Elijah and King Ahaziah
1 After the death of King Ahab of Israel the country of Moab rebelled against Israel.
2 King Ahaziah of Israel fell off the balcony on the roof of his palace in Samaria and was seriously injured. So he sent some messengers to consult Baalzebub, the god of the Philistine city of Ekron, in order to find out whether or not he would recover. 3 But an angel of the Lord commanded Elijah, the prophet from Tishbe, to go and meet the messengers of King Ahaziah and ask them, “Why are you going to consult Baalzebub, the god of Ekron? Is it because you think there is no god in Israel? 4 Tell the king that the Lord says, ‘You will not recover from your injuries; you will die!’”
Elijah did as the Lord commanded, 5 and the messengers returned to the king. “Why have you come back?” he asked.
6 They answered, “We were met by a man who told us to come back and tell you that the Lord says to you, ‘Why are you sending messengers to consult Baalzebub, the god of Ekron? Is it because you think there is no god in Israel? You will not recover from your injuries; you will die!’”
7 “What did the man look like?” the king asked.
8 “He was wearing a cloak made of animal skins, tied with a leather belt,” they answered.
“It's Elijah!” the king exclaimed.
9 Then he sent an officer with fifty men to get Elijah. The officer found him sitting on a hill and said to him, “Man of God, the king orders you to come down.”
10 “If I am a man of God,” Elijah answered, “may fire come down from heaven and kill you and your men!” At once fire came down and killed the officer and his men.
11 The king sent another officer with fifty men, who went up and said to Elijah, “Man of God, the king orders you to come down at once!”
12 “If I am a man of God,” Elijah answered, “may fire come down from heaven and kill you and your men!” At once the fire of God came down and killed the officer and his men.
13 Once more the king sent an officer with fifty men. He went up the hill, fell on his knees in front of Elijah, and pleaded, “Man of God, be merciful to me and my men. Spare our lives! 14 The two other officers and their men were killed by fire from heaven; but please be merciful to me!”
15 The angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go down with him, and don't be afraid.” So Elijah went with the officer to the king 16 and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Because you sent messengers to consult Baalzebub, the god of Ekron—as if there were no god in Israel to consult—you will not get well; you will die!’”
17 Ahaziah died, as the Lord had said through Elijah. Ahaziah had no sons, so his brother Joram succeeded him as king in the second year of the reign of Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah.
18 Everything else that King Ahaziah did is recorded in The History of the Kings of Israel.
Elija na Ahaziya
1 Kwakati shule kwe lufu gwa Ahabu, Moabu ikapandukila Iziraela.
2 Ahaziya wakawa nge fesitere lakalukiwa le ng'umba iye itja pezhugwi mu Samariya, kakubala, ngono katuma batumwa, kabadwa kati, “Yendani munobhuzwa kuna Bhaalezebubu ndzimu we Ekironi kuti kene ndowopola mu kukubala ikoku.” 3 Koga ntumwa wa Yahwe kadwa Elija we N'tishibhe kati, “Milika, yenda unoshanganidza batumwa ba mambo we Samariya, ngono ubabhuzwe uti, ‘Apa ndikuti akuna Ndzimu mu Iziraela kwamungadzina mukayenda kunobhuzwa kuna Bhaalezebubu ndzimu we Ekironi kene?’ 4 Ndizo tjinoleba Yahwe etji, ‘Autowodwa mu bulawo gwa ulele muguli, nge malebeswa unowofa.’ ” Elija kayenda.
5 Batumwa bakashandukila kuna mambo, ngono kababhuzwa kati, “Ini mashanduka kene?” 6 Bakashandula beti, “Kwazha mmwe nlume kutishanganidza, ngono katidwa kati, ‘Bgwililani kuna mambo wamutuma, mundwe muti: Tjinoleba Yahwe etji, apa ndikuti akuna Ndzimu mu Iziraela kwamungadzina mukatuma bathu kunobhuzwa kuna Bhaalezebubu ndzimu we Ekironi kene? Ndizo autowodwa mu bulawo gwa ulele muguli, nge malebeswa unowofa.’ ” 7 Kati kubali, “Kwabe kuli nlume wakatini wazha kuwomushanganidza kumubudza zwithu zwakajali kene?” 8 Bakashandula beti, “Wabe akaambala tjiambalo tje bukuse, ana mwandabula we ganda mu thunji dzidze.” Mambo kati, “Ndi Elija we N'tishibhe.”
9 Ipapo mambo katuma ntungamili we bali makumi mashanu (50) ne balume bali makumi mashanu (50). Ntungamili katathila kuna Elija wakabe aligele pezhugwi kwe duthu, kati kunli, “Iwe nlume we Ndzimu, mambo bakati, ‘Deluka.’ ” 10 Ngono Elija kashandula ntungamili we bali makumi mashanu (50) kati, “Ha ndili nlume we Ndzimu, moto ngaudeluke udwa kudzimu ukulotese iwe ne balume babo bali makumi mashanu” (50). Ipapo moto ukadeluka udwa kudzimu ukabalotesa, iye ne bali makumi mashanu (50).
11 Mambo katuma mmwe ntungamili we bali makumi mashanu (50) kakale ne balume babe bali makumi mashanu (50). Ntungamili katathila pezhugwi kandwa kati, “Iwe nlume we Ndzimu, mambo bakati, ‘Deluka tjinyolotjo.’ ” 12 Ngono Elija kabashandula eti, “Ha ndili nlume we Ndzimu, moto ngaudeluke kudzimu umulotese iwe ne balume babo bali makumi mashanu” (50). Ipapo moto we Ndzimu ukadeluka kudzimu ukanlotesa ne balume babe bali makumi mashanu (50).
13 Mambo katuma kakale gwe butatu ntungamili we bali makumi mashanu (50). Ntungamili we butatu we bali makumi mashanu katathila pezhugwi, kawa pasi nge zwidwi mbeli kwa Elija, kankumbila kati, “Iwe nlume we Ndzimu, ndokumbila utjidze butjilo gwangu ne butjilo gwe balanda babo ibaba bali makumi mashanu (50), ube ne ngoni mu mesho awo. 14 Bona, moto wakadeluka udwa kudzimu ukalotesa batungamili babili be kutanga ne balume babo. Ndizo ngwenu, butjilo gwangu ngagube tjakanaka mu mesho enyu.” 15 Ntumwa wa Yahwe kabe eti kuna Elija, “Deluka naye, usintje.” Ndizo Elija kamilika kadeluka kayenda naye kuna mambo, 16 ngono kati kuna mambo, “Tjinoleba Yahwe etji, ‘Apa ndikuti akuna Ndzimu mu Iziraela wamunga bhuzwa, kwamungadzina mukatuma batumwa kunobhuzwa kuna Bhaalezebubu ndzimu we Ekironi kene? Ngoti wathama ikoku, autowomuka mu bulawo gwa ulele muguli, nge malebeswa unowofa.’ ”
17 Ndizo Ahaziya wakafa kuyendidzana nge dama la Yahwe lakalebgwa ndi Elija. Ngono Jehoramu mwana wa tate babe kan'gala thaka kube mambo mu gole le bubili la Jehoramu nkololo wa Jehoshafati mambo we Juda, ngobe Ahaziya wakabe asina mwana we tjilisana.
18 Apa mimwe mishingo ya Ahaziya ne zwaakathama azwizokwagwa mu Lukwalo gwe zwiyitikalo gwa bomambo be Iziraela kene?