Elija eNtsabeni iSinayi
1Ahabi wafike wacocela Jezebeli konkhe lokwase kwentiwe ngu-Elija, nekutsi bonkhe baphrofethi baBhali babulawa kanjani ngenkemba. 2Jezebeli watfumela sitfunywa ku-Elija, watsi: “Shangatsi bonkulunkulu bangangibulala ngife, nangabe mine kusasa ngalesikhatsi angikakwenti kuwe loko lokwente kulabaphrofethi.”
3Elija wesaba wabalekela kusindzisa imphilo yakhe. Watsi kube efike eBherisheba kulakaJuda, wayishiya lapho inceku yakhe, 4yena wachubeka wahamba luhambo lolwamtsatsa lilanga lonkhe, aya ekhatsi ehlane. Wefika wahlala ngaphansi kwesihlahla semtsanyelo, wathandazela kutsi asale asafela khona lapho. Wathandaza watsi: “Simakadze, sekwenele, sale utsatsa kuphila kwami; kute lengincono ngakho kunabokhokho bami.”
5Wacambalala lapho ngaphansi kwesihlahla semtsanyelo, watunywa butfongo, walala.
Masinyane ingilosi yafike yamtsintsa yakhuluma kuye, yatsi: “Vuka udle.” 6Wacalata ndzawo tonkhe, kwatsi lapha ngasenhloko yakhe wabona licebelengwane lesinkhwa litfoswe emalahleni, eceleni kwalo kunendzebe lenemanti. Wadla, wanatsa, waphindze walala futsi.
7Ingilosi yaSimakadze yaphindze yabuya kwesibili, yamtsintsa, yatsi: “Vuka udle, ngobe luhambo losetalutsatsa ludze kakhulu.” 8Ngako wavuka, wadla, wanatsa; loko kwamnika emandla ekuhamba emalanga langema-40 nebusuku lobungema-40, waze wefika eNtsabeni yaNkulunkulu, eSinayi. 9Wefika lapho wangena emgedzeni, walala khona kulobo busuku.
Livi laSimakadze lefika kuye, latsi: “Wentani lapha Elija?”
10Elija waphendvula watsi: “Benginenshisekelo lenkhulu yekukhonta wena Simakadze, Nkulunkulu Somandla. Kodvwa sive saka-Israyeli sisilahlile sivumelwane sakho, sabhidlita emalati akho, sabulala baphrofethi bakho ngenkemba. Ngimi ngedvwa losasele, kodvwa nami sebafuna kungibulala.”
11Simakadze wakhuluma watsi: “Phuma, ume esicongweni salentsaba embikwaSimakadze, ngobe Simakadze utakwendlula.”
Kwase kuvunguta umoya lomkhulu lonemandla lowadzabula tintsaba ekhatsi, wabhidlita nemadvwala embikwaSimakadze, kodvwa Simakadze abengekho kulowo moya. Emvakwalowo moya kwaba nekutamatama lokukhulu kwemhlaba, kodvwa Simakadze abengekho kuloko kutamatama kwemhlaba. 12Emvakwaloko kutamatama kwemhlaba kwefika umlilo, kodvwa Simakadze abengekho kulowo mlilo. Kwatsi emvakwemlilo kwevakala liphimbo lelincane lelalikhulumela phansi.
13Watsi kube Elija alive, wambonya buso bakhe ngengubo yakhe, waphuma wayakuma ekungeneni kwemgedze.
Lelivi lalikhuluma kuye, latsi: “Wentani lapha, Elija?”
14Elija waphendvula watsi: “Benginenshisekelo lenkhulu yekukhonta wena Simakadze, Nkulunkulu Somandla. Kodvwa sive saka-Israyeli sisilahlile sivumelwane sakho, sabhidlita emalati akho, sabulala baphrofethi bakho ngenkemba. Ngimi ngedvwa losasele, kodvwa nami sebafuna kungibulala.”
15Simakadze wakhuluma kuye, watsi: “Ncandzeka ubuyele emuva ngendlela lote ngayo, ucondze eHlane laseDamaseko. Utawutsi ungefika khona, ugcobe Hazayeli, abe yinkhosi yaseSiriya. 16Ubogcoba naJehu, umsa waNimshi, kutsi abe yinkhosi yaka-Israyeli, ugcobe na-Elisha, umsa waShafati, wase-Abela Mehola, kutsi kube nguye lotawuba ngumphrofethi emvakwakho. 17Wonkhe lobalekela inkemba yaHazayeli uyakubulawa nguJehu, nalowo loyawubalekela inkemba yaJehu uyawubulawa ngu-Elisha. 18Bantfu baka-Israyeli labati-7 000 ngiyakubashiya baphila: bonkhe labangazange baguce embikwaBhali nabo bonkhe labangazange bange Bhali ngemilomo yabo.”
Kubitwa kwa-Elisha
19Ngako Elija wesuka lapho wahamba wakhandza Elisha, umsa waShafati, alima ngesipani setinkhabi letatingema-24, yena abekuleti letimbili tekugcina. Elija waya kuye, wafike wamembesa ngalengubo yakhe. 20Elisha washiya leto tinkhabi walandzela Elija, wakhuluma kuye watsi: “Ase ngimane ngange bobabe namake, ngibavalelise, ngitawube sengiyabuya ngita lapha kuwe.”
21Ngako Elisha wamshiya, wancandzeka. Watsatsa letinkhabi letimbili watihlaba. Watsatsa lelijoko lekubophela walibasa, wapheka ngalo lenyama, wapha bantfu, badla. Wabe sewuyaphuma ulandzela Elija, waba ngumsiti wakhe.
