1 AmaKhosi 17 - IsiZulu 2020

Umphrofethi U-Eliya Wondliwa Ngamagwababa

¹ U-Eliya, umThishibhi owayengomunye wababegogobele kwaGileyadi, wathi ku-Ahabi: “Ngifunga ngiyagomela phambi kukaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli engimi phambi kwakhe, akuyukuba khona mazolo namvula kule minyaka, kuze kusho mina.”

² Izwi likaSimakade lafika kuye, lathi:

³ “Suka lapha, uhambe ubheke ngasempumalanga, ufike ucashe ngasemfudlaneni iKherithi, ophambi kweJordani.

⁴ Uyophuza emfudlaneni, Mina ngiyale amagwababa ukuba akondle lapho.”

⁵ Wahamba, wenza njengalokhu izwi likaSimakade limyalile; wahamba wahlala ngasemfudlaneni iKherithi ophambi kweJordani.

⁶ Amagwababa amlethela isinkwa nenyama ekuseni, nesinkwa nenyama kusihlwa, waphuza emfudlaneni.

⁷ Kwathi ngokuhamba kwezinsuku, umfudlana washa, ngokuba kwakungekho mvula ezweni.

U-Eliya Wandisa Impuphu Namafutha Komfelokazi

⁸ Izwi likaSimakade lafika kuye, lathi:

⁹ “Suka uye eZarefathi eseSidoni, uhlale khona. Sengiyale owesifazane ongumfelokazi lapho ukuba akondle.”

¹⁰ Wasuka waya eZarefathi; wafika esangweni lomuzi, bheka, nango owesifazane ongumfelokazi etheza izinkuni zokubasa. Wambiza wathi kuye: “Ake ungilethele amanzana esitsheni, ngiphuze.”

¹¹ Esasuka nje eyowalanda, wambiza futhi, wathi: “Ake ungiphathele nocezu lwesinkwa.”

¹² Kepha wathi: “Ngifunga ngiyagomela phambi kukaSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho, anginalo iqebelengwane, okukhona nje inkeshezana yempuphu esembizeni, nengcosana yamafutha ophisweni. Uyabona-ke, sengizitholele izinkuni ezimbili ukuze ngihambe ngizilungiselele khona nendodana yami ukuba sidle, sife.”

¹³ Wayesethi u-Eliya kuye: “Ungesabi; hamba wenze njengokusho kwakho, kodwa yenzela mina kuqala iqebelengwane elincane, ulilethe kimi, andukuba uzilungiselele wena nendodana yakho.

¹⁴ Ngokuba usho kanje uSimakade uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: ‘Imbiza yempuphu ayiyukuphela, nophiso lwamafutha aluyukuswela, kuze kufike lolo lusuku uSimakade ayokunisa ngalo imvula emhlabeni.’ ”

¹⁵ Wayesehamba, wenza njengokusho kuka-Eliya: kwadla yena, u-Eliya, nabendlu yakhe izinsuku eziningi.

¹⁶ Imbiza yempuphu ayiphelanga, nophiso lwamafutha aluswelanga njengokusho kwezwi likaSimakade ayelikhulume ngomlomo ka-Eliya.

¹⁷ Kwathi emveni kwalokho, indodana yalowo mfelokazi, umninindlu, yagula. Ukugula kwayo kwaba nzima kangangokuthi yayingasakwazi ukuphefumula.

¹⁸ Wayesethi ku-Eliya: “Kodwa ngikone ngani wena muntu kaNkulunkulu? Uze lapha ukuba uzongikhumbuza isono sami nokuba kufe indodana yami na?”

¹⁹ Kepha u-Eliya wathi kuye: “Nginike indodana yakho.” Wayithatha esifubeni sakhe, wakhuphukela nayo ekamelweni eliphezulu, lapho ayehlala khona, wayibeka embhedeni wakhe.

²⁰ Wayesekhala kuSimakade, ethi: “Simakade Nkulunkulu wami, kungani wehlisele lo mfelokazi engigogobele kwakhe okubi okungaka uze ubulale indodana yakhe na?”

²¹ Wazelula phezu komntwana kathathu, wakhala kuSimakade, wathi: “Simakade Nkulunkulu wami, umphefumulo walo mntwana mawubuyele kuye.”

²² USimakade walizwa izwi lika-Eliya; umphefumulo womntwana wabuyela kuye, waphila.

²³ U-Eliya wayesemthatha umntwana, wamehlisa ekamelweni eliphezulu, wamngenisa endlini, wamnika unina; wathi: “Bheka, indodana yakho isiyaphila.”

²⁴ Owesifazane wathi ku-Eliya: “Manje sengiyazi ukuthi wena ungumuntu kaNkulunkulu nokuthi izwi likaSimakade elisemlonyeni wakho, liyiqiniso.”