AMAKHOSI I 18

₁Kwathi emva kwezinsuku eziningi izwi likaJehova lafika kuEliya ngomnyaka wesithathu, lathi: Hamba uzibonakalise kuAhabi; ngiyakunisa imvula emhlabeni.

₂Wayesehamba uEliya ukuzibonakalisa kuAhabi. Indlala yayinamandla eSamariya.

₃UAhabi wabiza uObadiya owayephezu kwendlu yakhe. UObadiya wayemesaba kakhulu uNkulunkulu,

₄ngokuba kwathi lapho uIzebeli ebulala abaprofethi bakaJehova, uObadiya wathatha abaprofethi abayikhulu, wabafihla emhumeni ngamashumi ayisihlanu, wabondla ngesinkwa nangamanzi.

₅UAhabi wathi kuObadiya: Hamba ezweni, uye emithonjaneni yonke yamanzi nasemifudlaneni yonke; mhlawumbe singafumana utshani, sisindise amahashi neminyuzi*, izilwane zingabhubhi.

₆Base bahlukaniselana izwe ukuba balidabule: uAhabi wahamba ngenye indlela eyedwa, uObadiya naye wahamba ngenye indlela eyedwa.

₇UObadiya esendleleni, bheka, kwahlangana naye uEliya, wambona, wawa ngobuso, wathi: Wena uyinkosi yami uEliya na?

₈Wathi kuye: Yimi; hamba utshele inkosi yakho ukuthi: Nangu uEliya.

₉Wayesethi kuye: Ngoneni ukuba unikele inceku yakho esandleni sika-Ahabi ukungibulala na?

₁₀Kuphila kukaJehova uNkulunkulu wakho, akukho-sizwe nambuso lapho inkosi yami ingathumanga khona ukukufuna, nanxa bethi akakho lapha, yafungisa umbuso nesizwe ukuthi abakufumananga.

₁₁Manje usuthi wena: Hamba utshele inkosi yakho ukuthi: Nangu uEliya.

₁₂Kuyakuthi sengisukile kuwe, uMoya kaJehova akuyise lapho ngingazi khona, nanxa sengifika ukuba ngimtshele uAhabi, yena angakufumani, uyakungibulala; kepha mina-nceku yakho ngiyamesaba uJehova kwasebusheni bami.

₁₃Inkosi yami ayitshelwanga yini lokho engakwenzayo lapho uIzebeli ebulala abaprofethi bakaJehova, ukuthi ngafihla abantu abayikhulu kubaprofethi bakaJehova ngamashumi ayisihlanu emhumeni, ngabondla ngesinkwa nangamanzi, na?

₁₄Usuthi manje: Hamba utshele inkosi yakho ukuthi: Nangu uEliya, beseyingibulala.

₁₅Kepha uEliya wathi: Kuphila kukaJehova-Sebawoti engimi phambi kwakhe namuhla, ngizakuzibonakalisa kuye.

₁₆UObadiya wayesehamba ukumhlangabeza uAhabi, wamtshela lokho; wayesehamba uAhabi ukumhlangabeza uEliya.

₁₇Kwathi uAhabi esembonile uEliya, uAhabi wathi kuye: Nguwe ongumhluphi wakwaIsrayeli na?

₁₈Kodwa wathi: Mina angimhluphanga uIsrayeli, kepha nguwe nendlu kayihlo, ngokuyilahla imiyalo kaJehova, uze ulandele oBali.

₁₉Ngalokho thumela ubuthe kimi uIsrayeli wonke entabeni yaseKarmeli, nabaprofethi bakaBali abangamakhulu amane namashumi ayisihlanu, nabaprofethi baka-Ashera* abangamakhulu amane abadla etafuleni likaIzebeli.

₂₀UAhabi wayesethumela kubo bonke abantwana bakwaIsrayeli, wabutha abaprofethi entabeni yaseKarmeli.

₂₁UEliya wasondela kubo bonke abantu, wathi: Koze kube-nini nimanqikanqika phakathi kwezinhlangothi ezimbili na? Uma uJehova enguNkulunkulu, mlandeleni yena, kepha uma kunguBali, mlandeleni yena. Kodwa abantu kabamphendulanga ngazwi.

₂₂Wayesethi uEliya kubantu: Yimi ngedwa oseleyo engumprofethi kaJehova, kepha abaprofethi bakaBali bangabantu abangamakhulu amane namashumi ayisihlanu.

₂₃Mabasinike izinkunzi ezimbili, bazikhethele inkunzi ibenye, bayihlahlele, bayibeke phezu kwezinkuni, bangafaki umlilo; mina ngiyakuyilungisa enye inkunzi, ngiyibeke phezu kwezinkuni, ngingafaki umlilo.

₂₄Libizeni igama likankulunkulu wenu, mina ngibize igama likaJehova; besekuthi uNkulunkulu ophendula ngomlilo abe-nguye onguNkulunkulu. Bonke abantu bathi: Lihle lelizwi.

₂₅UEliya wayesethi kubaprofethi bakaBali: Zikhetheleni inkunzi, niyilungise kuqala, ngokuba nibaningi, nibize igama likankulunkulu wenu, ningafaki umlilo nokho.

₂₆Bayithatha inkunzi abayinikwayo, bayilungisa, balibiza igama likaBali kwasekuseni kwaze kwaba-semini ngokuthi: Bali, siphenduleni; kepha akubangakho-zwi, nophendulayo wayengekho. Baxhuma ngasealtare ebelenziwe.

₂₇Kwathi ngasemini uEliya wadlala ngabo, wathi: Memezani ngezwi elikhulu; noma engunkulunkulu, mhlawumbe uyazindla, noma echezukile nje, noma esohambeni, noma elele edinga ukuvuswa.

₂₈Base bememeza ngezwi elikhulu, bazisika ngawomese nangemikhonto ngomthetho wabo, kwaze kwatshaza igazi kubo.

₂₉Kwathi lapho isidlulile imini, baprofetha kwaze kwanikelwa ngomnikelo wempuphu, kepha akubangakho-zwi, nophendulayo, nonakekelayo.

₃₀UEliya wayesethi kubantu bonke: Sondelani kimi; bonke abantu basondela kuye. Wayeselungisa ialtare likaJehova elalidiliziwe.

₃₁UEliya wathatha amatshe ayishumi nambili njengomumo wezizwe zamadodana kaJakobe okweza kuye izwi likaJehova, lathi: Igama lakho lizakuba-nguIsrayeli.

₃₂Wakha ialtare ngamatshe egameni likaJehova, wenza umsele ngasealtare nxazonke olingene namaseya* amabili embewu.

₃₃Wahlela izinkuni, wayihlahlela inkunzi, wayibeka phezu kwezinkuni.

₃₄Wathi: Gcwalisani izimbiza ezine ngamanzi, niwathele emnikelweni wokushiswa naphezu kwezinkuni. Wathi: Kwenzeni ngokwesibili. Wayesethi: Kwenzeni nangokwesithathu; baphinda ngokwesithathu.

₃₅Amanzi agobhoza ngasealtare nxazonke; wagcwalisa nomsele ngamanzi.

₃₆Kwathi ngesikhathi sokunikela ngomnikelo wempuphu uEliya umprofethi wasondela, wathi: Jehova Nkulunkulu ka-Abrahama nokaIsaka nokaIsrayeli, makwazeke namuhla ukuthi wena unguNkulunkulu kwaIsrayeli, nokuthi mina ngiyinceku yakho, nokuthi ngenzile konke lokhu ngezwi lakho.

₃₇Ngiphendule, Jehova, ngiphendule ukuba lababantu bazi ukuthi wena-Jehova unguNkulunkulu nokuthi uphendukisela kuwe izinhliziyo.

₃₈Wawusuwehla umlilo kaJehova, wawuqeda umnikelo wokushiswa, nezinkuni, namatshe, nothuli, wakhotha amanzi asemseleni.

₃₉Abantu bonke sebekubonile lokho bawa ngobuso babo, bathi: UJehova nguye onguNkulunkulu; uJehova nguye onguNkulunkulu.

₄₀UEliya wathi kubo: Bambani abaprofethi bakaBali, kungabaleki noyedwa kubo. Bababamba, uEliya wabehlisela emfudlaneni iKishoni, wababulala khona.

₄₁Wayesethi uEliya kuAhabi: Khuphuka, udle, uphuze, ngokuba kukhona umdumo wemvula enkulu.

₄₂Wayesekhuphuka uAhabi ukuba adle, aphuze. UEliya wakhuphukela esiqongweni saseKarmeli, wakhothamela phansi, wabeka ubuso bakhe phakathi kwamadolo akhe.

₄₃Wathi encekwini yakhe: Khuphuka, ubheke ngaselwandle. Yakhuphuka, yabheka, yathi: Akukho-lutho. Wayesethi: Phinda kasikhombisa.

₄₄Kwathi ngokwesikhombisa yathi: Bheka, kukhuphuka ifu elwandle, lingangesandla somuntu. Wayesethi: Khuphuka, umtshele uAhabi ukuthi: Bophela, wehle, funa uvinjelwe yimvula.

₄₅Kwathi ngesikhashana nje izulu laguqubala ngamafu nangomoya, lana imvula enkulu. UAhabi wakhwela inqola, waya eJizreyeli.

₄₆Isandla sikaJehova sasikuEliya; wabopha ukhalo lwakhe, wagijima phambi kuka-Ahabi, waze wafika ekungeneni kwaseJizreyeli.