Kwathi ngokuhamba kwezinsuku, umfudlana washa, ngokuba kwakungekho mvula ezweni.
Izwi likaSimakade lafika kuye, lathi: “Suka uye eZarefathi eseSidoni, uhlale khona. Sengiyale owesifazane ongumfelokazi lapho ukuba akondle.”
Wasuka waya eZarefathi; wafika esangweni lomuzi, bheka, nango owesifazane ongumfelokazi etheza izinkuni zokubasa. Wambiza wathi kuye: “Ake ungilethele amanzana esitsheni, ngiphuze.”
Esasuka nje eyowalanda, wambiza futhi, wathi: “Ake ungiphathele nocezu lwesinkwa.”
Kepha wathi: “Ngifunga ngiyagomela phambi kukaSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho, anginalo iqebelengwane, okukhona nje inkeshezana yempuphu esembizeni, nengcosana yamafutha ophisweni. Uyabona-ke, sengizitholele izinkuni ezimbili ukuze ngihambe ngizilungiselele khona nendodana yami ukuba sidle, sife.”
Wayesethi u-Eliya kuye: “Ungesabi; hamba wenze njengokusho kwakho, kodwa yenzela mina kuqala iqebelengwane elincane, ulilethe kimi, andukuba uzilungiselele wena nendodana yakho. Ngokuba usho kanje uSimakade uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: ‘Imbiza yempuphu ayiyukuphela, nophiso lwamafutha aluyukuswela, kuze kufike lolo lusuku uSimakade ayokunisa ngalo imvula emhlabeni.’ ”
Wayesehamba, wenza njengokusho kuka-Eliya: kwadla yena, u-Eliya, nabendlu yakhe izinsuku eziningi. Imbiza yempuphu ayiphelanga, nophiso lwamafutha aluswelanga njengokusho kwezwi likaSimakade ayelikhulume ngomlomo ka-Eliya.
Kwathi emveni kwalokho, indodana yalowo mfelokazi, umninindlu, yagula. Ukugula kwayo kwaba nzima kangangokuthi yayingasakwazi ukuphefumula. Wayesethi ku-Eliya: “Kodwa ngikone ngani wena muntu kaNkulunkulu? Uze lapha ukuba uzongikhumbuza isono sami nokuba kufe indodana yami na?”
Kepha u-Eliya wathi kuye: “Nginike indodana yakho.”
Wayithatha esifubeni sakhe, wakhuphukela nayo ekamelweni eliphezulu, lapho ayehlala khona, wayibeka embhedeni wakhe. Wayesekhala kuSimakade, ethi: “Simakade Nkulunkulu wami, kungani wehlisele lo mfelokazi engigogobele kwakhe okubi okungaka uze ubulale indodana yakhe na?”
Wazelula phezu komntwana kathathu, wakhala kuSimakade, wathi: “Simakade Nkulunkulu wami, umphefumulo walo mntwana mawubuyele kuye.”
USimakade walizwa izwi lika-Eliya; umphefumulo womntwana wabuyela kuye, waphila. U-Eliya wayesemthatha umntwana, wamehlisa ekamelweni eliphezulu, wamngenisa endlini, wamnika unina; wathi: “Bheka, indodana yakho isiyaphila.”
Owesifazane wathi ku-Eliya: “Manje sengiyazi ukuthi wena ungumuntu kaNkulunkulu nokuthi izwi likaSimakade elisemlonyeni wakho, liyiqiniso.”
Uhlelo Lokusebenza lweBhayibheli
Uhlelo Lokusebenza LweBhayibheli yezingane
