1 Kwakhala ku-Elisha owesifazane othile wabafazi bamadodana abaprofethi, wathi: “Inceku yakho, indoda yami, ifile; wena uyazi ukuthi inceku yakho yayimesaba uJehova; sekufike umtshelekisi ukuzithathela abafana bami ababili babe yizigqila.”
2 U-Elisha wathi kuye: “Ngikwenzele ntoni na? Ngitshele. Unantoni endlini?”Wathi: “Incekukazi yakho ayinalutho endlini ngaphandle komfuma wamafutha.”
3 Wayesethi: “Hamba utsheleke izitsha ngaphandle kubo bonke abakhelwane bakho, izitsha ezingenalutho, zingabi yingcosana.
4 Wongena, uzivalele ngesivalo, wena namadodana akho, uthele ezitheni zonke lezo, ubeke ezigcweleyo eceleni.”
5 Wasuka kuye, wazivalela yena namadodana akhe ngesivalo; wona aletha kuye, yena wathela.
6 Kwathi izitsha sezigcwele, wathi endodaneni yakhe: “Sondeza kimi nesinye isitsha.”Kepha yathi kuye: “Akusekho sitsha.” Amafutha anquma-ke.
7 Wayeseya ukumtshela lowo muntu kaNkulunkulu. Wathi yena: “Hamba uthengise ngamafutha, ukhokhe isikwenetu sakho, uzondle wena namadodana akho ngaseleyo.”
8 Kwathi ngelinye ilanga u-Elisha wadlulela eShunemi lapho kwakukhona owesifazane ocebileyo, wamcindezela ukuba adle isinkwa. Kwakuthi njalo nxa edlula, waphambukela khona ukuba adle.
9 Wathi endodeni yakhe: “Bheka, manje sengiyazi ukuthi ungumuntu ongcwele kaNkulunkulu, odlula kithi njalonjalo.
10 Ake sixhume odongeni ikamelo phezulu, simbekele khona umbhede, netafula, nesihlalo, nothi lwesibani; kuyakuthi lapho eza kithi, aphambukele khona.”
11 Kwathi ngelinye ilanga wafika khona, waphambukela ekamelweni, walala khona.
12 Wathi kuGehazi inceku yakhe: “Mbize lo mShunemikazi,” wema phambi kwakhe.
13 Wathi kuye: “Ake usho kuye ukuthi: ‘Bheka, usinakekele ngakho konke lokhu kunakekela; ungenzelwa ntoni na? Uthanda ukukhulunyelwa enkosini noma enduneni yempi na?’ ”Wathi: “Ngihlezi phakathi kwabantu bakithi.”
14 Wayesethi: “Angenzelwa ntoni na?”UGehazi wathi: “Impela akanandodana, nendoda yakhe isindala.”
15 Wayesethi: “Mbize.” Wambiza; wema emnyango.
16 Wathi: “Ngalesi sikhathi ngomnyaka ozayo uyakusingatha indodana.”Wathi: “Hhayi, nkosi, wena muntu kaNkulunkulu, ungaqambi amanga encekukazini yakho.”
17 Kepha owesifazane wakhulelwa, wazala indodana ngaleso sikhathi ngomnyaka olandelayo njengokusho kuka-Elisha kuye.
18 Kwathi umfana esekhulile, waphuma ngelinye ilanga, waya kuyise kubavuni.
19 Wathi kuyise: “Ngafa ikhanda! Ngafa ikhanda!”Wayesethi encekwini yakhe: “Myise kunina.”
20 Yamthatha, yamyisa kunina; wahlala emathangeni akhe kwaze kwaba semini, wafa.
21 Wakhuphuka, wambeka embhedeni womuntu kaNkulunkulu, wamvalela, waphuma.
22 Wabiza indoda yakhe, wathi: “Ake ungithumele enye yezinceku nenye yezimbongolo ukuba ngigijimele kulowo muntu kaNkulunkulu, bese ngibuya.”
23 Kepha wathi: “Uyelani kuye namuhla na? Akusilo olokwethwasa kwenyanga, akusilo isabatha.”Wathi: “Kahle.”
24 Wayesebophela imbongolo, wathi encekwini yakhe: “Qhuba, uhambe njalo, ungangimisi ekuhambeni, uma ngingakutsheli.”
25 Wayesehamba-ke, wafika kulowo muntu kaNkulunkulu entabeni yaseKarmeli. Kwathi lapho lowo muntu kaNkulunkulu embona esekude, wathi kuGehazi inceku yakhe: “Bheka, nanguya umShunemikazi;
26 ake ugijime, umhlangabeze, uthi kuye: ‘Usahlezi kahle na? Indoda yakho isahlezi kahle na? Umntanakho usahlezi kahle na?’ ”Wathi: “Sisahlezi kahle.”
27 Wafika kumuntu kaNkulunkulu entabeni, wabamba izinyawo zakhe. UGehazi wasondela ukuba amxoshe, kepha umuntu kaNkulunkulu wathi: “Myeke, ngokuba inhliziyo yakhe imunyu phakathi kwakhe; uJehova ungifihlele lokho, kangitshelanga.”
28 Wayesethi: “Ngake ngacela yini indodana enkosini yami na? Angishongo yini ukuthi: ‘Ungangikhohlisi,’ na?”
29 Wayesethi kuGehazi: “Bhinca izikhali zakho, uthathe udondolo lwami ngesandla sakho, uhambe; uma uhlangana nomuntu, ungambingeleli; uma umuntu ekubingelela, ungamphenduli, ubeke udondolo lwami ebusweni bomntwana.”
30 Unina womntwana wathi: “Kuphila kukaJehova nokuphila kwakho, angiyikukushiya.” Wayesesuka wamlandela.
31 UGehazi wadlulela ngaphambi kwabo, walubeka udondolo ebusweni bomntwana; akwabakho zwi nakunaka. Ngalokho wabuya ukumhlangabeza, wamtshela ukuthi: “Umntwana akavukanga.”
32 U-Elisha esengene endlini, bheka, umntwana wayefile elele embhedeni wakhe.
33 Wangena, wabavalela bobabili isivalo, wakhuleka kuJehova.
34 Wakhuphuka, walala phezu komntwana, wabeka umlomo wakhe phezu komlomo wakhe, namehlo akhe phezu kwamehlo akhe, nezandla zakhe phezu kwezandla zakhe; lapho esekhothama phezu kwakhe, inyama yomntwana yafudumala.
35 Wayesebuya, wahambahamba khona endlini, waya emuva, waya phambili; wakhuphuka, wakhothama phezu kwakhe; umntwana wathimula kasikhombisa; umntwana wavula amehlo akhe.
36 Wayesembiza uGehazi, wathi: “Mbize lowo mShunemikazi.” Wambiza. Esengene kuye, wathi: “Thatha indodana yakho.”
37 Wayesefika, wawa ngasezinyaweni zakhe, wakhothama phansi; wayithatha indodana yakhe, waphuma.
38 U-Elisha wabuyela eGiligali; kwakukhona indlala kulelo zwe; amadodana abaprofethi ayehlezi phambi kwakhe; wathi encekwini yakhe: “Bheka ikhanzi elikhulu, uphekele amadodana abaprofethi ukudla.”
39 Kwaphuma omunye, waya endle ukukha imifino, wafumana intandela yasendle, wabutha kuyo izintangazane; yagcwala ingubo yakhe; wafika, waziklabelela ekhanzini lokudla, ngokuba babengazazi.
40 Base bethululela abantu ukuba badle. Kwathi besadla lokho kudla, bakhala bathi: “We muntu kaNkulunkulu, kukhona ukufa ekhanzini.” Babengasenakudla.
41 Kepha wathi: “Lethani impuphu.” Wayiphonsa ekhanzini, wathi: “Thululela abantu ukuba badle.” Kwakungasekho okubi ekhanzini.
42 Kwavela umuntu waseBali Shalisha, walethela lo muntu kaNkulunkulu ukudla kolibo, izinkwa zebhali* ezingamashumi amabili nezikhwebu ezintsha zamabele enqalathini yakhe. Wathi: “Banike abantu ukuba badle.”
43 Kepha isikhonzi sakhe sathi: “Uthini? Ngibeke lokhu phambi kwabantu abayikhulu na?”Wathi: “Banike ukuba badle, ngokuba usho kanje uJehova, uthi: ‘Bayakudla, kusale.’ ”
44 Sase sikubeka phambi kwabo; badla, kwasala njengezwi likaJehova.