo,* kule minyaka akuzukubakho mbethe namvula, ngaphandle kokuba kutsho mna!”+
2 Lafika ilizwi likaYehova kuye, lisithi: 3 “Hamba apha, uye ngasempuma uzifihle kwiNtlambo YaseKeriti engakwimpuma yeYordan. 4 Ufanele usele kuloo ntlambo, ibe ndiza kuyalela amahlungulu ukuba akunike ukutya apho.”+ 5 Ngoko nangoko wahamba wayokwenza njengokuba uYehova wayetshilo, wayokuhlala kwiNtlambo YaseKeriti engakwimpuma yeYordan. 6 Amahlungulu ayemzisela isonka nenyama kusasa nangokuhlwa, ibe wayesela emfuleni.+ 7 Kodwa emva kweentsuku ezithile intlambo yoma,+ kuba imvula yayinganethi elizweni.
8 Emva koko kwafika ilizwi likaYehova kuye, lisithi: 9 “Phakama, uye eTsarefathi ekummandla weSidon, uze uhlale khona. Jonga! Ndiza kuyalela umhlolokazi apho ukuba akunike ukutya.”+ 10 Ngoko wahamba waya eTsarefathi. Akufika esangweni lesixeko, kwakukho umhlolokazi owayetheza iinkuni. Wambiza wathi: “Ndicela undiphe intwana yamanzi ngendebe ukuze ndisele.”+ 11 Wathi esaya kuwathatha, uEliya wathi kuye: “Ndicela undiphathele nentwana yesonka.” 12 Yena wathi: “Njengoko uYehova uThixo wakho ephila, andinaso isonka, kodwa ndinomgubo onokwanela nje esandleni osengqayini enkulu nentwana yeoli esengqayini encinci.+ Ngoku ndiqokelela iinkuni ezimbalwa, ibe ndiza kwenzela mna nonyana wam into yokutya. Emva kokuba sityile, siza kufa.”
13 UEliya wathi kuye: “Ungoyiki. Hamba uyokwenza le nto uthe uza kuyenza. Kodwa kuqala ndenzele isonka esirawundi esincinci ngaloo nto ikhoyo, undizisele apha. Emva koko unokwenzela wena nonyana wakho. 14 Kuba uthi uYehova uThixo kaSirayeli: ‘Ingqayi enkulu yomgubo ayizukuphela, nengqayi encinci yeoli ayizukuphela kude kube yimini uYehova anisa ngayo imvula phezu komhlaba.’”+ 15 Ngoko wahamba wayokwenza njengokuba uEliya wayetshilo, waza yena nendlu yakhe noEliya batya iintsuku ezininzi.+ 16 Ingqayi enkulu yomgubo ayizange iphele, nengqayi encinci yeoli ayizange iphele, njengokuba uYehova wayetshilo esebenzisa uEliya.
17 Emva kwezi zinto, unyana walo mfazi ungumnikazi wendlu wagula, kwaye isifo sakhe saba qatha kangangokuba wayeka ukuphefumla.+ 18 Wathi lo mfazi kuEliya: “Ndikwenze ntoni* mntu kaThixo wokwenene? Ngaba uze kum ukuze undikhumbuze ngesono sam nokuze ubulale unyana wam?”+ 19 Kodwa wathi kuye: “Ndinike unyana wakho.” Wamthatha kumama wakhe wamsa kwigumbi eliseluphahleni, apho wayehlala khona, waza wambeka emandlalweni wakhe.+ 20 Wathandaza kuYehova esithi: “Owu Yehova Thixo wam,+ ngaba uza kwenzakalisa nalo mhlolokazi ndihlala naye ngokubulala unyana wakhe?” 21 Emva koko wazolula phezu kwalo mntwana kathathu waza wathandaza kuYehova esithi: “Owu Yehova Thixo wam, ndiyakucela, buyisela lo mntwana ebomini.” 22 UYehova wasimamela isicelo sikaEliya,+ waza umntwana wabuyela ebomini, wavuka.+ 23 UEliya wamthatha umntwana kwigumbi eliseluphahleni, wamsa endlini wamnika umama wakhe, waza wathi: “Jonga, unyana wakho uyaphila.”+ 24 Wathi lo mfazi kuEliya: “Ngoku ndiyazi ukuba nyhani uyindoda yakwaThixo,+ yaye ilizwi likaYehova elisemlonyeni wakho liyinyaniso.”