UBaba uphakela u-Eliya ngamagwababa
U-Eliya umemezela isomiso futhi uBaba wethu umfihla ngasesifufuleni lapho amagwababa emondla khona. Lapho somile, umfelokazi olambayo eZarefati uchitha ufulawa wakhe wokugcina kuye futhi awuphele; lapho indodana yakhe iyeka ukuphefumula, ukukhala kuka-Eliya kuyayibuyisa.
17 1U-Eliya waseThishbe, owayevela eThishbe eGileyadi, wathi ku-Ahabi: “Kuphila kukaBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, engimi phambi kwakhe, ngeke kube namazolo nemvula kule minyaka ngaphandle ngezwi lami.”
2Izwi likaBaba wethu lase lifika ku-Eliya, lathi:
3“Suka kule ndawo, ubheke empumalanga, uzifihle ngasemfuleni iKherithi, empumalanga kweJordani. 4Uyakuphuza emfuleni, futhi ngiwayalile amagwababa ukuba akuphakele khona.”
5Wahamba-ke wenza njengokusho kukaBaba wethu; wahamba wahlala ngasemfuleni iKherithi, empumalanga kweJordani. 6Amagwababa amlethela isinkwa nenyama ekuseni, nesinkwa nenyama kusihlwa, waphuza emfuleni. 7Ngemva kwesikhathi umfula woma, ngokuba kwakungekho mvula ezweni.
UBaba uhlinzeka ngomfelokazi
8Izwi likaBaba wethu lase lifika kuye, lathi:
9“Sukuma, uye eZarefati eduze kweSidoni, uhlale khona. Ngimyalile umfelokazi khona ukuba akuphakele.”
10Wahamba-ke waya eZarefati. Esangweni lomuzi, kwakukhona umfelokazi owayebutha izinkuni. Wambiza wathi: “Ake ungilethele amanzi amancane ngesitsha ukuba ngiphuze.” 11Esahamba eyowakha, wambiza wathi: “Ake ungilethele nocezu lwesinkwa.”
12Wathi: “Kuphila kukaSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho, anginaso isinkwa—ngaphandle kofulawa ongangesandla esitsheni namafutha amancane esigujini. Bheka, ngibutha izinkuni ezimbalwa ukuba ngingene ngizilungisele khona mina nendodana yami, sikudle, bese siyafa.”
13U-Eliya wathi kuye: “Ungesabi. Hamba, wenze njengokusho kwakho. Kodwa ngiphekele kuqala isinkwa esincane kukho, ungilethele sona; bese wenzela wena nendodana yakho.”
14Ngokuba uBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, usho kanje: “Isitsha sofulawa ngeke siphele, nesigubhu samafutha ngeke sisweleke, kuze kube yilolo suku uBaba wethu anika ngalo imvula ezweni.”
15Wahamba wenza njengokusho kuka-Eliya, badla—yena, no-Eliya, nendlu yakhe—izinsuku eziningi. 16Isitsha sofulawa asiphelanga nesigubhu samafutha asomanga, njengokusho kukaBaba wethu ngo-Eliya.
17Ngemva kwalokho indodana yowesifazane, umnini wendlu, yagula. Ukugula kwayo kwaba kubi kakhulu kwaze kwangabe kusasala mphefumulo kuyo. 18Wabuza u-Eliya wathi: “Kunantoni phakathi kwami nawe, muntu kaNkulunkulu? Uze ukuzongikhumbuza icala lami ubulale indodana yami na?”
19“Ngiphe indodana yakho,” washo. Wayithatha ezingalweni zakhe, wayiyisa ekamelweni lakhe elingenhla, wayilalisa embhedeni wakhe. 20Wakhala kuBaba wethu wathi: “Baba wami, ngabe uyehlisele inhlekelele yini nakulo mfelokazi engihlala naye, ngokubulala indodana yakhe?” 21Wazelula phezu komntwana kathathu, wakhala kuBaba wethu wathi: “Baba wami, ukuphila kwalo mntwana makubuyele kuye.”
22UBaba wethu wakuzwa ukukhala kuka-Eliya, ukuphila komntwana kwabuyela kuye, waphila. a a v22 Lokhu kungokokuqala emiBhalweni ukuba umuntu avuswe kwabafileyo—kwembula uBaba wethu njengomniki nombuyisi wokuphila, kukhomba phambili ekuvukeni kwabafileyo okuza ngokugcwele ngoJesu. 23U-Eliya wamthatha umntwana, wamehlisa ekamelweni langenhla wamyisa endlini, wamnika unina. “Bheka,” kusho u-Eliya, “indodana yakho iyaphila.”
24Owesifazane wathi ku-Eliya: “Manje sengiyazi ukuthi ungumuntu kaNkulunkulu, nokuthi izwi likaNkulunkulu elisemlonyeni wakho liyiqiniso.”
