U-Eliya Uzibonakalisa Ku-Ahabi, Uthuma U-Obhadiya
1Kwathi emveni kwezinsuku eziningi, izwi likaSimakade lafika ku-Eliya ngonyaka wesithathu, lathi: “Hamba uzibonakalise ku-Ahabi; ngiyakunisa imvula emhlabeni.”
2Wayesehamba u-Eliya wayozibonakalisa ku-Ahabi. Indlala yayibhokile eSamariya. 3U-Ahabi wabiza u-Obhadiya owayengamele isigodlo sakhe. U-Obhadiya wayemesaba kakhulu uNkulunkulu, 4ngokuba kwathi lapho uJezebheli ebulala abaphrofethi bakaSimakade, u-Obhadiya wabathatha abaphrofethi abayikhulu, wabafihla ngama-50 emgedeni ngamunye, wabondla ngesinkwa nangamanzi.
5U-Ahabi wathi ku-Obhadiya: “Hamba ezweni, uye emithonjaneni yonke yamanzi nasemifudlaneni yonke; mhlawumbe singabufumana utshani, sisindise amahhashi neminyuzi, izilwane zingabhubhi.”
6Base behlukaniselana izwe ukuba badabule kulo: u-Ahabi wahamba ngenye indlela eyedwa, no-Obhadiya wahamba ngenye indlela yedwa.
7U-Obhadiya esesendleleni, wahlangana no-Eliya, wanele wambona, wawa ngobuso, wathi: “Ngabe wena uyinkosi yami u-Eliya na?”
8Wathi kuye: “Yebo; hamba ubikele inkosi yakho, uthi: ‘Nangu u-Eliya.’ ”
9Wayesethi kuye: “Ngoneni ukuba unikele inceku yakho esandleni sika-Ahabi, ukuze angibulale na? 10Ngifunga phambi kukaSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho, akukho sizwe nambuso lapho inkosi yami ingathumelanga khona ukuba ufunwe, nanxa bethi awukho lapho, yayithi umbuso nesizwe abafunge ukuthi abakufumananga. 11Manje usuthi wena: ‘Hamba ubikele inkosi yakho, uthi: nangu u-Eliya.’
12“Kuyakuthi sengikushiyile, uMoya kaSimakade ukuthathe ukuyise lapho ngingazi khona, lapho sengifika ngimbikela u-Ahabi, bese engakufumani, uyakungibulala, kepha mina, nceku yakho, ngiyamesaba uSimakade kwasebusheni bami. 13Inkosi yami ayitshelwanga yini lokho engakwenzayo lapho uJezebheli ebulala abaphrofethi bakaSimakade, ukuthi ngabafihla abantu abayikhulu kubaphrofethi bakaSimakade, ngama-50 emgedeni, ngabondla ngesinkwa nangamanzi na? 14Usuthi manje: ‘Hamba ubikele inkosi yakho, uthi: nangu u-Eliya,’ bese ingibulala.”
15Kepha u-Eliya wathi: “Ngifunga phambi kukaSimakade Wamabandla engimi phambi kwakhe namuhla, ngizakuzibonakalisa kuye.”
16U-Obhadiya wayesehamba wayohlangabeza u-Ahabi, wambikela lokho; wayesehamba u-Ahabi wayohlangabeza u-Eliya. 17Kwathi u-Ahabi ebona u-Eliya, u-Ahabi wathi kuye: “Ngabe nguwe yini lo, mhluphi ka-Israyeli na?”
18Kepha wathi: “Mina angimhluphanga u-Israyeli, kodwa nguwe nendlu kayihlo, ngokuba niyilahlile imiyalo kaSimakade, nalandela oBhali. 19Ngalokho-ke thumela, uqoqele kimi wonke u-Israyeli entabeni iKharmeli, nabaphrofethi bakaBhali abangama-450, nabaphrofethi baka-Ashera abangama-400, abadla etafuleni likaJezebheli.”
U-Eliya Nabaphrofethi BakaBhali EKharmeli
20U-Ahabi wayesethumela kubo bonke abantu bakwa-Israyeli, wabaqoqela nabaphrofethi entabeni iKharmeli. 21U-Eliya wasondela kubo bonke abantu, wathi: “Kuyoze kube nini ninqikaza phakathi kwezinhlangothi ezimbili na? Uma uSimakade enguNkulunkulu, mlandeleni Yena, kodwa uma kunguBhali, landelani yena.”
Kepha abantu kabamphendulanga ngazwi.
22Wayesethi u-Eliya kubantu: “Yimi ngedwa oseleyo engumphrofethi kaSimakade, kodwa abaphrofethi bakaBhali bangabantu abangama-450. 23Mabasinike izinkunzi ezimbili, bazikhethele inkunzi ibe yodwa, bayihlahlele, bayibeke phezu kwezinkuni, bangawokheli umlilo, nami ngiyakulungisa enye inkunzi, ngiyibeke phezu kwezinkuni, nami angiyukuwokhela umlilo. 24Bizani igama likankulunkulu wenu, nami ngizobiza igama likaSimakade; kuyothi uNkulunkulu ophendula ngomlilo kube nguye onguNkulunkulu.”
Bonke abantu bathi: “Lihle leli lizwi.”
25U-Eliya wayesethi kubaphrofethi bakaBhali: “Zikhetheleni inkunzi, niyilungise kuqala, ngokuba nibaningi, nibize igama likankulunkulu wenu, nokho ningawokheli umlilo.”
26Bayithatha inkunzi abayinikwayo, bayilungisa. Balibiza igama likaBhali kusukela ekuseni kwaze kwaba semini, bethi: “Bhali, siphendule,” kepha akubanga khona zwi, nophendulayo wayengekho. Bagida ngase-althare ayelakhile.
27Kwathi emini u-Eliya wabachomela, ethi: “Memezani ngezwi elikhulu; noma engunkulunkulu, mhlawumbe uyazindla, noma uthathe uhambo, noma ulele, udinga ukuvuswa.”
28Bamemeza ngezwi elikhulu, bazisika ngemimese nangemikhonto ngokomthetho wabo, kwaze kwatshaza igazi kubo. 29Kwathi lapho isidlulile imini, baphrofetha kwaze kwanikelwa ngomnikelo wempuphu, kepha akubanga khona zwi, nophendulayo, nonakekelayo.
30U-Eliya wayesethi kubantu bonke: “Sondelani kimi.”
Bonke abantu basondela kuye. Wayeselungisa i-althare likaSimakade elalidiliziwe. 31U-Eliya wathatha amatshe ali-12 njengomumo wezizwana zamadodana kaJakobe, okwakufike kuye izwi likaSimakade, lathi: “Igama lakho lizakuba ngu-Israyeli.”
32Walakha i-althare ngamatshe egameni likaSimakade, wayesenza umsele ngase-althare nxazonke, olingene namaseya amabili embewu. 33Wahlela izinkuni, wayihlahlela inkunzi, wayibeka phezu kwezinkuni.
34Wayesethi: “Gcwalisani izimbiza ezine ngamanzi, niwathele emnikelweni wokushiswa naphezu kwezinkuni.”
Wathi: “Kwenzeni ngokwesibili.”
Bakwenza.
Wayesethi: “Kwenzeni nangokwesithathu.”
Baphinda ngokwesithathu. 35Amanzi agobhoza ngase-althare, nxazonke; wawugcwalisa nomsele ngamanzi.
36Kwathi ngesikhathi sokunikela, u-Eliya umphrofethi wasondela, wathi: “Simakade Nkulunkulu ka-Abhrahama noka-Isaka noka-Israyeli, namhlanje makwazeke ukuthi Wena unguNkulunkulu kwa-Israyeli, nokuthi mina ngiyinceku yakho, nokuthi ngikwenzile konke lokhu ngezwi lakho. 37Ngiphendule, Simakade, ngiphendule ukuze laba bantu bazi ukuthi Wena, Simakade unguNkulunkulu, nokuthi uguqukisela kuwe izinhliziyo zabo.”
38Umlilo kaSimakade wehla, wawuqeda umnikelo wokushiswa, nezinkuni, namatshe, nothuli, waze wakhotha namanzi ayesemseleni.
39Abantu bonke bakubona lokho bawa ngobuso, bathi: “USimakade nguye onguNkulunkulu; uSimakade nguye onguNkulunkulu.”
40U-Eliya wathi kubo: “Bambani abaphrofethi bakaBhali, kungabaleki noyedwa kubo.”
Bababamba, u-Eliya wabehlisela emfudlaneni iKishoni, wababulalela lapho.
Umdumo Wemvula Enkulu
41U-Eliya wathi ku-Ahabi: “Khuphuka, udle, uphuze, ngokuba kukhona umdumo wemvula enkulu.”
42Wayesekhuphuka u-Ahabi ukuba adle, aphuze. U-Eliya wakhuphukela esiqongweni eKharmeli, wakhothamela phansi, wafaka ubuso bakhe phakathi kwamadolo akhe.
43Wathi encekwini yakhe: “Khuphuka, ubheke ngasolwandle.”
Yakhuphuka, yabheka, yathi: “Akukho lutho.”
Wayesethi: “Phinda kasikhombisa.”
44Kwathi ngokwesikhombisa yathi: “Bheka, kukhuphuka ifu elincane olwandle, lingangesandla somuntu.”
Wayesethi: “Khuphuka, umtshele u-Ahabi uthi: ‘Bophela, wehle, funa uvinjezelwe yimvula.’ ”
45Kwathi ngesikhashana nje izulu laguqubala, kwaba nomoya, lana imvula enkulu. U-Ahabi wakhwela inqola, waya eJizreyeli. 46Isandla sikaSimakade sasiku-Eliya; wabopha ukhalo lwakhe, wabaleka phambi kuka-Ahabi, waze wayofika ekungeneni kwaseJizreyeli.
