U-Elitjha usiza umhlolokazi
1Umfazi womunye wabafundi bomphorofidi walila ku-Elitjha wathi: “Incekwakho, emyenami ihlongakele begodu uyazi bona beyesaba uSomnini kangangani. Nje-ke umuntu egade imkoloda uyeza bona azokuthatha amadodanami amabili bona abe makhobokakhe.”
2U-Elitjha waphendula wathi: “Alo, ngingakusiza ngani? Akhese ungitjele, unani endlinakho?”
Umfazi waphendula wathi: “Incekukazakho ayinalitho ngendlinapha ngaphandle komjeka onamafutjhana we-oliva amancani.”
3U-Elitjha wathi: “Gega nabomakhelwana bakho ubawe imijeka enganalitho, ibe minengi. 4Ngena ngendlinakho uzivalele wena namadodanakho. Thela amafutha layo kiyo yoke imijeka, ubekele egcweleko ngeqadi.”
5Wakhamba-ke umhlolokazi. Emva kwalokho wazivalela yena namadodanakhe ngendlini. Amadodanakhe amnikela imijeka yena wasoloko athela amafutha we-oliva. 6Kuthe lokha nasele yoke imijeka igcwele, wathi kenye yamadodanakhe: “Letha omunye umjeka.”
Yona yathi: “Awa mma, awusekho omunye.”
Yeke amafutha we-oliva akhawuka ukuwuluka. 7Wakhamba wayokubikela umuntu kaZimu, yena wathi: “Mma, khamba uyokuthengisa amafutha lawo bese ukhokhela imilandwakho. Wena-ke namadodanakho senizakuphila ngokuseleko.”
U-Elitjha nomfazi weTjhunemi
8Ngelinye ilanga u-Elitjha waya eTjhunemi. Endaweni leyo bekunomfazi ohloniphekileko. Umfazi lo, wabawa u-Elitjha bona akhe aphambukele kwakhe azokufunyana okugonywako. Yeke bekuthi njalo nakadlula ngapho aphambukele kwamma lo bona agome.
9Wathi emyeninakhe: “Uyazi, ngilemuke bonyana indoda ephele idlule lapha le, imumuntu omsulwa kaZimu. 10Ngalokho, bengithi asimenzele ilawana ngaphezulu, simfakele umbhede, itafula nesihlalo kanye nesibani. Kuzakuthi nakeza kithi afese azihlalele ngapho.”
11Kuthe ngelinye ilanga lokha u-Elitjha nakafika lapho wangena ngelawini lakhelo wabhambalala khona. 12Wathi encekwinakhe uGerhazi: “Akhese ungibizele umTjhunemikazi loyo.”
Inceku yambiza wafese wajamela kudanyana kunaye. 13U-Elitjha wathi kuGerhazi: “Yithi kuye, ‘Alo mntabantu, njengombana nizikhathaze kangaka nje ngenca yethu, yini esinganenzela yona? Kghani singanikhulumela nengwenyama namkha nenduna yebutho?’ ”
Yena waphendula wathi: “Awa, nokho bengisahlezi kuhle nabantu bekhethu.”
14U-Elitjha wabuza uGerhazi wathi: “Alo batjho yini esingamenzela yona?”
UGerhazi waphendula wathi: “Batjho akanandodana, ekubeni nomyenakhe selaluphele.”
15U-Elitjha wathi: “Mbize.”
UGerhazi wambiza-ke, weza wafese wajama emnyango. 16U-Elitjha wathi kuye: “Mma, umnyaka ozako ngesikhathesi, uzabe usingethe isana.”
Yena wakhuza wathi: “Afeke! Awa kosami. Wena umumuntu kaZimu, ungarhwali incekukazakho.”
17Kodwana kwaba njengombana u-Elitjha agade atjhwile, wazithwala umfazi lo. Ngomnyaka olandelako ngaso isikhatheso wazibula ngendodana.
18Wakhula umntwana. Kwathi ngelinye ilanga waphuma waya kuyise ogade aphakathi kwabavuni esimini. 19Walila wathi kuyise: “Ihlokwami! Ihlokwami!”
Uyise wathi encekwini: “Mguge umuse kunina.”
20Inceku yamguga yamusa kunina. Wafese wahlala phezu kwakanina bekwaba ngamadina, wahlongakala. 21Unina wenyuka naye wayomlalisa embhedeni womuntu kaZimu, wavala umnyango waya esimini. 22Wabiza umyenakhe wathi: “Ngiyakuncenga ngithumelela esinye seensebenzi kanye nodumbana omsikazi ukuze ngiye emuntwini kaZimu bengibuye msinyana.”
23Umyenakhe wambuza wathi: “Uyelani kuye namhlanje? Nenyanga ayikabukuthwasa begodu akusilo iSabatha.”
Umkakhe wathi: “Kulunge koke.”
24Wabophela udumbana, wathi esisebenzini sakhe: “Tjhayela! Ungajami ngingakatjho.”
25Nje-ke waphuma umfazi wakhamba bewayokufika emuntwini kaZimu entabeni yeKarameli. Kuthe lokha umuntu kaZimu nakabona umfazi asesekujana eza, wathi encekwinakhe uGerhazi: “Qala, nanguya umTjhunemikazi asiza! 26Gijima umhlangabeze bewubuze uthi, ‘Usavuke kuhle ekhaya na? Umyenakho nomntanakho basavukile?’ ”
Umfazi waphendula wathi: “Iye, awa sisaphaphamile.”
27Kuthe lokha nakafika emuntwini kaZimu entabeni, wagagadlhela iinyawo zakhe. UGerhazi weza bona amtjhidise, kodwana umuntu kaZimu wathi: “Awa, yewumlise! Usesizini elikhulu, kodwana uSomnini ungifihlele begodu akakangitjeli bona kubayini.”
28Umma lo wabuza wathi: “Kosami, ngakhe ngakubawa indodana na? Akhange ngitjho bona ungangirhwali?”
29U-Elitjha wathi kuGerhazi: “Yewubhincele ingubakho ebhandeni uthathe idondolo lami urhabe. Ungalotjhisi muntu ohlangana naye endleleni nokubingelelako ungamphenduli. Nawufikako ubeke idondolo lamelo ebusweni bomsana.”
30Kodwana unina lomntwana wathi: “NgoZimu ngiqinisile ngithi phila ngiphile, ngizokuba sithunzi sakho.”
Yeke u-Elitjha wasikima bona alandele umma lo.
31UGerhazi waragela phambili wafese wabeka idondolo ebusweni bomsanyana, kodwana sekwathi du kwangaba nokusikinyeka. Yeke uGerhazi wabuyela emuva wayokuhlangabeza u-Elitjha wafese wathi kuye: “Umntwana akhange avuke.”
32Lokha u-Elitjha nakafika endlini, wafunyana umsanyana alele embhedenakhe athulile. 33Wangena wavala umnyango baba bobabili, wathandaza kuSomnini. 34Waya embhedeni wafese walala phezu komsanyana umlomo phezu komlomo, ilihlo phezu kwelihlo nezandla phezu kwezandla. Uthe asazithabululela phezu kwakhe, umzimba womsanyana wathoma ukufuthumala. 35U-Elitjha wasuka embhedenapho wehla wenyuka ngendlini. Wabuya wakhwela embhedeni wazithabululela phezu komsanyana godu. Umsanyana wathimula kalikhomba wavula amehlo. 36U-Elitjha wabiza uGerhazi wathi kuye: “Biza umTjhunemikazi loyo.”
Wambiza. Kuthe bona afike u-Elitjha wathi kuye: “Thatha umsanyanakho.”
37Wangena wawela eenyaweni zakhe, wahloma ihloko phasi. Yeke wathatha umsanyanakhe waphuma naye.
U-Elitjha wenza imikarisomraro emibili
38U-Elitjha wabuyela eGiligali; esifundeni la bekunendlala khona. Kwathi abafundi bomphorofidi basahlezi phambi kwakhe, wathi encekwinakhe: “Tlhariya ipoto ekulu, uphekele amadoda la iinkhanakhana.”
39Omunye wabo waphuma waya emmangweni bona ayokukha umrorho, wafunyana ithangezana. Wadobha iinthelo zalo wazitjhubelela ephuraphurenakhe. Kuthe bona afike ekhaya, wazirhabelela epotweni yeenkhanakhana, kodwana gade angazi bonyana kuyini. 40Waphakululela amadoda lawo iinkhanakhana. Kodwana kuthe nathoma ukugoma, athoma arhuwelela athi: “Muntu kaZimu, kazi kunokufa ngepotwenapha!” Akhange asagoma.
41U-Elitjha wathi: “Lethanapha iflowuru.”
Wayithela ngepotweni wathi: “Phakululelani abantu bona bagome.”
Yeke bekungasenalitho eliyingozi ngepotweni.
42Kwafika umuntu obuya eBhali-Tjhalitjha, alethele umuntu kaZimu isilumo: amapani amatjhumi amabili wezikwa zebhali neenqwambe zekoroyi ngomgodlana. U-Elitjha wathi: “Nikelani abantu bagome.”
43Incekwakhe yambuza yathi: “Ngingabapha njani abantu abalikhulu ukudla okuncani kangaka?”
Kodwana u-Elitjha waphendula wathi: “Nikela abantu bona bagome ngombana nakhu okutjhiwo nguSomnini, ‘Bazakugoma bekusale.’ ”
44Wabanikela-ke, bagoma bekwasala njengombana ilizwi lakaSomnini belitjhwile.
