Wathi: “Angizange ngithuse u-Israyeli; kepha wena nendlu kayihlo, ngokuba uyishiyile imiyalo kaJehova, walandela oBali.
Manje thumela ubuthe kimi wonke u-Israyeli eNtabeni iKarmeli, nabaprofethi bakaBhali abangamakhulu amane namashumi amahlanu nabaprofethi beziqu zesihlahla esingcwele abangamakhulu amane abadla etafuleni lika-Izebeli.
U-Ahabi wayesethumela kubo bonke abantwana bakwa-Israyeli, wabutha abaprofethi entabeni yaseKarmeli.
U-Eliya wayesesondela kubo bonke abantu, wathi: “Koze kube nini nimi phakathi kwenhliziyo ezimbili na?” uma uJehova enguNkulunkulu, mlandeleni; kepha uma kunguBali, mlandeleni. Isixuku asimphendulanga ngazwi.
Wayesethi u-Eliya kubantu: “Mina ngedwa ngisele umprofethi kaJehova; kepha abaprofethi bakaBali ngamadoda angamakhulu amane namashumi ayisihlanu.
Khona-ke mabasinike izinkunzi ezimbili; bazikhethele inkunzi eyodwa, bayihlahlele, bayibeke phezu kwezinkuni, bangafaki mlilo phansi kwayo; futhi ngizosebenza enye inkunzi ngiyibeke phezu kwezinkuni, ngingafaki mlilo ngaphansi kwayo.
Nibize igama lawonkulunkulu benu, mina ngibize igama likaJehova; futhi uNkulunkulu ophendula ngomlilo, makabe uNkulunkulu. Baphendula bonke abantu, bathi: “Kukhulunywe kahle.”
U-Eliya wayesethi kubaprofethi bakaBali: “Zikhetheleni inkunzi eyodwa, niyilungise kuqala; ngoba nibaningi; nibize igama lawonkulunkulu benu, ningafaki mlilo phansi kwawo.
Base beyithatha inkunzi ababeyiphiwa, bayilima, babiza igama likaBali kusukela ekuseni kwaze kwaba semini, bathi: “Bali, silalele! Kodwa kwakungekho zwi, futhi kwakungekho ophendulayo. Futhi bagxumela phezu kwealtare elenziwe.
Kwasekusithi emini uElija wadlala ngabo, wathi: Memezani kakhulu, ngoba ungunkulunkulu; kuphakathi kokuthi uyakhuluma, noma uyajaha, noma uyahamba, noma mhlawumbe ulele futhi udinga ukuvuka.
Bamemeza kakhulu, bazisika njengomkhuba wabo ngemimese nezijula kwaze kwagobhoza igazi phezu kwabo.
Lapho sekuntambama sebeprofethile kwaze kwafika isikhathi somnikelo wakusihlwa, kwakungekho zwi noma ophendulayo noma olalelayo.
UElija wasesithi ebantwini bonke: Sondelani kimi. Bonke abantu basondela kuye. Walungisa i-altare likaJehova elalidiliziwe.
U-Eliya wathatha amatshe ayishumi nambili ngokwenani lezizwe zamadodana kaJakobe okwafika kuye izwi likaJehova lathi: “Igama lakho liyakuba ngu-Israyeli.”
Wakha i-altare ngamatshe egameni likaJehova; wenza umsele nxazonke ze-altare, wawungalingana amaseya amabili embewu.
Wazihlela izinkuni, wayihlahlela inkunzi, wayibeka phezu kwezinkuni, wathi: “Gcwalisani izitsha ezine ngamanzi, niwathele emnikelweni wokushiswa naphezu kwezinkuni.”
Wathi: “Kwenzeni ngokwesibili.” Bakwenza ngokwesibili. Wathi: “Kwenzeni ngokwesithathu.” Bakwenza okwesithathu.
Amanzi agobhoza e-altare nxazonke; wagcwalisa nomsele ngamanzi.
Kwathi ngesikhathi somhlatshelo womhlatshelo wakusihlwa u-Eliya umprofethi wasondela, wathi: “Jehova Nkulunkulu ka-Abrahama, no-Isaka, no-Israyeli, makwazeke namuhla ukuthi uNkulunkulu wakho ukhona kwa-Israyeli! nokuthi ngiyinceku yakho, nokuthi ngenzile zonke lezi zinto ngezwi lakho.
Ngilalele, Jehova, ngilalele, ukuze laba bantu bazi ukuthi wena Jehova unguNkulunkulu, nokuthi uyiphendulile inhliziyo yabo.
Khona-ke umlilo kaJehova wehla waqeda umnikelo wokushiswa nezinkuni namatshe nothuli wakhotha namanzi ayesemseleni.
Kwathi bonke abantu bekubona, bawa ngobuso babo, bathi: UJehova nguye onguNkulunkulu; uJehova, unguNkulunkulu.
UElija wasesithi kubo: Babambani abaprofethi bakaBhali; makungaphunyuki noyedwa kubo. Babathatha, u-Eliya wabehlisela emfudlaneni iKishoni, wababulalela khona.
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