UElija uthuma uObhadiya kuAhabi

18Kwasekusithi emva kwensuku ezinengi ilizwi leNkosi lafika kuElija ngomnyaka wesithathu lisithi: Hamba, uziveze kuAhabia, sengizanisa izulu ebusweni bomhlabab. 2 UElija wasesiya ukuziveza kuAhabi. Njalo indlala yayilamandla eSamariya. 3 UAhabi wasebiza uObhadiya owayephezu kwendlu yakhe. UObhadiya wayeyesaba-ke kakhulu iNkosi. 4 Ngoba kwathi lapho uJezebeli ebhubhisa1 abaprofethi beNkosi, uObhadiya wathatha abaprofethi abalikhulu, wabafihla ngamadoda angamatshumi amahlanu ebhalwini, wabondla ngesinkwa langamanzi. 5 UAhabi wasesithi kuObhadiya: Hamba elizweni uye emithonjeni yonke yamanzi lezifuleni zonke; mhlawumbe singathola utshani, silondoloze amabhiza lezimbongolo kuphila, ukuze singabhubhisi okwezifuyo. 6 Basebesehlukaniselana ilizwe ukuthi badabule phakathi kwalo; uAhabi wahamba ngenye indlela yedwa, uObhadiya laye wahamba ngenye indlela yedwa.

7 Kwasekusithi uObhadiya esendleleni, khangela-ke, uElija wamhlangabeza; wamnanzelela, wawa ngobuso bakhe wathi: Nguwe yini, nkosi yami, Elija? 8 Wasesithi kuye: Yimi. Hamba uyetshela inkosi yakho ukuthi: Khangela, uElija ulapha. 9 Wasesithi: Ngoneni ukuthi unikele inceku yakho esandleni sikaAhabi ukuthi angibulale? 10 Kuphila kukaJehova uNkulunkulu wakho, kakulasizwe lombuso inkosi yami engathumelanga kukho ukukudinga. Lapho besithi: Kakho; yafungisa lowombuso lalesosizwe ukuthi kabakutholanga. 11 Khathesi-ke uthi: Hamba utshele inkosi yakho ukuthi: Khangela, uElija ulapha. 12 Kuzakuthi-ke sengisukile kuwe, uMoya weNkosi akuthwale akuse lapho engingazi khonac; lapho sengifike ngatshela uAhabi, angakutholi, uzangibulala; kodwa mina inceku yakho ngiyayesaba iNkosi kusukela ebutsheni bami. 13 Kakutshelwanga inkosi yami yini engakwenzayo lapho uJezebeli ebulala abaprofethi beNkosi, ukuthi ngafihla amadoda alikhulu kubaprofethi beNkosi, ngamadoda angamatshumi amahlanu ebhalwini, ngabondla ngesinkwa langamanzi? 14 Khathesi-ke uthi: Hamba uyetshela inkosi yakho ukuthi: Khangela uElija ulapha. Abesengibulala. 15 UElija wasesithi: Kuphila kukaJehova wamabandla engimi phambi kwakhed, oqotho lamuhla ngizaziveza kuye. 16 Ngakho uObhadiya wahamba ukuhlangabeza uAhabi, wamtshela; loAhabi wayahlangabeza uElija.

17 Kwasekusithi uAhabi ebona uElija, uAhabi wathi kuye: Nguwe yinie ongumhluphi kaIsrayelif? 18 Wasesithi: Kangimhluphanga uIsrayeli, kodwa nguwe lendlu kayihlog, ngokuyitshiya kwenu imilayo yeNkosih, lalandela oBhalii. 19 Ngakho-ke thuma, ubuthanisele kimi uIsrayeli wonke entabeni iKharmelij, labaprofethi bakaBhali abangamakhulu amane lamatshumi amahlanu labaprofethi bezixuku abangamakhulu amanek abadla etafuleni likaJezebelil. 20 Ngakho uAhabi wathuma phakathi kwabo bonke abantwana bakoIsrayeli, wabuthanisa abaprofethim entabeni iKharmelin.

UElija labaprofethi bakaBhali eKharmeli

21 UElija wasesondela ebantwini bonke wathi: Koze kube nini liqhula emicabangweni emibili? Uba iNkosi inguNkulunkulu, landelani yonao; kodwa uba kunguBhali, mlandeleni. Kodwa abantu kabamphendulanga ngalizwi. 22 UElija wasesithi ebantwini: Mina ngedwa ngingumprofethi weNkosi oseleyop; kodwa abaprofethi bakaBhali ngamadoda angamakhulu amane lamatshumi amahlanuq. 23 Ngakho kabasinike amajongosi amabili, bazikhethele ijongosi elilodwa, baliqume iziqa, bazibeke phezu kwenkuni, bangafaki mlilo; lami ngizalungisa elinye ijongosi, ngilibeke phezu kwenkuni, ngingafaki mlilo. 24 Njalo bizani ibizo likankulunkulu wenu, lami ngizabiza ibizo leNkosi; uNkulunkulu ozaphendula ngomlilo nguye uNkulunkulur. Bonke abantu basebephendula bathi: Lelilizwi lilungile.

25 UElija wasesithi kubaprofethi bakaBhali: Zikhetheleni ijongosi elilodwa, lililungise kuqala, ngoba libanengi, libize ibizo likankulunkulu wenu, kodwa lingafaki mlilo. 26 Basebethatha ijongosi ababelinikiwe, balilungisa, babiza ibizo likaBhali kusukela ekuseni kwaze kwaba semini, besithi: Bhali, siphendule! Kodwa kakubanga lalizwi, kakubanga lophendulayo. Basebeseqa phezu kwelathi elalenziwe. 27 Kwasekusithi emini uElija wadlala ngabo wathi: Memezani ngelizwi elikhulu, ngoba ungunkulunkulu; ngoba uyanakana, loba umonyukile, kumbe usekuhambeni, mhlawumbe ulele, njalo kudingeka ukuthi avuswe. 28 Basebememeza ngelizwi elikhulu, bazisika njengokomkhuba wabo ngezinkemba langemikhonto, kwaze kwantshaza igazi kubos. 29 Kwasekusithi sekwedlulile imini, baprofetha kwaze kwaba sekunikelweni komnikelot, kakubanga lelizwi, njalo kakubanga lophendulayo, njalo kakubanga lonakekelayou.

30 UElija wasesithi ebantwini bonke: Sondelani kimi. Bonke abantu basebesondela kuye. Waselungisa ilathi leNkosi elaselidilikilev. 31 UElija wasethatha amatshe alitshumi lambili, ngokwenani lezizwe zamadodana kaJakobe, okwafika kuye ilizwi leNkosi lisithi: Ibizo lakho lizakuba nguIsrayeliw. 32 Ngalawomatshe wasesakha ilathi ebizweni leNkosi, wenza umgelo ozingelezela ilathi, ngokwesilinganiso samaseya* amabili enhlanyelo. 33 Waselungisa inkuni, waliquma iziqa ijongosi, walibeka phezu kwenkunix, wasesithi: Gcwalisani izimbiza ezine ngamanzi, liwathele phezu komnikelo wokutshiswa laphezu kwenkuniy. 34 Wasesithi: Kwenzeni okwesibili. Bakwenza okwesibili. Wathi: Kwenzeni okwesithathu. Basebekwenza okwesithathu. 35 Amanzi asehamba azingelezela ilathi, lomgelo lawo wawugcwalisa ngamanziz.

36 Kwasekusithi ekunikelweni komnikelo uElija umprofethi wasondela wathi: Nkosi, Nkulunkulu kaAbrahama, uIsaka, loIsrayelia, kakwaziwe lamuhla ukuthi unguNkulunkulu koIsrayelib, lami ngiyinceku yakho, lokuthi ngizenzile zonke lezizinto njengokwelizwi lakhoc. 37 Ngiphendule, Nkosi, ungiphendule, ukuze lababantu bazi ukuthi wena uyiNkosi uNkulunkulu, lokuthi uyiphendulile futhi inhliziyo yabo. 38 Wasusehla umlilo weNkosi, waqothula umnikelo wokutshiswa lenkuni lamatshe lothuli, wakhotha lamanzi asemgelwenid. 39 Kwathi abantu bonke bekubona bathi mbo ngobuso babo, bathi: UJehova nguye onguNkulunkulu; uJehova nguye onguNkulunkulue. 40 UElija wasesithi kibo: Babambeni abaprofethi bakaBhali, kungaphunyuki lamunye wabo. Basebebabamba. UElija wasebehlisela esifuleni iKishonif, wababulalela khonag.

Ukuphela kwendlala

41 UElija wasesithi kuAhabi: Yenyuka, udle unathe, ngoba kulomsindo wobunengi bezulu. 42 UAhabi wasesenyuka ukuyakudla lokunatha. UElija wasesenyukela engqongeni yeKharmelih; wakhothamela phansi emhlabathini, wafaka ubuso bakhe phakathi kwamadolo akhei. 43 Wasesithi encekwini yakhe: Yenyuka khathesi, ukhangele ngaselwandle. Yasisenyuka, yakhangela, yathi: Kakulalutho. Wasesithi: Buyela, kasikhombisa. 44 Kwasekusithi ngesikhathi sesikhombisa yathi: Khangela, iyezana elingangesandla somuntu lisenyuka olwandlej. Wasesithi: Yenyuka uyetshela uAhabi: Bophela inqola, wehle, hlezi izulu likuvalelek. 45 Kwasekusithi kungakafiki lesosikhathi isibhakabhaka sasesisiba mnyama ngamayezi langomoya, kwaba lezulu elikhulu. UAhabi wasegada, waya eJizereyelil. 46 Lesandla seNkosi sasiphezu kukaElijam; wabopha ukhalo lwakhe, wagijima phambi kukaAhabin, uze ufike eJizereyelio.