UEliya wondliwa ngamahlungulu
1Ke kaloku uEliya waseTishbhi eGiliyadi wathetha noAhabhi, wathi: “Ekho nje *uNdikhoyo uThixo kaSirayeli, lo ndimkhonzayo, kuza kubakho imbalela kungabikho mbethe namvula kule minyaka izayo kungengalo ilizwi lam.”
2UEliya wafikelwa lilizwi likaNdikhoyo lisithi: 3“Mka kule ndawo, ubheke ngasempuma, uye kuzimela ngasentlanjeni iKeriti kwimpuma yomlambo iJordan. 4Apho ke uya kusela kuloo ntlambo; futhi ke amahlungulu ndiwayalele ukuba akondle.”
5Ngoko ke uEliya wenza ngokwelizwi likaNdikhoyo. Wahamba waya kuloo ntlambo yaseKeriti kwimpuma yeJordan, wahlala khona apho. 6Ke amahlungulu amphathela isonka nenyama kusasa, aza amzisela isonka nenyama emalanga, esela kuloo ntlambo.
Umhlolokazi waseZarfati
7Kuthe ke ngokuhamba kwexesha yatsha loo ntlanjana, kuba kwakungekho mvula kwelo lizwe. 8Lafika ilizwi *likaNdikhoyo kuye lisithi: 9“Hamba uye eZarfati eSidon, uhlale khona. Nalapho ndiyalele umhlolokazi wakhona ukuba akuphe ukutya.”
10Ngoko ke wahamba waya eZarfati. Ekufikeni kwakhe ke esangweni lesixeko eso, wafika kukho mhlolokazi uthile echola-chola iintsasa. Wambiza waza wathi: “Khawundiphathele amanzi ngendebe ukuze ndisele.” 11Uphinde wayaleza xa ahambayo wathi: “Uze uncede undiphathele neqhekeza lesonka.”
12Waphendula wathi: “Ngenene, ekho nje uNdikhoyo uThixo wakho, andinaso isonka. Into ekhoyo ngumgubo ongephi osengqayini, kunye nentwana yamafutha omnquma asendebeni. Undibona ndichola-chola ezi ntsasa nje, ndenzela ukuba ndigoduke nazo, ndize ndiphekele mna nonyana wam lo, ukuze sitye sife ke emva koko.”
13UEliya wathi kuye: “Musa ukoyika. Goduka wenze njengoko uthethile. Kodwa ke kuqala yenzela mna iqebengwana lesonka ngaloo nto unayo, uze ulizise apha kum, kamva ke wenzele wena nonyana wakho lowo. 14Kaloku utsho uNdikhoyo uThixo kaSirayeli ukuthi: ‘Loo ngqayi yomgubo ayiyi kuphela, naloo ndebe yamafutha ayiyi kuphela, yohlala kude kube yiloo mini ayinethisa ngayo imvula uNdikhoyo kweli lizwe.’ ”
15Umhlolokazi lowo ke wemka waza wenza ngokomyalelo kaEliya. Kwahlala kukhona ke ukutya okwanele uEliya nomhlolokazi lowo nosapho lwakhe. 16Kaloku loo ngqayi yomgubo zange iphele, kananjalo naloo ndebe yamafutha ayiphelanga, ngokomlomo kaNdikhoyo kuEliya.
17Ekuhambeni kwethuba ke unyana waloo mhlolokazi wayengumnikazi ndlu, wahlabeka wagula. Wakhula umkhuhlane ayabi kuko, waza ke ekugqibeleni wayeka ukuphefumla. 18Wabhekisa kuEliya umhlolokazi, wathi: “Undenza ntoni kodwa, mntundini kaThixo? Ngaba apha uze kundikhumbuza ngezono zam, ubulala unyana wam nje?”
19UEliya waphendula wathi: “Mzise apha kum unyana wakho lowo!” Wamthatha ke apho kuloo mhlolokazi, waza waya naye kwigumbi eliphezulu, apho wayehlala khona, wafika wamlalisa kumandlalo wakhe. 20Waza ke wadanduluka wathandaza kuNdikhoyo, wathi: “Ndikhoyo, Thixo wam, ngani ukuba umzisele isithwakumbe esinje lo mhlolokazi ndihlala kuye? Kutheni ukuba umbulale unyana wakhe?” 21Waza ke wazolula apho phezu kwaloo mntwana kwakathathu, wakhala kuNdikhoyo wathi: “Hayi bo, Ndikhoyo, Thixo wam, wubuyisele kuye umphefumlo walo mntwana!”
22UNdikhoyo waliva ilizwi likaEliya, waza ke wabubuyisela kwakuloo mntwana ubomi bakhe, waphila. 23UEliya ke wamfunqula umntwana lowo, waphuma naye kwelo gumbi, waya naye kwelikanina. Wamnikezela kunina, waza wathi: “Uyabona ke, unyana wakho uphilile!”
24Loo mhlolokazi ke wathi apho kuEliya: “Ngenene ngoku ndiyaqonda ukuba wena ungumfo wakwaThixo, yaye ke nelizwi olithethayo lelikaNdikhoyo, liyinyaniso.”
