UBaba wethu uthuma u-Eliya ku-Ahabi
U-Eliya ubuyela phakathi kwendlala ukuze abhekane no-Ahabi, futhi ubuza u-Israyeli ukuthi bayoze bayoqhuga nini phakathi kwemibono emibili. Abaprofethi bakaBhali bamemeza futhi bazisike usuku lonke kungelutho; umlilo ovela kuBaba wethu wehlela phezu kwe-altare elimanzi te, kulandele imvula.
18 1Emva kwezinsuku eziningi, ngonyaka wesithathu, izwi likaBaba wethu lafika ku-Eliya, lathi: “Hamba, uziveze ku-Ahabi, ngiyakunisa imvula emhlabeni.”
2Ngakho u-Eliya wahamba ukuze aziveze ku-Ahabi. Indlala yayinkulu eSamariya. 3U-Ahabi wabiza u-Obadiya, owayephethe indlu yasebukhosini. (U-Obadiya wayemesaba kakhulu uBaba wethu. 4Ngesikhathi uJezebeli ebulala abaprofethi bakaBaba wethu, u-Obadiya wayethathe abaprofethi abayikhulu, wabafihla emhumeni, abangamashumi amahlanu emhumeni ngamunye, wabaphatha isinkwa namanzi.). 5U-Ahabi wathi ku-Obadiya: “Hamba ezweni uye emithonjeni yonke nasezigodini; mhlawumbe sizothola utshani ukuze sigcine amahhashi nezimbongolo ziphila, singalahlekelwa yizilwane.”
6Ngakho bahlukanisa izwe ukuze balidabule; u-Ahabi wahamba ngendlela eyodwa yedwa, u-Obadiya wahamba ngenye indlela yedwa. 7Kwathi u-Obadiya ehamba, u-Eliya wahlangana naye ngokuzuma. Wathi emazi, wawa ngobuso phansi, wathi: “Nguwe yini, nkosi yami Eliya?”
8Wathi kuye: “Yimina. Hamba, utshele inkosi yakho, uthi: ‘U-Eliya ulapha.’”
9U-Obadiya wabuza: “Ngonile ngani, ukuba unikele inceku yakho ku-Ahabi ukuba angibulale? 10Kuphila uBaba wakho, asikho isizwe nombuso lapho inkosi yami ingathumelanga khona ukukufuna. Lapho bethi: ‘Akakho lapha,’ wenza umbuso noma isizwe ukuba sifunge ukuthi abakutholanga. 11Manje wena uthi: ‘Hamba, utshele inkosi yakho, uthi: “U-Eliya ulapha.”’ 12Lapho ngikushiya nje, uMoya kaBaba wethu uyakukususa aye lapho ngingakwazi khona; bese ngifika ngitshela u-Ahabi, angakutholi, abese engibulala—kanti mina nceku yakho ngimesabile uBaba wethu kusukela ebusheni bami. 13Inkosi yami ayitshelwanga yini lokho engakwenza ngesikhathi uJezebeli ebulala abaprofethi bakaBaba wethu—ukuthi ngafihla abaprofethi bakaBaba wethu abayikhulu, amadoda angamashumi amahlanu emhumeni ngamunye, ngabapha isinkwa namanzi? 14Manje wena uthi: ‘Hamba, utshele inkosi yakho, uthi: “U-Eliya ulapha”’—khona ezongibulala!”
15U-Eliya wathi: “Kuphila uBaba wamabutho asezulwini, engimi phambi kwakhe, namuhla ngizoziveza ngempela kuye.”
16Ngakho u-Obadiya wahamba ukuyohlangabeza u-Ahabi, wamtshela, u-Ahabi wahamba ukuyohlangabeza u-Eliya. 17Kwathi u-Ahabi ebona u-Eliya, u-Ahabi wathi kuye: “Nguwe yini, wena mhluphi ka-Israyeli?”
18Waphendula wathi: “Angimhluphanga u-Israyeli—kodwa nguwe nendlu kayihlo, ngokushiya imiyalo kaBaba wethu nangokulandela oBali. 19Ngakho manje thumela izwi ubuthe wonke u-Israyeli kimi entabeni iKarmeli, kanye nabaprofethi bakaBali abangamakhulu amane namashumi amahlanu nabaprofethi baka-Ashera abangamakhulu amane, abadla etafuleni likaJezebeli.”
20Ngakho u-Ahabi wathumela izwi phakathi kwabo bonke abantwana bakwa-Israyeli, wabuthela abaprofethi entabeni iKarmeli. 21U-Eliya wasondela kubo bonke abantu, wathi: “Koze kube nini nintenga phakathi kwemibono emibili? Uma uBaba wethu enguNkulunkulu, mlandeleni; uma kunguBali, mlandeleni.” Kodwa abantu abamphendulanga nangezwi.
22U-Eliya wathi ebantwini: “Yimi ngedwa engisele ngingumprofethi kaBaba wethu, kodwa abaprofethi bakaBali bangamadoda angamakhulu amane namashumi amahlanu. 23Sinikeni izinkunzi ezimbili. Mabakhethe eyodwa, bayihlahlele, bayibeke phezu kwezinkuni, kodwa bangabasi umlilo ngaphansi kwayo; mina ngizolungisa enye, ngiyibeke phezu kwezinkuni, ngingabasi umlilo ngaphansi kwayo. 24Khona-ke nibize igama likankulunkulu wenu, mina ngibize igama likaBaba wethu; uNkulunkulu ophendula ngomlilo nguye uNkulunkulu.” Bonke abantu bathi: “Kukhulunywe kahle.”
25U-Eliya wathi kubaprofethi bakaBali: “Niningi, ngakho khethani inkunzi eyodwa niyilungise kuqala; bese nibiza igama likankulunkulu wenu—kodwa ningabasi umlilo ngaphansi kwayo.”
26Ngakho bathatha inkunzi ababeyinikiwe, bayilungisa, babiza igama likaBali kusukela ekuseni kwaze kwaba semini: “Bali, siphendule!” Kodwa kwakungekho zwi, akubangakho ophendulayo. Bagiya bazungeza i-altare ababeyenzile.
27Kwathi emini u-Eliya wabahleka usulu: “Memezani kakhulu! Ungunkulunkulu—mhlawumbe ucabanga kakhulu, noma uyazikhulula, noma usohambeni; noma ulele kudingeka avuswe.”
28Ngakho bamemeza kakhulu, bazisika ngezinkemba nangemikhonto, njengokwenza kwabo, kwaze kwampompoza igazi phezu kwabo. 29Kwathi lapho imini isidlulile, baqhubeka beyaluza kwaze kwaba yisikhathi somnikelo wakusihlwa, kodwa kwakungekho zwi, akubangakho mpendulo, akubangakho onakayo.
30U-Eliya wathi kubo bonke abantu: “Sondelani kimi.” Basondela bonke, walungisa i-altare likaBaba wethu elalidiliziwe.
31U-Eliya wathatha amatshe ayishumi nambili, elilodwa ngesizwe ngasinye sabantwana bakaJakobe, okwafika kuye izwi likaBaba wethu, lathi: “Igama lakho liyakuba ngu-Israyeli.”
32Ngalawo matshe wakha i-altare egameni likaBaba wethu, wemba umsele ozungeza lona omkhulu ngokwanele ukuthwala imbewu engangamalitha ayishumi nane. 33Wahlela izinkuni, wayihlahlela inkunzi, wayibeka phezu kwezinkuni. Wathi: “Gcwalisani izimbiza ezine ngamanzi, niwathele phezu komnikelo oshiswayo naphezu kwezinkuni.” 34Wathi: “Kwenzeni futhi,” bakwenza futhi. Wathi: “Kwenzeni okwesithathu,” bakwenza okwesithathu. 35Amanzi ageleza azungeza i-altare, wawugcwalisa ngisho nomsele ngamanzi.
36Ngesikhathi somnikelo wakusihlwa, u-Eliya umprofethi wasondela, wathi: “Baba wethu, Nkulunkulu ka-Abrahama, no-Isaka, no-Israyeli, makwaziwe namuhla ukuthi unguNkulunkulu kwa-Israyeli, nokuthi ngiyinceku yakho, nokuthi ngikwenze konke lokhu ngokwezwi lakho. 37Ngiphendule, Baba wethu, ngiphendule, ukuze lesi sizwe sazi ukuthi wena, Baba wethu, unguNkulunkulu, nokuthi uyibuyisile inhliziyo yabo.”
38Khona-ke umlilo kaBaba wethu wehla, waqeda umnikelo oshiswayo, nezinkuni, namatshe, nothuli, wakhotha namanzi ayesemseleni. 39Kwathi bonke abantu bekubona, bawa ngobuso phansi, bamemeza: “UBaba wethu, unguNkulunkulu! UBaba wethu, unguNkulunkulu!” a a v39 Abantu ababeduke belandela uBali bayawa phansi, baqambe uNkulunkulu weqiniso — uBaba edonsela kuye abantwana bakhe abadukile.
40U-Eliya wathi kubo: “Babambeni abaprofethi bakaBali; makungaphunyuki noyedwa.” Bababamba, u-Eliya wabehlisela esigodini iKishoni, wababulalela khona.
41U-Eliya wathi ku-Ahabi: “Khuphuka, udle uphuze, ngokuba kukhona umsindo wokuduma kwemvula enkulu.”
42U-Ahabi wakhuphuka ukuyodla nokuyophuza, kanti u-Eliya wakhwela esiqongweni seKarmeli. Lapho wakhothamela phansi, ubuso bakhe buphakathi kwamadolo akhe. 43Wathi encekwini yakhe: “Khuphuka, ubheke ngaselwandle.” Yakhuphuka, yabheka, yathi: “Akukho lutho lapho.” Kwaze kwaba kasikhombisa u-Eliya wathi: “Buyela emuva.”
44Ngesikhathi sesikhombisa, inceku yathi: “Bheka, ifu elincane elingangesandla somuntu liyenyuka elwandle.” U-Eliya wathi: “Khuphuka utshele u-Ahabi, uthi: ‘Bophela inqola yakho wehle, imvula ingakuvimbeli.’”
45Khona ngaleso sikhathi isibhakabhaka saguquka saba mnyama ngamafu nomoya, kwafika imvula enkulu, u-Ahabi wagibela waya eJizreyeli. 46Isandla sikaBaba wethu sasiphezu kuka-Eliya; wafaka ingubo yakhe ebhantini lakhe, wagijima phambi kuka-Ahabi waze wafika ekungeneni kweJizreyeli.
