Elijah Stops the Rain
1 Elijah was a prophet from Tishbe in Gilead. One day he went to King Ahab and said, “I'm a servant of the living Lord, the God of Israel. And I swear in his name that it won't rain until I say so. There won't even be any dew on the ground.”
2 Later, the Lord said to Elijah, 3 “Leave and go across the Jordan River so you can hide near Cherith Creek. 4 You can drink water from the creek, and eat the food I've told the ravens to bring you.”
5 Elijah obeyed the Lord and went to live near Cherith Creek. 6 Ravens brought him bread and meat twice a day, and he drank water from the creek. 7 But after a while, it dried up because there was no rain.
Elijah Helps a Widow in Zarephath
8 The Lord told Elijah, 9 “Go to the town of Zarephath in Sidon and live there. I've told a widow in that town to give you food.”
10 When Elijah came near the town gate of Zarephath, he saw a widow gathering sticks for a fire. “Would you please bring me a cup of water?” he asked. 11 As she left to get it, he asked, “Would you also please bring me a piece of bread?”
12 The widow answered, “In the name of the living Lord your God, I swear that I don't have any bread. All I have is a handful of flour and a little olive oil. I'm on my way home now with these few sticks to cook what I have for my son and me. After that, we will starve to death.”
13 Elijah said, “Everything will be fine. Do what you said. Go home and fix something for you and your son. But first, please make a small piece of bread and bring it to me. 14 The Lord God of Israel has promised that your jar of flour won't run out and your bottle of oil won't dry up before he sends rain for the crops.”
15 The widow went home and did exactly what Elijah had told her. She and Elijah and her family had enough food for a long time. 16 The Lord kept the promise that his prophet Elijah had made, and she did not run out of flour or oil.
Elijah Brings a Boy Back to Life
17 Several days later, the son of the woman who owned the house got sick, and he kept getting worse, until finally he died.
18 The woman shouted at Elijah, “What have I done to you? I thought you were God's prophet. Did you come here to cause the death of my son as a reminder that I've sinned against God?”
19 “Bring me your son,” Elijah said. Then he took the boy from her arms and carried him upstairs to the room where he was staying. Elijah laid the boy on his bed 20 and prayed, “Lord God, why did you do such a terrible thing to this woman? She's letting me stay here, and now you've let her son die.” 21 Elijah stretched himself out over the boy three times, while praying, “Lord God, bring this boy back to life!”
22 The Lord answered Elijah's prayer, and the boy started breathing again. 23 Elijah picked him up and carried him downstairs. He gave the boy to his mother and said, “Look, your son is alive.”
24 “You are God's prophet!” the woman replied. “Now I know that you really do speak for the Lord.”
Nlebesambeli Elija ne bhamba
1 Nlebesambeli Elija we N'tishibhe mu Giliyadi Kadwa Mambo Ahabu kati, “Mu zina la Yahwe Ndzimu unotjila we Iziraela, wandinoshingila, akutowobe ne khawa kene vula inona kwe makole matatu kuzhe kwe ndaleba.” 2 Dama la Yahwe likazha kakale ku nlebesambeli Elija liti, 3 “Milika ipapa utendebukile ku bhezhuba, unobgwata mu Nkuku we Kherithi, ku bhezhuba kwe gwizi gwe Jorodani. 4 Unong'wa vula mu nkuku, ngono ndalaula makungubo kuti akupe zojiwa.”
5 Elija kathama tjaadwiwa ndi Yahwe, kanogala pa Nkuku we Kherithi ku bhezhuba kwe gwizi gwe Jorodani. 6 Makungubo kanzhisila tjiwunga ne nyama mangwanana ne madekwana, eng'wa vula mu nkuku. 7 Shule kwe mazhuba nkuku ukapkhwa, ngobe vula yakabe isingane mu shango.
Nlebesambeli Elija na Zarefati we tjilikadzi
8 Dama la Yahwe likazha kakale ku nlebesambeli Elija liti, 9 “Milika ngwenu, uyende ku Zarefati we Sidoni unogala ko. Bona, ndalaula tjilikadzi ikweno kuti ikupe zojiwa.” 10 Ndizo Elija kamilika kayenda ku Zarefati, ngono kati eswika pa nkoba we nzi nkulu, bona, kawana tjilikadzi ishaka hwuni. Ngono kaidwa kati, “Ndokumbila vula inong'wiwa.” 11 Ngono kukati tjilikadzi itjayenda kunotola vula, kaidana kati, “Mundizhile ne tjiwunga.” 12 Ngono tjilikadzi ikandabila iti, “Ndotuna na Yahwe, Ndzimu uwo unotjila, andina tjandabhika, ndina bgwisa mu tjilongo gungapelela mu luboko ne mafuta asimuni mu ikuyu. Ndawoshaka hwuni ipapa, kuti ndinobhika ndipeleledza ndibe ndija ne nkololo wangu. Zowobe zwili izo zojiwa zwedu zwe bupelo, towobe togala zhala kudzina tifa.”
13 Ngono Elija kadwa tjilikadzi kati, “Usitje, yenda unothama sekwa waleba, koga kutanga ubhikile imi tjiwunga tjitukununu muna kwaunako, ndiko ukowozwibhikila ne nkololo uwo. 14 Ngoti Yahwe, Ndzimu we Iziraela baleba beti, ‘Bgwisa gumu tjilongo agutowopela, ne mafuta amu ikuyu angamiminike, kudzina zhuba liswika Yahwe benisa vula mu shango.’ ”
15 Tjilikadzi yakayenda ikanothama sekwa yadwiwa ndi Elija, ngono iye na Elija ne be nsha uwe bakabe ne zojiwa zwabakaja mazhuba manjinji. 16 Bgwisa gukasipele mu tjilongo ne mafuta kasimiminike mu ikuyu, kuyendidzana ne dama la Yahwe labakaleba betuma Elija.
17 Shule kwe mazhuba nkololo we tjilikadzi iyeyi mweni we ng'umba, kagwala, bugwele gukantshambilidza kapela meya. 18 Tjilikadzi ikadwa Elija ikati, “Apa unogwilani nami nthu we Ndzimu? Wakazha pandili kuwondikumbuludza tjibi tjangu ne kuthama kuti nkololo wangu afe kene?”
19 Elija kandwa kati, “Undipe nkololo uwo.” Ngono katola mbisana pa ifuba tja mmeyabe, katathila naye ku ng'umba ipezhugwi kwaakabe egala, kaswika eladzika mbisana pa bulawo gugwe. 20 Kamilidzila hwi lile kuna Yahwe etembezela eti, “Imwi Yahwe Ndzimu wangu, apa mazhisa zogwadza zwingapa mu nkadzi iwoyu we tjilikadzi wandigele panli ngobulaya mwana uwe kene?” 21 Ipapo Elija katshibama pezhugwi kwe mwana katatu, kamimilila kuna Yahwe etembezela eti, “Imwi Yahwe Ndzimu wangu, ndokumbila kuti meya ye mwana uwoyu ibgwilile munli.” 22 Ngono Yahwe bakateedza hwi la Elija, meya ye mwana ikabgwilila munli, akathudza. 23 Elija katola mwana kadelukila naye ku ng'umba ipasi, kayisa mbisana kuna mmeyabe, kabadwa kati, “Bona, nkololo uwo unotjila.”
24 Ngono nkadzi kadwa Elija kati, “Ngwenu ndoziba kuti u nthu we Ndzimu ne kuti dama linodwa mu nlomo uwo malebeswa, i dama la Yahwe.”