Elijah and the Ravens

¹U-Eliya waseThishibi, owayengowabagogobeleyo kwaGileyadi, wathi ku-Ahabi: “Kuphila kukaJehova, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, engimi phambi kwakhe, akuyikubakho mazolo namvula kule minyaka, kuphela ngesiyalezo sezwi lami.”

²Izwi likaJehova lafika kuye, lathi:

³“Suka lapha, uye ngasempumalanga, ucashe ngasemfudlaneni iKeriti ongaphambi kweJordani.

⁴Kuyakuthi uphuze emfudlaneni; ngiyalile amagwababa ukuba akondle khona.”

⁵Wahamba wenza njengezwi likaJehova, ngokuba wahamba wahlala ngasemfudlaneni iKeriti ongaphambi kweJordani.

⁶Amagwababa amlethela isinkwa nenyama ekuseni, nesinkwa nenyama kusihlwa, waphuza emfudlaneni.

⁷Kwathi ekupheleni kwezinsuku umfudlana washa, ngokuba yayingekho imvula ezweni.

⁸Kwase kufika izwi likaJehova kuye, lathi:

⁹“Suka uye eSarefati elingeleSidoni, uhlale khona; bheka, ngiyalile lapho umfelokazi ukuba akondle.”

¹⁰Wayesesuka waya eSarefati; esefikile esangweni lomuzi, bheka, umfelokazi wayecakasha khona; wambiza wathi: “Ake ungilethele ingcosana yamanzi esitsheni, ngiphuze.”

¹¹Esasuka ukuwalanda, wambiza wathi: “Ake ungilethele nocezu lwesinkwa esandleni sakho.”

¹²Kepha wathi: “Kuphila kukaJehova uNkulunkulu wakho, anginalo neqebelengwane, kukhona kuphela ukhweshe lwempuphu embizeni nengcosana yamafutha ophisweni; bheka, sengicakashile izinkuni ezimbili, ukuze ngingene ngizilungiselele khona nendodana yami ukuba sikudle, sife.”

¹³Wayesethi u-Eliya kuye: “Ungesabi; hamba wenze njengokusho kwakho, kepha ngenzele mina kuqala iqebelengwane elincane ngakho, ulilethe kimi, andukuba uzilungiselele wena nendodana yakho.

¹⁴Ngokuba usho kanje uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: ‘Imbiza yempuphu ayikuphela, nophiso lwamafutha aluyikuswela kuze kufike lolo suku uJehova anisa ngalo imvula emhlabeni.’ ”

¹⁵Wayesehamba, wenza njengokusho kuka-Eliya: kwadla yena, no-Eliya, nendlu yakhe izinsuku eziningi.

¹⁶Imbiza yempuphu ayiphelanga, nophiso lwamafutha aluswelanga njengezwi likaJehova alikhulumile ngesandla sika-Eliya.

¹⁷Kwathi emva kwalokho indodana yalowo mfelokazi, umnikazindlu, yagula; ukugula kwayo kwaba namandla kangaka ngangokuba yayingasenakho ukuphefumula.

¹⁸Wayesethi ku-Eliya: “Nginamsebenzi muni nawe muntu kaNkulunkulu na? Uze kimi ukuba kukhumbuleke isono sami nokuba kubulawe indodana yami.”

¹⁹Kepha wathi kuye: “Nginike indodana yakho.” Wayithatha esifubeni sakhe, wayikhuphulela ekamelweni eliphezulu lapho ehlala khona, wayibeka embhedeni wakhe.

²⁰Wayesekhala kuJehova, wathi: “Jehova Nkulunkulu wami, usuwehlisele nalo mfelokazi engigogobele kwakhe okubi okungaka uze ubulale indodana yakhe na?”

²¹Wazelula phezu komntwana kathathu, wakhala kuJehova, wathi: “Jehova Nkulunkulu wami, umphefumulo walo mntwana mawubuyele kuye.”

²²UJehova walizwa izwi lika-Eliya; umphefumulo womntwana wabuyela kuye, waphila.

²³U-Eliya wayesethatha umntwana, wamehlisa ekamelweni eliphezulu, wamngenisa endlini, wamnika unina; wathi u-Eliya: “Bheka, indodana yakho isiyaphila.”

²⁴Owesifazane wathi ku-Eliya: “Manje sengiyazi ukuthi wena ungumuntu kaNkulunkulu nokuthi izwi likaJehova elisemlonyeni wakho liyiqiniso.”