Chapter 18
1 Kwathi kwakuba mzuzu, lafika ilizwi likaYehova kuEliya ngomnyaka wesithathu, lathi, Hamba uye kubonana noAhabhi, ndinise imvula phezu komhlaba.
2 Wahamba waya kubonana uEliya noAhabhi. Indlala ke yayinzima kwaSamari.
3 UAhabhi wayebize uObhadiya, obephethe indlu yakhe (uObhadiya ke wayemoyika uYehova kunene:
4 wayethe yena ekubanqamleni kukaIzebhele abaprofeti bakaYehova, uObhadiya wathabatha ikhulu labaprofeti, wabazimeza ngamashumi ngamahlanu, ngamashumi ngamahlanu, emqolombeni, wabondla ngesonka namanzi).
5 Wathi ke uAhabhi kuObhadiya, Hamba uye ezweni, emithonjeni yonke yamanzi nasemilanjaneni yonke; mhlawumbi sofumana utyani, siphilise amahashe noondlebende, zingabuthisi zonke iinkomo.
6 Balahlula ilizwe phakathi kwabo, ukuba bacande kulo; uAhabhi wahamba ngenye indlela yedwa, uObhadiya wahamba ngenye indlela yedwa.
7 Kwathi ke, esendleleni uObhadiya, wabonakala uEliya emkhawulela, wamazi, wawa ngobuso, wathi, Nguwe na lo, nkosi yam Eliya?
8 Wathi yena kuye, Ndim. Hamba uye kuthi enkosini yakho, Nanku elapha uEliya.
9 Wathi, Ndenze sono sini na, ukuba umnikele umkhonzi wakho esandleni sika-Ahabhi ukuba andibulale?
10 Ehleli nje uYehova uThixo wakho, akukho luhlanga nabukumkani, apho ingathumelanga khona inkosi yam, ikufuna; bakuthi, Akakho, yabafungisa ubukumkani nohlanga olo, ukuthi akufumanekanga.
11 Kaloku ke uthi, Hamba uye kuthi enkosini yakho, Nanku elapha uEliya.
12 Kothi, ndithe ndemka kuwe, uMoya kaYehova akuthwalele apho ndingaziyo; ndiye ndixelele uAhabhi, angakufumani, andibulale; umkhonzi wakho lo umoyike uYehova kwasebuncinaneni bam.
13 Bekungaxelwanga na enkosini yam endakwenzayo ekubabulaleni kukaIzebhele abaprofeti bakaYehova, ndazimeza ikhulu lamadoda kubaprofeti bakaYehova, ngamashumi ngamahlanu, ngamashumi ngamahlanu, emqolombeni, ndabondla ngesonka nangamanzi?
14 Kaloku ke uthi, Hamba uye kuthi enkosini yakho, Nanku elapha uEliya; ukuze indibulale.
15 Wathi uEliya, Ehleli nje uYehova wemikhosi, endimiyo phambi kwakhe, inene, namhlanje ndiya kubonana naye.
16 UObhadiya waya kumkhawulela ke uAhabhi, wamxelela; wahamba uAhabhi, waya kumkhawulela uEliya.
17 Kwathi, uAhabhi akumbona uEliya, wathi uAhabhi kuye, Ulapha na wena, uwahlisele intlekele amaSirayeli?
18 Wathi yena, Andiwahliselanga ntlekele amaSirayeli; nguwe nendlu kayihlo, ngokuyishiya kwenu imithetho kaYehova, walandela ooBhahali.
19 Ke ngoko, thumela uwahlanganisele kum amaSirayeli onke entabeni yeKarmele, nabaprofeti bakaBhahali abangamakhulu amane anamanci mahlanu, nabaprofeti baka-Ashera abangamakhulu amane, abadla etafileni kaIzebhele.
20 Wathumela ke uAhabhi koonyana bonke bakaSirayeli, wabahlanganisela abaprofeti entabeni yeKarmele.
21 Wafika uEliya ebantwini abo bonke, wathi, Koda kube nini na nimbaxa? Ukuba uYehova nguThixo, landelani yena; ke ukuba nguBhahali uThixo, landelani yena. Abamphendula nezwi abantu.
22 Wathi uEliya ebantwini, Kusele mna ndodwa umprofeti kaYehova; ke abakaBhahali abaprofeti ngamakhulu amane anamanci amahlanu amadoda.
23 Masinikwe iinkunzi ezintsha zibe mbini, bazinyulele ke enye inkunzi entsha, bayityatye, bayibeke phezu kweenkuni, bangafaki mlilo; nam ndiyilungise enye inkunzi entsha, ndiyibeke phezu kweenkuni, ndingafaki mlilo.
24 Nize ninqule igama lothixo wenu, mna ndinqule igama likaYehova; athi, uThixo othe waphendula ngomlilo, abe nguye uThixo. Baphendula bonke abantu bathi, Lihle elo lizwi.
25 Wathi ke uEliya kubaprofeti bakaBhahali, Zinyuleleni inkunzi entsha ibe nye, nizenzele kuqala; ngokuba nibaninzi nina; ninqule igama lothixo wenu, ningafaki mlilo.
26 Bayithabatha ke inkunzi entsha ababeyinikiwe, bayilungisa, banqula igama likaBhahali, beqale kusasa kwada kwaba semini enkulu, besithi, Bhahali, siphendule. Akwabakho zwi, akwabakho uphendulayo. Baxhentsa ngasesibingelelweni esasenziwe.
27 Kwathi emini enkulu, uEliya wadlala ngabo, esithi, Nqulani ngezwi elikhulu, ngokuba enguthixo; ingabi usacinga, ingabi uthe gu bucala, ingabi useluhambeni; ingabi mhlawumbi ulele, unokuba avuswe.
28 Banqula ngezwi elikhulu ke, bazicenta ngokwesiko labo ngamakrele nangezikhali, lada latsaza igazi kubo.
29 Kwathi emveni kwemini enkulu, baprofeta kwada kwesa ekunyusweni komnikelo wokudla wangokuhlwa; akwabakho lizwi, akwabakho uphendulayo, akwabakho ubeke indlebe.
30 Wathi uEliya ebantwini bonke, Sondelani kum apha. Basondela ke abantu bonke kuye. Wabuya wasakha isibingelelo sikaYehova esibe sidiliziwe.
31 UEliya wathabatha amatye alishumi elinamabini, ngokwenani lezizwe zoonyana bakaYakobi, eleza kuye ilizwi likaYehova lisithi, Liya kuba nguSirayeli igama lakho.
32 Wakha ngamatye lawo isibingelelo egameni likaYehova, wenza umsele olingene iiseha ezimbini zembewu, ngeenxa zonke esibingelelweni.
33 Wazilungisa iinkuni, wayityatya inkunzi entsha, wayibeka phezu kweenkuni.
34 Wathi, Zalisani imiphanda ibe mine ngamanzi, niwagalele phezu kwedini elinyukayo, naphezu kweenkuni; wathi, Phindani okwesibini; baphinda okwesibini. Wathi, Phindani okwesithathu; baphinda okwesithathu.
35 Ahamba amanzi ngeenxa zonke esibingelelweni; wawuzalisa nomsele ngamanzi.
36 Kwathi ekunyusweni komnikelo wokudla wangokuhlwa, wasondela uEliya umprofeti, wathi, Yehova, Thixo ka-Abraham, kaIsake, kaSirayeli, namhla makwaziwe ukuba nguwe uThixo kwaSirayeli; ukuba ndingumkhonzi wakho mna; ukuba ndizenze zonke ezi zinto ngelizwi lakho.
37 Ndiphendule, Yehova, ndiphendule, bazi aba bantu ukuba wena Yehova unguThixo, ukuba uyiguqulele kuwe intliziyo yabo.
38 Wawa ke umlilo kaYehova, walidla idini elinyukayo, kwaneenkuni, kwanamatye, kwanomhlaba; namanzi abe esemseleni wawakhotha.
39 Babona bonke abantu, bawa ngobuso, bathi, UYehova nguye uThixo, uYehova nguye uThixo.
40 Wathi uEliya kubo, Babambeni abaprofeti bakaBhahali; makungasindi namnye kubo. Bababamba ke; uEliya wabahlisela emlanjaneni oyiKishon, wababulalela khona.
41 Wathi uEliya kuAhabhi, Nyuka uye kudla, usele; ngokuba kuvakala ulwandile lwemvula enkulu.
42 Wenyuka ke uAhabhi, waya kudla, waya kusela. Ke uEliya wenyuka waya encotsheni yeKarmele, waqondela emhlabeni, wabufaka ubuso bakhe phakathi kwamadolo akhe.
43 Wathi kwindodana yakwakhe, Khawunyuke, ukhangele ngeli cala laselwandle. Yenyuka, yakhangela, yathi, Akukho nto. Wathi, Buya uye, izihlandlo zibe sixhenxe.
44 Kwathi ke ngesesixhenxe, yathi, Ndibona ilifana elingangesandla somntu, liphuma elwandle. Wathi, Nyuka uye uthi kuAhabhi, Bopha, uhle, ingakuvingceli imvula.
45 Kwathi ke kwakamsinya lasuka izulu lamnyama ngamafu nomoya; kwabakho imvula enkulu. Wakhwela uAhabhi, waya eYizereli.
46 Safika ke isandla sikaYehova kuEliya; wazibhinqisa, wagidima phambi koAhabhi, kwada kwaba sekungeneni eYizereli.