1 Amakhosi
18:1 Kwathi emva kwezinsuku eziningi, izwi likaJehova lafika
UEliya ngomnyaka wesithathu wathi: “Hamba uzibonakalise ku-Ahabi; futhi ngizokwenza
nisa imvula emhlabeni.
18:2 U-Eliya wahamba ukuze azibonakalise ku-Ahabi. Kwaba khona indlala enzima
eSamariya.
18:3 U-Ahabi wabiza u-Obadiya, owayengumbusi wendlu yakhe. (Manje
U-Obadiya wayemesaba kakhulu uJehova.
18:4 Ngoba kwaba njalo, lapho u-Izebeli enquma abaprofethi bakaJehova, ukuthi
U-Obadiya wathatha abaprofethi abayikhulu, wabafihla ngamashumi ayisihlanu emhumeni;
wabanika isinkwa namanzi.)
" 18:5 U-Ahabi wathi ku-Obadiya, "Hamba uye ezweni, emithonjeni yonke
amanzi, nakuyo yonke imifula; mhlawumbe singathola utshani bokusindisa
amahhashi neminyuzi bephila, ukuze singalahlekelwa yizo zonke izilwane.
18:6 Base behlukaniselana izwe ukuba badabule kulo;
ngenye indlela eyedwa, u-Obadiya wahamba ngenye indlela eyedwa.
18:7 Kwathi u-Obadiya esendleleni, bheka, u-Eliya wamhlangabeza;
wawa ngobuso bakhe, wathi: “Wena uyinkosi yami u-Eliya na?
18:8 Wathi kuye: "Nginguye; hamba utshele inkosi yakho ukuthi: Bheka, u-Eliya ulapha."
18:9 Wathi, "Ngenzeni, ukuze ukhulule inceku yakho?"
esandleni sika-Ahabi ukuba angibulale na?
18:10 Kuphila kukaJehova uNkulunkulu wakho, akukho sizwe noma umbuso lapho wami
inkosi ayithumanga ukukudinga; nalapho bethi: 'Akekho;' yena
bafungisa umbuso nesizwe, ukuthi abayikukuthola.
18:11 Manje wena uthi: Hamba, nitshele inkosi yakho: Bheka, u-Eliya nangu.
18:12 Kuyothi, ngokushesha nje lapho ngisuka kuwe, ukuthi the
UMoya kaJehova uyakukuyisa lapho engingazi khona; futhi kanjalo lapho mina
woza utshele u-Ahabi, kepha angakufumani, uyakungibulala, kepha mina owakho
nceku yesaba uJehova kwasebusheni bami.
18:13 Inkosi yami ayitshelwanga yini engakwenzayo lapho u-Izebeli ebulala abaprofethi
Jehova, ukuthi ngafihla kanjani abantu abayikhulu kubaprofethi bakaJehova ngamashumi ayisihlanu enyangeni
emhumeni, wabapha isinkwa nangamanzi?
18:14 Manje wena uthi: Hamba uyetshela inkosi yakho ukuthi: Bheka, u-Eliya ulapha.
uzongibulala.
18:15 U-Eliya wathi: "Kuphila kukaJehova Sebawoti, engimi phambi kwakhe, I
ngizozibonakalisa kuye namuhla.
18:16 U-Obadiya wayesehamba ukumhlangabeza u-Ahabi, wamtshela; u-Ahabi wahamba ukumhlangabeza
U-Eliya.
18:17 Kwathi, lapho u-Ahabi ebona u-Eliya, wathi u-Ahabi kuye, "Art
wena ohlupha u-Israyeli na?
18:18 Wathi: "Angimhluphanga u-Israyeli; kodwa wena loyihlo
indlu, ngokuyilahlile imiyalo kaJehova, nawe
ulandele oBali.
18:19 Manje, thumela futhi ubuthe kimi wonke u-Israyeli entabeni yaseKarmeli, futhi
abaprofethi bakaBali abangamakhulu amane namashumi ayisihlanu, nabaprofethi bakaJehova
amakhulu amane, adla etafuleni lika-Izebeli.
18:20 Ngakho u-Ahabi wathumela kubo bonke abantwana bakwa-Israyeli, futhi wabutha abaprofethi
ndawonye entabeni iKarmeli.
18:21 U-Eliya wasondela kubo bonke abantu, wathi: "Koze kube nini nimanqikanqika
imibono emibili? uma uJehova enguNkulunkulu, mlandeleni yena; kepha uma kunguBali, mlandeleni
yena. Abantu abamphendulanga ngazwi.
18:22 Wayesethi u-Eliya kubantu: "Mina, yebo, mina ngedwa, osele umprofethi
iNkosi; kepha abaprofethi bakaBali bangabantu abangamakhulu amane namashumi ayisihlanu.
18:23 Ngakho mabasinike izinkunzi ezimbili; futhi mabakhethe inkunzi eyodwa
bona, bayihlahlele, bayibeke phezu kwezinkuni, bangafaki
umlilo ngaphansi: ngilungise enye inkunzi, ngiyibeke phezu kwezinkuni, futhi
ungafaki umlilo ngaphansi:
24 Nibize igama lawonkulunkulu benu, mina ngibize igama likaJehova
UJehova: uNkulunkulu ophendula ngomlilo, makabe nguNkulunkulu. Futhi konke
abantu baphendula bathi: Kukhulunywe kahle.
18:25 U-Eliya wathi kubaprofethi bakaBali: "Zikhetheleni inkunzi eyodwa
nizigqokise kuqala; ngokuba nibaningi; futhi ubize igama lika
onkulunkulu benu, kepha ningafaki mlilo.
18:26 Bayithatha inkunzi ababeyinikiwe, futhi bayilungisa, futhi
babiza igama likaBali kusukela ekuseni kwaze kwaba semini, bathi: “Bali!
sizwe. Kepha akubangakho zwi, nophendulayo. Base begxuma
phezu kwe-altare elenziwe.
18:27 Kwathi emini, u-Eliya wadlala ngabo, wathi, Memezani.
ngokuzwakalayo: ngokuba ungunkulunkulu; noma uyakhuluma, noma uyaphishekela, noma yena
usohambweni, noma mhlawumbe ulele, kufanele avuswe.
18:28 Futhi bamemeza kakhulu, futhi bazisika ngomkhuba wabo ngemimese
nezinsense, kwaze kwagobhoza igazi phezu kwabo.
18:29 Kwathi sekudlulile emini, baprofetha kwaze kwafika usuku
isikhathi somnikelo womhlatshelo wakusihlwa, kwakungekho lutho
izwi, noma ophendulayo, nanoma ubani olalelayo.
18:30 U-Eliya wathi kubo bonke abantu, "Sondelani kimi." Futhi konke
abantu basondela kuye. Walilungisa i-altare likaJehova
yaphulwa.
18:31 U-Eliya wathatha amatshe ayishumi nambili, ngokwenani lezizwe
amadodana kaJakobe, okwafika kuye izwi likaJehova, lathi: Israyeli
kuyakuba igama lakho:
18:32 Futhi wakha ngamatshe i-altare egameni likaJehova
wenza umsele ngase-altare, ungangezilinganiso ezimbili ze-altare
imbewu.
18:33 Futhi wahlela izinkuni, futhi wayihlahlela inkunzi, futhi wabeka
phezu kwezinkuni, wathi: Gcwalisani imigqomo emine ngamanzi, niwathele
umnikelo wokushiswa, naphezu kwezinkuni.
18:34 Wathi: "Kwenzeni ngokwesibili." Bakwenza ngokwesibili. Futhi
wathi: Kwenzeni ngokwesithathu. Bakwenza okwesithathu.
18:35 Amanzi agobhoza ngase-altare nxazonke; wagcwalisa nomsele
ngamanzi.
18:36 Futhi kwenzeka ngesikhathi sokunikela kusihlwa
umhlatshelo, u-Eliya umprofethi wasondela, wathi: “Jehova Nkulunkulu we
Abrahama, Isaka, Israyeli, makwazeke namuhla ukuthi wena
uNkulunkulu kwa-Israyeli, nokuthi ngiyinceku yakho, nokuthi ngenzile konke lokhu
izinto ngezwi lakho.
18:37 Ngizwe, O Jehova, ngiphendule, ukuze laba bantu bazi ukuthi wena unguJehova
Jehova Nkulunkulu, nokuthi uziphendulele izinhliziyo zabo.
18:38 Khona-ke umlilo kaJehova wehla, waqeda umnikelo wokushiswa, futhi
izinkuni, namatshe, nothuli, futhi akhotha amanzi ayekhona
emseleni.
18:39 Kwathi bonke abantu bekubona lokho, bawa ngobuso babo, bathi:
UJehova unguNkulunkulu; uJehova, unguNkulunkulu.
18:40 U-Eliya wathi kubo: "Babambeni abaprofethi bakaBhali. makungabi namunye we
baphunyuke. Babathatha; u-Eliya wabehlisela kuJehova
umfudlana iKishoni, wababulalela khona.
18:41 U-Eliya wathi ku-Ahabi: "Vuka, udle, uphuze; ngoba kukhona a
umsindo wemvula eningi.
18:42 Ngakho u-Ahabi wenyuka ukuze adle futhi aphuze. U-Eliya wakhuphukela esiqongweni se-
iKarmeli; wawa phansi, wabeka ubuso bakhe
phakathi kwamadolo akhe,
18:43 Wathi encekwini yakhe: Khuphuka manje, ubheke ngaselwandle. Wakhuphuka,
wabheka, wathi: "Akukho lutho." Wathi: "Phinda ube yisikhombisa."
izikhathi.
18:44 Kwathi ngokwesikhombisa wathi, "Bheka, laphaya."
kukhuphuka ifu elincane elwandle njengesandla somuntu. Wathi,
+ Khuphuka, uthi ku-Ahabi: ‘Qeda inqola yakho, wehle, ukuze induna yakho ihambe
imvula ingakuvimbi.
18:45 Futhi kwenzeka ukuthi izulu kwaba mnyama
amafu nomoya, kwaba khona imvula enkulu. U-Ahabi wagibela, waya khona
eJizreyeli.
18:46 Isandla sikaJehova sasiphezu kuka-Eliya; wabopha ukhalo lwakhe, futhi
wagijima phambi kuka-Ahabi kwaze kwaba sekungeneni kwaseJizreyeli.