1 Kwathi emva kwezinsuku eziningi izwi likaJehova lafika ku-Eliya ngomnyaka wesithathu, lathi: “Hamba uzibonakalise ku-Ahabi; ngiyakunisa imvula emhlabeni.”
2 Wayesehamba u-Eliya ukuzibonakalisa ku-Ahabi. Indlala yayinamandla eSamariya.
3 U-Ahabi wabiza u-Obadiya owayephezu kwendlu yakhe. U-Obadiya wayemesaba kakhulu uNkulunkulu,
4 ngokuba kwathi lapho u-Izebeli ebulala abaprofethi bakaJehova, u-Obadiya wathatha abaprofethi abayikhulu, wabafihla emhumeni ngamashumi ayisihlanu, wabondla ngesinkwa nangamanzi.
5 U-Ahabi wathi ku-Obadiya: “Hamba ezweni, uye emithonjaneni yonke yamanzi nasemifudlaneni yonke; mhlawumbe singafumana utshani, sisindise amahhashi neminyuzi,* izilwane zingabhubhi.”
6 Base bahlukaniselana izwe ukuba balidabule: u-Ahabi wahamba ngenye indlela eyedwa, u-Obadiya naye wahamba ngenye indlela eyedwa.
7 U-Obadiya esendleleni, bheka, kwahlangana naye u-Eliya, wambona, wawa ngobuso, wathi: “Wena uyinkosi yami u-Eliya na?”
8 Wathi kuye: “Yimi; hamba utshele inkosi yakho ukuthi: ‘Nangu u-Eliya.’ ”
9 Wayesethi kuye: “Ngoneni ukuba unikele inceku yakho esandleni sika-Ahabi ukungibulala na?
10 Kuphila kukaJehova, uNkulunkulu wakho, akukho sizwe nambuso lapho inkosi yami ingathumanga khona ukukufuna, nanxa bethi akakho lapha, yafungisa umbuso nesizwe ukuthi abakufumananga.
11 Manje usuthi wena: ‘Hamba utshele inkosi yakho ukuthi: Nangu u-Eliya.’
12 Kuyakuthi sengisukile kuwe, uMoya kaJehova akuyise lapho ngingazi khona, nanxa sengifika ukuba ngimtshele u-Ahabi, yena angakufumani, uyakungibulala; kepha mina nceku yakho ngiyamesaba uJehova kwasebusheni bami.
13 Inkosi yami ayitshelwanga yini lokho engakwenzayo lapho u-Izebeli ebulala abaprofethi bakaJehova, ukuthi ngafihla abantu abayikhulu kubaprofethi bakaJehova ngamashumi ayisihlanu emhumeni, ngabondla ngesinkwa nangamanzi, na?
14 Usuthi manje: ‘Hamba utshele inkosi yakho ukuthi: Nangu u-Eliya,’ bese yingibulala.”
15 Kepha u-Eliya wathi: “Kuphila kukaJehova Sebawoti engimi phambi kwakhe namuhla, ngizakuzibonakalisa kuye.”
16 U-Obadiya wayesehamba ukumhlangabeza u-Ahabi, wamtshela lokho; wayesehamba u-Ahabi ukumhlangabeza u-Eliya.
17 Kwathi u-Ahabi esembonile u-Eliya, u-Ahabi wathi kuye: “Nguwe ongumhluphi wakwa-Israyeli na?”
18 Kodwa wathi: “Mina angimhluphanga u-Israyeli, kepha nguwe nendlu kayihlo, ngokuyilahla imiyalo kaJehova, uze ulandele oBali.
19 Ngalokho thumela ubuthe kimi u-Israyeli wonke entabeni yaseKarmeli, nabaprofethi bakaBali abangamakhulu amane namashumi ayisihlanu, nabaprofethi baka-Ashera* abangamakhulu amane abadla etafuleni lika-Izebeli.”
20 U-Ahabi wayesethumela kubo bonke abantwana bakwa-Israyeli, wabutha abaprofethi entabeni yaseKarmeli.
21 U-Eliya wasondela kubo bonke abantu, wathi: “Koze kube nini nimanqikanqika phakathi kwezinhlangothi ezimbili na? Uma uJehova enguNkulunkulu, mlandeleni yena, kepha uma kunguBali, mlandeleni yena.” Kodwa abantu kabamphendulanga ngazwi.
22 Wayesethi u-Eliya kubantu: “Yimi ngedwa oseleyo engumprofethi kaJehova, kepha abaprofethi bakaBali bangabantu abangamakhulu amane namashumi ayisihlanu.
23 Mabasinike izinkunzi ezimbili, bazikhethele inkunzi ibenye, bayihlahlele, bayibeke phezu kwezinkuni, bangafaki umlilo; mina ngiyakuyilungisa enye inkunzi, ngiyibeke phezu kwezinkuni, ngingafaki umlilo.
24 Libizeni igama likankulunkulu wenu, mina ngibize igama likaJehova; bese kuthi uNkulunkulu ophendula ngomlilo abe nguye onguNkulunkulu.”Bonke abantu bathi: “Lihle leli zwi.”
25 U-Eliya wayesethi kubaprofethi bakaBali: “Zikhetheleni inkunzi, niyilungise kuqala, ngokuba nibaningi, nibize igama likankulunkulu wenu, ningafaki umlilo nokho.”
26 Bayithatha inkunzi abayinikwayo, bayilungisa, balibiza igama likaBali kwasekuseni kwaze kwaba semini ngokuthi: “Bali, siphenduleni;” kepha akubangakho zwi, nophendulayo wayengekho. Baxhuma ngase-altare ebelenziwe.
27 Kwathi ngasemini u-Eliya wadlala ngabo, wathi: “Memezani ngezwi elikhulu; noma engunkulunkulu, mhlawumbe uyazindla, noma echezukile nje, noma esohambeni, noma elele edinga ukuvuswa.”
28 Base bememeza ngezwi elikhulu, bazisika ngawomese nangemikhonto ngomthetho wabo, kwaze kwatshaza igazi kubo.
29 Kwathi lapho isidlulile imini, baprofetha kwaze kwanikelwa ngomnikelo wempuphu, kepha akubangakho zwi, nophendulayo, nonakekelayo.
30 U-Eliya wayesethi kubantu bonke: “Sondelani kimi.” Bonke abantu basondela kuye. Wayeselungisa i-altare likaJehova elalidiliziwe.
31 U-Eliya wathatha amatshe ayishumi nambili njengomumo wezizwe zamadodana kaJakobe okweza kuye izwi likaJehova, lathi: “Igama lakho lizakuba ngu-Israyeli.”
32 Wakha i-altare ngamatshe egameni likaJehova, wenza umsele ngase-altare nxazonke olingene namaseya* amabili embewu.
33 Wahlela izinkuni, wayihlahlela inkunzi, wayibeka phezu kwezinkuni.
34 Wathi: “Gcwalisani izimbiza ezine ngamanzi, niwathele emnikelweni wokushiswa naphezu kwezinkuni.” Wathi: “Kwenzeni ngokwesibili.” Wayesethi: “Kwenzeni nangokwesithathu.” Baphinda ngokwesithathu.
35 Amanzi agobhoza ngase-altare nxazonke; wagcwalisa nomsele ngamanzi.
36 Kwathi ngesikhathi sokunikela ngomnikelo wempuphu u-Eliya umprofethi wasondela, wathi: “Jehova Nkulunkulu ka-Abrahama noka-Isaka noka-Israyeli, makwazeke namuhla ukuthi wena unguNkulunkulu kwa-Israyeli, nokuthi mina ngiyinceku yakho, nokuthi ngenzile konke lokhu ngezwi lakho.
37 Ngiphendule, Jehova, ngiphendule ukuba laba bantu bazi ukuthi wena Jehova unguNkulunkulu nokuthi uphendukisela kuwe izinhliziyo.”
38 Wawusuwehla umlilo kaJehova, wawuqeda umnikelo wokushiswa, nezinkuni, namatshe, nothuli, wakhotha amanzi asemseleni.
39 Abantu bonke sebekubonile lokho bawa ngobuso babo, bathi: “UJehova nguye onguNkulunkulu; uJehova nguye onguNkulunkulu.”
40 U-Eliya wathi kubo: “Bambani abaprofethi bakaBali, kungabaleki noyedwa kubo.” Bababamba, u-Eliya wabehlisela emfudlaneni iKishoni, wababulala khona.
41 Wayesethi u-Eliya ku-Ahabi: “Khuphuka, udle, uphuze, ngokuba kukhona umdumo wemvula enkulu.”
42 Wayesekhuphuka u-Ahabi ukuba adle, aphuze. U-Eliya wakhuphukela esiqongweni saseKarmeli, wakhothamela phansi, wabeka ubuso bakhe phakathi kwamadolo akhe.
43 Wathi encekwini yakhe: “Khuphuka, ubheke ngaselwandle.”Yakhuphuka, yabheka, yathi: “Akukho lutho.”Wayesethi: “Phinda kasikhombisa.”
44 Kwathi ngokwesikhombisa yathi: “Bheka, kukhuphuka ifu elwandle, lingangesandla somuntu.”Wayesethi: “Khuphuka, umtshele u-Ahabi ukuthi: ‘Bophela, wehle, funa uvinjelwe yimvula.’ ”
45 Kwathi ngesikhashana nje izulu laguqubala ngamafu nangomoya, lana imvula enkulu. U-Ahabi wakhwela inqola, waya eJizreyeli.
46 Isandla sikaJehova sasiku-Eliya; wabopha ukhalo lwakhe, wagijima phambi kuka-Ahabi, waze wafika ekungeneni kwaseJizreyeli.