U-Eliya Ubalekela Impilo Yakhe
Usongo olulodwa oluvela kuJezebeli, u-Eliya ubalekela ehlane ecela ukufa. Ingelosi imondla kabili, futhi eHorebe umoya, ukuzamazama komhlaba nomlilo kuyadlula kungekho uBaba wethu kukho. Ukuhleba kumbuyisela emuva namadoda amathathu okufanele awagcobe.
19 1U-Ahabi watshela uJezabeli konke u-Eliya ayekwenzile, nokuthi wayebabulale kanjani bonke abaprofethi ngenkemba. 2UJezabeli wathumela isithunywa ku-Eliya, wathi: “Onkulunkulu abenze kanjalo kimi, nangaphezulu, uma ngalesi sikhathi kusasa ngingayenzanga impilo yakho ibe njengeyomunye wabaprofethi.”
3Esaba, u-Eliya wasukuma wabalekela impilo yakhe, wafika eBheri-Sheba kwaJuda, washiya inceku yakhe lapho. 4Wahamba uhambo losuku olulodwa wangena ehlane, wahlala phansi ngaphansi kwesihlahla esisodwa somganu, wacela ukufa. Wathi: “Sekwanele, Baba wami. Thatha impilo yami; angingcono kunobaba.”
5Walala wazumeka ngaphansi kwesihlahla somganu. Ingelosi yamthinta yathi: “Vuka udle.”
6Wabheka, bheka, ngasekhanda lakhe kwakukhona iqebelengwane elibhakwe phezu kwamatshe ashisayo, nesigubhu samanzi. Wadla waphuza wabuye walala. 7Ingelosi kaBaba wethu yabuya okwesibili, yamthinta, yathi: “Vuka udle—uhambo lukhulu kakhulu kuwe.”
8Ngakho wavuka, wadla waphuza, eqiniswe yilokho kudla wahamba izinsuku ezingamashumi amane nobusuku obungamashumi amane waze wafika eHorebe, intaba kaBaba wethu.
Ukunyenyeza Okumnene KukaBaba
9Lapho wangena emhumeni wachitha ubusuku khona. Izwi likaBaba wethu lafika kuye lathi: “Wenzani lapha, Eliya?”
10Waphendula wathi: “Bengishisekela kakhulu uBaba wamabutho asezulwini. U-Israyeli ushiye isivumelwano sakho, wadiliza ama-altare akho, wabulala abaprofethi bakho ngenkemba. Yimina ngedwa engisele, manje bafuna impilo yami, ukuyithatha.”
11UBaba wethu wathi: “Phuma ume entabeni phambi kwami; sengizodlula.” Kwavela umoya omkhulu onamandla waklebhula izintaba waphihliza amadwala phambi kukaBaba wethu, kodwa wayengekho emoyeni. Emva komoya kwaba khona ukuzamazama komhlaba, kodwa wayengekho ekuzamazameni komhlaba.
12Emva kokuzamazama komhlaba, kwaba khona umlilo, kodwa uBaba wethu wayengekho emlilweni. Emva komlilo, kweza umsindo wokunyenyeza okumnene.
13Ekuzwa lokho, u-Eliya wagoqela ubuso bakhe ngengubo yakhe, waphuma, wama emnyango womhume. Kwafika izwi kuye: “Wenzani lapha, Eliya?”
14Waphendula wathi: “Bengishisekela kakhulu uBaba wamabutho asezulwini. Abantu bakwa-Israyeli bashiye isivumelwano sakho, badiliza ama-altare akho, babulala abaprofethi bakho ngenkemba. Yimina ngedwa engisele, manje bafuna impilo yami, ukuyithatha.”
15UBaba wethu wathi kuye: “Buyela ngendlela oze ngayo, uye ehlane laseDamaseku. Lapho ugcobe uHazaeli abe yinkosi phezu kwe-Aramu. 16Ugcobe futhi uJehu indodana kaNimshi abe yinkosi phezu kuka-Israyeli, ugcobe no-Elisha indodana kaShafati wase-Abeli Mehola abe ngumprofethi esikhundleni sakho. 17Noma ngubani ophunyuka enkembeni kaHazaeli, uJehu uyakumbulala; nalowo ophunyuka enkembeni kaJehu, u-Elisha uyakumbulala. 18Kodwa ngiyakushiya abayizinkulungwane eziyisikhombisa kwa-Israyeli—lonke idolo elingaguqanga kuBhali, nawo wonke umlomo ongamqabulanga.”
UBaba Ubiza u-Elisha
19Ngakho u-Eliya wasuka wafica u-Elisha indodana kaShafati elima ngezipani zezinkabi eziyishumi nambili, yena uqobo eqhuba eyeshumi nambili. U-Eliya weza kuye waphonsa ingubo yakhe phezu kwakhe. 20U-Elisha washiya izinkabi, wagijima walandela u-Eliya, wathi: “Ake ngivalelise ubaba nomama ngibaqabule, bese ngikulandela.” U-Eliya waphendula wathi: “Buyela emuva. Ngikwenzeni?”
21Ngakho u-Elisha wabuyela emuva, wathatha isipani sezinkabi zakhe, wazihlaba. Esebenzisa izinto zokulima njengezinkuni, wapheka inyama wayinika abantu, badla. Wabe esemlandela u-Eliya wamkhonza.
