UEliya ubalekela eHorebhe
1Ke kaloku uAhabhi waxelela umkakhe uJezebhele ngako konke awayekwenzile uEliya, nendlela ababulele ngayo abashumayeli bakaBhali ebaqhushek' ikrele. 2Ngoko ke uJezebhele wathumela kuEliya esithi: “Mabandohlwaye oothixo, nokuba kuqatha kangakanani na, ukuba lide lafika ingomso ungekabi njengabo abo bashumayeli bakaBhali.”
3Akuluva olo daba uEliya woyika, wabaleka, esindisa ubomi bakhe. Uthe akufika eBheshebha kwelakwaJuda, walishiya khona ihlakani lakhe. 4Ke yena wathatha uhambo lwemini enye, wangena entlango. Wathi ke akufumana umthi wonwele, wahlala phantsi kwawo, wathandazela ukuba afe. Wathi: “Kwanele ngoku, *Ndikhoyo! Buthathe ubomi bam; kuba andilunganga ukugqitha oobawo.” 5Wasuka ke wangqenqa apho phantsi kwaloo mthi wonwele, wasindwa bubuthongo, walala.
Kwabonakala isithunywa sezulu, samshukumisa uEliya, sathi: “Vuka, utye!” 6Wathi khwaphululu walaqaza, waza wabona iqebengwana lesonka ebesojiwe ngamalahle ashushu, kunye nendebe yamanzi. Wathatha ke, watya wasela, waza waphinda walala.
7Siphinde sabuya isithunywa sikaNdikhoyo, samshukumisa sathi: “Vuka utye, kuba lude uhambo lwakho.” 8Wavuka ke, watya wasela. Oko kutya ke kwamomeleza, waza wathatha uhambo lweentsuku ezimashumi mane nobusuku bazo, wada waya kufika eHorebhe, intaba kaThixo. 9Apho ke wafumana umqolomba, waza walala khona.
UNdikhoyo ubonakala kuEliya
Ke kaloku uEliya wafikelwa lilizwi *likaNdikhoyo lisithi: “Ukho ngani apha, Eliya?”
10Ke yena wathi: “Ndenziwe likhwele ngenxa kaNdikhoyo uThixo uSomandla. Kaloku amaSirayeli awukhabile umnqophiso wakho; awadilizile namaqonga akho, nabashumayeli bakho ababulele ngekrele. Ngoku ke sendisele ndodwa; nam ngokwam ke afuna ukundibulala.”
11UNdikhoyo waphendula wathi: “Hamba uye kuma phezu kwentaba phambi koNdikhoyo, kuba uNdikhoyo uza kudlula khona.”
Ke kaloku kwabhudla isitshu somoyakazi omkhulu owaqhaqhambisa amawa, watsho kwacandeka neentaba; ukanti ke yena uNdikhoyo wayengekho apho kuwo. Emva komoya lowo kwabakho inyikima, kanti ke nalapho kuyo wayengekho yena uNdikhoyo. 12Emva kwaloo nyikima ke kwavela umlilo, ukanti ke nalapho kuwo wayengekho uNdikhoyo. Wakudlula umlilo kwabakho impepho ethi sebe-sebe. 13Akuyiva ke uEliya wazigquma ubuso ngomnweba wakhe, waphuma wema emnyango apho kuloo mqolomba. Kwavakala ilizwi lisithi: “Ukho ngani apha, Eliya?”
14Ke yena waphendula wathi: “Ndenziwe likhwele ngenxa kaNdikhoyo uThixo uSomandla. Kaloku amaSirayeli awukhabile umnqophiso wakho; awadilizile amaqonga akho; nabashumayeli bakho ababulele ngekrele. Ngoku ke sendisele ndodwa. Nam ngokwam ke afuna ukundibulala.”
15UNdikhoyo ke wathi kuye: “Hamba ubuyele apho ubuvela khona, uye kwintlango yaseDamasko. Wakufika khona ke uze uthambise uHazayeli abe ngukumkani wama-Aram. 16Kwakhona uze uthambise uYehu, unyana kaNimshi, abe ngukumkani wamaSirayeli; kananjalo uthambise uElisha, unyana kaShafati waseAbhele-mehola, ukuze abe *ngumshumayeli emva kwakho. 17UYehu uya kubabulala bonke abasinde kwikrele likaHazayeli, aze yena uElisha ababulale abo basinde kwikrele likaYehu. 18Kambe ke kwaSirayeli apha ndozigcinela loo mawaka asixhenxe abantu abamadolo angazange aguqe kuBhali, nabamilomo ingazange iwange umfanekiso wakhe.”
Ukubizwa kukaElisha
19Ngoko ke uEliya waphuma apho, waza wadibana naye uElisha unyana kaShafati. Wayelima ngezipani ezilishumi elinambini, isipani ngasinye sineenkabi ezimbini, inguye ngokwakhe oqhuba esi seshumi elinambini. UEliya waya kuye ngqo, wafika wamambathisa ngomnweba wakhe. 20Ke uElisha wazishiya iinkabi ezo, waza wabaleka emva koEliya. Wathi kuye: “Makhe ndiye kwanga utata nomama kuqala, ukuze ke ndihambe nawe.”
UEliya waphendula wathi: “Hamba kaloku; andikuthinteli nganto.”
21Ngoko ke uElisha wamshiya wagoduka. Wathatha iinkabi ezimbini, wazixhela, wayipheka inyama yazo, ebase ngedyokhwe yazo, inyama leyo wayinika abantu, bayitya. Ke yena wemka walandela uEliya, waba lihlakani lakhe.
