1 Ke kaloku emva kwethuba, kunyaka wesithathu waloo mbalela, uEliya wafikelwa lilizwi *likaNdikhoyo lisithi: “Hamba uye kubonana noAhabhi; ke mna ndiya kuyinisa imvula elizweni.”
2 Ngenene ke uEliya waya kuAhabhi.Ngelo xesha ke imbalela yayibhokile eSamariya,
3 waza ke uAhabhi wabiza uObhadiya owayengumaqhuzu apho komkhulu. (UObhadiya wayenqula uNdikhoyo enyanisekile.
4 Kwathi xa uJezebhele wayebaphumele ngokubabulala abashumayeli bakaNdikhoyo, uObhadiya wathatha ikhulu labashumayeli, waya kubafihla emiqolombeni emibini, wafaka amashumi amahlanu kumqolomba ngamnye, wamana ebapha ukutya namanzi.)
5 UAhabhi ke wathi kuObhadiya: “Khawuhamba-hambe kuwo wonke lo mhlaba, ujonge ngasemithonjeni nasezintilini, hleze kuthi kanti sisengayizuza ingca, ukuze afumane ukutya amahashe neemeyile, abe nokuphila, nathi singade siyibulale imfuyo yethu.”
6 Umhlaba lowo ke bawahlula-hlula, waza uAhabhi waya kwelinye icala, no-Obhadiya waya kwelinye.
7 Uthe ke esahamba uObhadiya, wadibana noEliya. UObhadiya wamnakana, waza wakhahlela, waguqa phantsi, wathi: “Ngaba ngenene nguwe na lowo, nkosi yam Eliya?”
8 UEliya waphendula wathi: “Ewe, ndim kanye! Hamba uye kuxelela inkosi yakho uthi: ‘Nanku uEliya!’ ”
9 “Ngaba ndenze bugwenxa buni kodwa,” ubuzile uObhadiya, “le nto isicaka sakho usinikela esandleni sika-Ahabhi ukuze sibulawe?
10 Ekho nje uNdikhoyo uThixo wakho, akukho lizwe nabukumkani ingathumelanga mntu kulo inkosi yam izingelana nawe lo. Isizwe okanye ubukumkani obuthe bakulandula, ubeqononondisa abafungise ukuba ngenene awufumaneki ndawo khona.
11 Ngoku ke wena uthi mandiye enkosini yam, ndifike ndithi kuyo: ‘Nanku Eliya.’
12 Kaloku andinakwazi apho wokusa khona uMoya kaNdikhoyo, sakuba sahlukene. Ukuba ndinokuya kuye ndimxelele, aze yena uAhabhi angakufumani apha, angandibulala, ndibe ke mna, sicaka sakho, uNdikhoyo lo ndamnqula kwasebuntwaneni.
13 Ngaba akuyivanga na, nkosi yam, into endiyenzileyo ngokuya uJezebhele ebebulala abashumayeli bakaNdikhoyo? Kaloku ndathatha ikhulu labashumayeli bakaNdikhoyo, ndalifihla emiqolombeni, ndafaka amashumi amahlanu kuwo ngamnye, ndaza ndamana ndibapha ukutya namanzi.
14 Uze ke wena ngoku uthi mandiye enkosini yam, ndiyixelele ndithi: ‘Nanku uEliya.’ Ngenene angandibulala!”
15 UEliya wathi: “Ekho nje uNdikhoyo uSomandla lo ndimkhonzayo, inene, ngayo yona le mini ndiza kubonana noAhabhi.”
16 Ke kaloku uObhadiya wemka, waza ke wadibana naye uAhabhi, wamxelela. Ke uAhabhi wahamba, waza wabonana noEliya.
17 Akubona uEliya uAhabhi wathi: “Ngaba nguwe lowo, wena ohlisela amaSirayeli intlekele?”
18 UEliya waphendula ngelithi: “Khange ndiwahlisele mna intlekele amaSirayeli. Kodwa nguwe nendlu kayihlo lo uhlisele amaSirayeli intlekele. Imithetho kaNdikhoyo uyityeshele, waza walandelana nooBhali.
19 Khawubaqokelele bonke abantu bakwaSirayeli, ukuze ndihlangane nabo phezu kwentaba iKarmele. Uze ungabashiyi abashumayeli bakaBhali abamakhulu mane namashumi amahlanu, kananjalo nabashumayeli baka-Ashera abamakhulu mane, abo batya kwisithebe sikaJezebhele.”
20 Ngoko ke uAhabhi wathumela ilizwi kuSirayeli ephela, wabaqokelela kwintaba iKarmele bonke abashumayeli.
21 UEliya wasondela kubo ke abo bantu, waza wathi: “Koda kube nini na nimbaxa! Ukuba uNdikhoyo nguye uThixo, landelani yena; kanti ke ukuba uBhali nguThixo, landelani yena kaloku.” Kwasuka kwathi cwaka.
22 UEliya wabhekisa ebantwini wathi: “Ndim ndodwa umshumayeli kaNdikhoyo oshiyekileyo, kodwa ke yena uBhali usenabashumayeli abangamakhulu amane anamashumi amahlanu.
23 Sinikeni iinkunzana zeenkomo zibe mbini. Abashumayeli bakaBhali mabazikhethele ibe nye, baze bayixhele bayixhaxhe, bayibeke phezu kweenkuni, kodwa bangaphembi mlilo. Nam ke ndozilungiselela enye inkunzana leyo, ndiyixhaxhe, ndiyibeke phezu kweenkuni, kodwa ndingaphembi mlilo.
24 Ze ke nibize igama lothixo wenu, nam ndibize igama likaNdikhoyo. Ke uThixo othe waphendula ngomlilo ngoyena-yena Thixo!”Ke abantu baphendula bathi: “La mazwi uwathethileyo mahle.”
25 UEliya wabhekisa kubashumayeli bakaBhali wathi: “Makuqale nina baninzi, nizikhethele inkunzana ibe nye, nizilungiselele yona. Nakugqiba ke, bizani igama lothixo wenu, kodwa ningawuphembi umlilo.”
26 Ngenene ke bayithatha eyabo inkunzana yenkomo, bayixhela, bayixhaxha.Baza ke banqula igama likaBhali, besukela kusasa kwada kwasemini emaqanda, besithi: “Khawuncede usiphendule, Bhali!” Kodwa ke akwabikho mpendulo, akwabikho bani usabelayo. Hayi ke, baxhentsa bejikeleza elo qonga babelenzile.
27 Emini emaqanda uEliya waphoxisa ngabo esithi: “Khanibe ngathi niyakhwaza. Kaloku nguthixo lo! Mhlawumbi usaminxwe ziingcinga, okanye ziingxaki, angathi kanti useseluhambeni. Mhlawumbi usalele, abe ke usavuswa.”
28 Ngoko ke bathath' unyawo ukukhwaza, bezicenta ngemikhonto namakrele ngokwesiko labo, lada latsaza igazi kubo.
29 Yadlula imini emaqanda, bona baqhubela phambili betaka-taka bekrotsha lada lafika ixesha lamadini asemalanga. Kodwa nangoko kwathi cwaka, akwabikho mpendulo, akwabikho bani usabelayo.
30 Ke uEliya wabhekisa kubo bonke abantu, wathi: “Yizani kum apha.” Beza kuye bonke, waza ke yena walilungisa iqonga likaNdikhoyo elaliselonakele.
31 UEliya wathatha amatye alishumi elinambini, ngalinye limele indlu kwezo zizwe zikaYakobi, yena lowo wafikelwa lilizwi likaNdikhoyo lisithi: “Igama lakho kothiwa unguSirayeli.”
32 Ngala matye wakha iqonga egameni likaNdikhoyo, waza wenza umsele walijikeleza. Lo msele wawubanzi, unokungena iilitha ezimalunga neshumi elinesine.
33 Wazilungisa iinkuni, wayixhaxha inkunzi leyo, wayibeka phezu kweenkuni ezo.
34 Waza wathi kubo: “Zalisani iingqayi ezinkulu zibe ne ngamanzi, nize niwagalele kwelo dini nakwezo nkuni.” Waza wathi: “Phindani okwesibini!” Baphinda okwesibini. Wathi: “Phindani okwesithathu!” Baphinda okwesithathu.
35 Amanzi lawo ke ehla apho eqongeni, angena kuloo msele, wazala thwahla.
36 Kwathi ke ngexesha lamadini angokuhlwa umshumayeli uEliya wasondela eqongeni, waza wathandaza wenjenje: “Ndikhoyo, Thixo ka-Abraham, Thixo kaIsake, Thixo kaSirayeli, namhlanje mayaziwe into yokuba nguwe uThixo kaSirayeli, mna ke ndisisicaka sakho, nezi zinto zonke ndizenzileyo ndizenze ngokuyalelwa nguwe.
37 Ewe, ndiphendule kaloku, Ndikhoyo, khon' ukuze naba bantu bakuqonde, bakwazi, wena Ndikhoyo, ukuba unguThixo, babone ukuba wena ngoku uziguqulele kuwe iintliziyo zabo.”
38 Ke kaloku wehla umlilo, uvela kuNdikhoyo, waza walitshisa idini elo, kunye neenkuni, amatye, nomhlaba, wada walenca naloo manzi ayesemseleni.
39 Bakuyibona ke le nto, abantu basuka baziphosa phantsi, bathi: “UNdikhoyo nguye uThixo! UNdikhoyo nguye uThixo!”
40 Ke uEliya wathi kubo: “Babambeni abashumayeli bakaBhali, kungasindi noba abe mnye!” Ngenene ke babanjwa, waza uEliya wathi makuyiwe nabo kwintili yeKishon, apho wababulalela khona.
41 Waza ke uEliya wathi kuAhabhi: “Hamba, uye kutya usele, kuba kuvakala ukundila kwemvula enkulu.”
42 Ke uAhabhi wahamba, watya wasela.Kambe ke yena uEliya wenyuka waya encotsheni yentaba iKarmele, waza wagobela emhlabeni, wafaka ubuso phakathi kwamadolo.
43 UEliya wathumela ihlakani lakhe, wathi: “Khawuhambe ukhangele ngaselwandle ukuba awuboni nto na.”Laya ke lajonga, labuya lisithi: “Hayi, akubonakali nto.”Ke uEliya lo walithuma kwada kwasixhenxe, emana esithi: “Khawuphume ujonge.”
44 Ngesihlandlo sesixhenxe ihlakani lakhe elo labuya lisithi: “Nalo ilifu elingangesandla somntu, lisithi thu elwandle.”UEliya wathi kulo: “Yiya kuxelela uAhabhi, uthi kuye: ‘Bopha inqwelo yakho ugoduke, hleze uvalelwe yimvula.’ ”
45 Kananjalo ke saxubayela isibhakabhaka, kwavela izibhaxu zamafu amnyama, kwavuthuza nomoya, yaza yagaleleka imvula, yatsho ngezantyala-ntyala; wabe ke yena uAhabhi ekhwele esendleleni egodukayo eya eYizereli.
46 UEliya ke wafikelwa ngamandla kaNdikhoyo, waza wazibhinqa ngebhanti izambatho zakhe, wabaleka wamshiya uAhabhi ukuya kufika eYizereli.