U-Eliya nabaphorofidi bakaBhali
1Ngemva kwesikhathi eside, emnyakeni wesithathu wesomiso, ilizwi lakaSomnini lafika ku-Eliya lathi: “Khamba ufese uziveze ku-Arhabi ukuze ngithumele izulu enarheni godu.” 2Nje-ke u-Eliya waya bona ayoziveza ku-Arhabi.
Indlala gade ibhokile ngesikhatheso eSamariya. 3U-Arhabi wabiza u-Obadiya umelusi wesigodlo. U-Obadiya lo, gade kumumuntu owesaba uZimu. 4Kwathi lokha u-Izebeli nabulala abaphorofidi bakaSomnini, u-Obadiya wathatha abalikhulu wabafihla emarholweni amabili, kwaba matjhumi amahlanu erholweni ngalinye, wabapha ukudla namanzi.
5U-Arhabi wathi ku-Obadiya: “Khamba udabule inarha uye kiyo yoke imithombo nemilanjana. Mhlamunye kungaba notjanyana bokulonda iinjomani neemeyila zethu bona zingafi ukuze singabulali ezithileko zazo.”
6Nje-ke bahlukanisa inarha ebegade bafanele bayikhambe, u-Arhabi waya ngapha no-Obadiya waya ngale.
7Kuthe u-Obadiya nasakhamba njalo, u-Eliya wamhlangabeza. U-Obadiya wamlemuka bonyana nguye, wahloma ihloko phasi wathi: “Kosami Eliya, ngambala nguwe lo na?”
8Waphendula wathi: “Iye ngimi. Yeke khamba uyokutjela ikosakho bonyana mina Eliya sele ngilapha.”
9U-Obadiya walila wathi: “Kazi ngoneni kangaka bona sewungaze unikelele incekwakho ngo-Arhabi kobana ayihlukanise namabele na? 10NgoZimu ngiqinisile ngithi uSomnini uyangizwa, akunasizwe namkha umbuso lapha ikosami ingazange ithumele khona umuntu bonyana ayokufuna. Bekuthi lokha isizwe namkha umbuso nawukulandulako bese uyawufungisa bona ngambala azange ufumaneke kiwo. 11Nje-ke wena kosami uthi angiye ekosinami fese ngithi, ‘Kazi u-Eliya ulapha’. 12Ngizakuthi nangifulathela lapha bese uMoya kaSomnini uyakuthwala ukuse kwandawo. Ngifike-ke mina ngibikele u-Arhabi ngawe, athi nathi uyakugola afumane ngesikhundla, ngizakuba mumuntu wokufa. Khibe mina ncekwakho ngathoma ukwesaba uZimu kusukela ebutjheni bami. 13Ikosami ayikezwa bonyana ngenzani lokha u-Izebeli nabulala abaphorofidi bakaSomnini? Ngafihla ikhulu labaphorofidi bakaSomnini emarholweni amabili, kwaba matjhumi amahlanu erholweni ngalinye, ngabondla ngokudla nangamanzi. 14Gadesi wena kosami uthi angiye ku-Arhabi fese ngithi, ‘Kazi u-Eliya ulapha.’ Uzongibulala!”
15U-Eliya wathi: “NgoZimu uMninimandlawoke engimlotjhako, ngithi ngambala ngizoziveza ku-Arhabi namhlanjesi.”
16Yeke u-Obadiya wakhamba wayokubona u-Arhabi wafese wamtjela-ke, u-Arhabi wasuka wayokuhlangabeza u-Eliya. 17Kuthe lokha u-Arhabi nabona u-Eliya, wathi kuye: “Sihlola ndina, nguwe lo? Mtlhorholoji ka-Israyeli!”
18U-Eliya wathi: “Afeke! Azange khengitlhorholoje u-Israyeli mina. Nguwe nendlu kayihlo enenza njalo. Nilahle imiyalo kaSomnini nalandela aboBhali. 19Nje-ke biza abantu kilo loke lakwa-Israyeli bona bazokuhlangana nami entabeni iKarameli. Uze nabaphorofidi abamakhulu amane namatjhumi amahlanu bakaBhali nebaka-Atjhera abamakhulu amane abagoma etafuleni laka-Izebeli.”
20Yeke u-Arhabi wathumela ilizwi kilo loke lakwa-Israyeli wabuthelela abaphorofidi entabeni iKarameli.
21U-Eliya wajama phambi kwabantu wathi: “Kuzabe kube nini nilokhu nilotjha amakhosi amabili? Nangabe uSomnini nguye onguZimu, mlandeleni; kodwana nangabe nithi nguBhali onguZimu, mlandeleni-ke.” Kodwana abantu bathi du.
22Yeke u-Eliya wathi kibo: “Ngimi ngedwa oseleko ebaphorofidini bakaSomnini, kodwana uBhali unamakhulu amane namatjhumi amahlanu woke wabaphorofidi. 23Lethani iinkunzi ezimbili. Abazikhethele yinye, bayihlahlele bese bayibeke phezu kweenkuni kodwana bangathungeleli umlilo. Nami ngizakuhlahlela ikunzi enye bese ngiyibeka phezu kweenkuni ngingathungeleli umlilo. 24Nina baphorofidi nizabe seniyathoma-ke nibize ibizo lakazimenu, nami ngizakubiza ibizo lakaSomnini. Uzimu ozakuphendula ngokuthungelela umlilo, nguye uZimu wamambala.”
Boke abantu bathi: “Ufike kuhle.”
25U-Eliya wathi ebaphorofidini bakaBhali: “Thomani ntangi nikhethe enye yeenkunzi bese niyayihlahlela ngombana niliwoma. Bizani ibizo lakazimenu, kodwana ningathungeleli umlilo.”
26Bathatha ikunzi abayinikelweko leyo bayihlahlela. Bathoma-ke babiza ibizo lakaBhali ukusuka ekuseni bekwaba semini ekulu. Barhuwelela bathi: “Siyakubawa Bhali, yewusiphendule!” Kodwana do ipendulo, sekwathi tse. Bagida magegana ne-aldari abalenzileko.
27Kwathi phakathi kwemini ekulu u-Eliya wathoma ukubatshima wathi: “Rhuwelelani khulu! Angithi nibiza uzimu na! Mhlamunye usatshwenyekile, usazibuza ayedwa nanyana usendleleni. Uthi akakalali nje? Mhlambe ufuna ukuphatjhanyiswa.”
28Bathoma-ke barhuwelela bazirhaya ngeensabula nangemikhonto bebathelwa ziingazi njengombana gade kumkhubabo ukwenza njalo. 29Imini yadlula, baragela phambili ngokuba semmoyeni wokuphorofida bekwafika isikhathi somnikelo wantambama; kodwana kwathi tse, do ipendulo, kwangenzeka litho.
30Yeke u-Eliya wathi ebantwini boke: “Bandamelani kimapha.” Ngambala abantu babandamela kuye. Wavuselela i-aldari lakaSomnini ebegade sele ligirikile: 31Wathatha amatje alitjhumi nambili, ilitje ngalinye lijamele ikoro yesizukulwana sakaJakopo, okwafikela kuye ilizwi lakaSomnini elathi ibizo lakhe kuzakuba ngu-Israyeli. 32Wakha i-aldari ngamatje lawo ebizweni lakaSomnini, wemba umsedlana magegana ne-aldari. Umsedlana lo bewungamumatha imbewu engaba ligagogo nesiquntu.
33Waqaba iinkuni. Wahlahlela ikunzi, wayibeka phezu kweenkunapho.
34Wathi kibo: “Zalisani imijeka emine ngamanzi bese niwathela phezu komhlabelo naphezu kweenkuni.”
Yeke wathi: “Thelani godu.” Ngambala bawathela.
Godu wathi: “Buyelelani kwesithathu nithele.” Bawadlhuwelela kwesithathu. 35Amanzi ageleza azombeleza i-aldari. U-Eliya naye wazalisa umsedlana lowo ngamanzi.
36Kuthe nakufika isikhathi sokwenza umnikelo, umphorofidi u-Eliya watjhidela ngaphambili wathandaza wathi: “Maye Somnini, Zimu ka-Abrahamu, ka-Isaka no-Israyeli, akwazeke namhlanjesi bonyana unguZimu kwa-Israyeli nokobana ngiyincekwakho begodu koke lokhu engikwenzileko ngikwenze ngokulayelwa nguwe. 37Ngiphendule Somnini, ngiphendule ukuze abantwaba bazi bonyana wena Somnini unguZimu nokobana utjhugululela iinhliziyo zabo kuwe.”
38Yeke umlilo kaSomnini wehla waqothula umhlabelo, iinkuni, amatje kanye nehlabathi, bewakhotha namanzi agade angemsedlaneni.
39Kuthe lokha abantu nababona koke lokhu, bawa ngamadolo bahloma iinhloko phasi bathi: “USomnini nguye onguZimu! USomnini nguZimu!”
40U-Eliya wathi kibo: “Bambani boke abaphorofidi bakaBhali! Kungaphunyurhi noyedwa!”
Yeke bababamba, u-Eliya wathi abalethwe emlanjaneni weKhidroni, wababulalela lapho.
41U-Eliya wathi ku-Arhabi: “Khamba, ufese ugome bewusele ngombana kunomrhubo wezulu.”
42Kwathi u-Arhabi nayokugoma abe asele, u-Eliya yena wenyukela esiqongolweni seKarameli. Wahlala phasi wahloma ihloko hlangana namadolwakhe. 43Wathi encekwinakhe: “Khamba uqale ncaya ngelwandle.”
Yakhamba-ke yayokuqala, yathi: “Akunalitho.”
U-Eliya wathi: “Buyela emuva ufese uqale kakhomba.”
44Kuthe ehlandleni lekhomba inceku yathi: “Kunelifu elincani elilingana nesandla somuntu elenyuka ngelwandle.”
U-Eliya wathi: “Arha-ke, khamba ufese utjele u-Arhabi uthi, ‘Bophela iinjomani uthewuke ukuze izulweli lingakuvaleli.’ ”
45Ngokuphazima kwelihlo umkayi wathi kupe ngamafu anzima tshu, kwavuka ummoya, kwaqubuka izulu elikhulu. U-Arhabi wakhwela ekaranenakhe wanqomba eJizriyela. 46Amandla kaSomnini embatha u-Eliya, wakhwezelela ingubakhe ebhandeni, wagijima phambi kwaka-Arhabi bekwaba sendleleni eya eJizriyela.
