Nnda wa Nabhothi we mizhambi
1 Kwakabe kuna nnda we mizhambi we nlume wakabe eyi Nabhothi pejo ne ng'umba ye bumambo ya Mambo Ahabu. 2 Limwe zhuba Ahabu kadwa Nabhothi kati, “Undipe nnda uwo we mizhambi ndilime milibo muuli, ngoti upejo ne ng'umba yangu. Ndowokupa wakanaka kuupinda mu bumo gwawo, kene ha ubona kwakakululwamila kukulipa nge mari ndowokulipa themba yakaulizana.”
3 Koga Nabhothi kashandula Ahabu eti, “Yahwe abatoduma kuti ndingakupa thaka ya bobatategulu bangu!”
4 Ngono Ahabu kayenda kanyi akagwadzamoyo moyo akadzipiwa nge shungu, nge tjaadwiwa ndi Nabhothi we Njezerele, eti aangampe thaka ya bobatategulu babe. Kanoyizela pa bulawo gugwe akalinga ku guma, alamba ja zojiwa. 5 Koga nkadzi uwe Jezebele kazha kunli kambhuzwa kati, “Ini makapuna moyo, kwamadzina mukasije zojiwa kene?”
6 Ngono kadabila nkadzi uwe eti, “Huti ndalebeleka na Nabhothi kuti anditengesele nnda uwe we mizhambi nge mari, kene ha eshaka mmwe nnda, ndimpe mmwe nnda we mizhambi mu bumo gwawo, ngono kandidabila eti aangandipe iwo.”
7 Nkadzi uwe Jezebele kandwa kati, “Apa ndiko sekwa munobusa Iziraela kene? Mukani, muje zojiwa, mushaladuke. Imi ndowomupa nnda we mizhambi wa Nabhothi we Njezerele.”
8 Ndizo nkadzi kakwala hwalo nge zina la Ahabu kadzitshambisa nge tjilakidzo tje nlume uwe, kadzitumila ku hadzasha ne bakulu be nzi banogala na Nabhothi mu nzi uwe nkulu. 9 Ngono kakwala mu hwalo eti, “Shalulani zhuba le kuzwinyima zojiwa, mukubunganye bathu, muzhe mugadze Nabhothi ku magalo ambeli. 10 Mugadze kulingisana naye bathu babili be moyo mikukutu, ngono bantilike nlandu beti, ‘Wakalonga bhiso mu Ndzimu ne muna mambo.’ Mube mun'dusila kuzhe kwe nzi kunombulaya ngonkhikhithidza nge mabgwe.”
11 Hadzasha ne bakulu be nzi we Jezerele bakathama sekwa badwiwa ndi Jezebele. 12 Bakashalula zhuba le kuzwinyima zojiwa, bakakubunganya bathu, Nabhothi bakan'gadza ku magalo ambeli kwe gubungano. 13 Bathu babili be moyo mikukutu bakangina bakagala kulingisana na Nabhothi, bakantilika nlandu beti, “Nabhothi wakalonga bhiso mu Ndzimu ne muna mambo.” Kabe etolegwa kuzhe kwe nzi kunobulawa ngokhikhithidziwa nge mabgwe. 14 Ndizo bakatuma batumwa kuna Jezebele beti, “Nabhothi wakakhikhithidziwa nge mabgwe, kafa.”
15 Kwakati tjinyolotjo Jezebele ehwa kuti Nabhothi wakakhikhithidziwa nge mabgwe kafa, kadwa Ahabu kati, “Tjimilikani munozwitolegwa nnda wa Nabhothi we Jezerele wakalamba kumutengesela, ngoti wakafa.” 16 Tjinyolotjo Ahabu kamilika kanozwitolegwa nnda wa Nabhothi.
17 Dama la Yahwe likazha kuna Elija we N'tishibhe liti, 18 Milika unoshanganidza Ahabu mambo we Iziraela mu Samariya. Unowon'wana mu nnda we mizhambi wa Nabhothi, kwaanozwitolegwa iwo. 19 Undwe uti imi Yahwe ati kunli, “Apa wabulaya nthu ubuya utola thundu iye kakale kene? Undwe kakale uti, ‘Pakanazwigwa malopa a Nabhothi ne mbgwa ne awo dzowoanazwilabo po!’ ”
20 Kukati Ahabu ebona Elija kambhuzwa eti, “Apa wandiwana iwe tjita tjangu kene?”
Elija kanshandula eti, “Ee, ndakuwana, ngobe wazwitengesa mu kuthama mbipo mbeli kwa Yahwe. 21 Bona, Yahwe bakati, ‘Ndowozhisa mbatsha mu kuli, ndowokulobesa tjose, ndowolobesa balume be nsha wa Ahabu bose mu Iziraela, bakasungwa kene bakasununguka. 22 Nsha uwo unowonga wa Jeroboamu nkololo wa Nebhati ne wa Bhaasha nkololo wa Ahija, ngobe wandilonga bushongola ngothamisa Iziraela tjibi.’ 23 Ngono ngekwa Jezebele, Yahwe bakati mbgwa dzowoja itumbu tjitje mukati kwe nzi nkulu Jezirele. 24 Mmwe ne mmwe we nsha wa Ahabu wafila mu nzi nkulu unowojiwa nge mbgwa. Ngono mmwe ne mmwe we nsha uwe wafila mu shango unowojiwa nge magola.”
25 (Akuna wakatongo zwiseenya mu kuthama mbipo mbeli kwa Yahwe sa Ahabu, sekwa akafuligwa nge nkadzi uwe Jezebele. 26 Wakathama kunoshimisa ngonamata zwifano se Baamoni bakatatigwa kuzhe kwe shango ye bana be Iziraeala ndi Yahwe.)
27 Kukati Ahabu ehwa matama iyawo, kazwipalulila zwiambalo, kaambala jila le saka. Kalamba zojiwa, kalala akafuka jila le saka, edzungayila akadzimila.
28 Ngono dama la Yahwe likazha kuna Elija we N'tishibhe liti, 29 “Apa wabona sekwa Ahabu azwiyisa pasi ndiko mbeli kwangu kene? Ngoti wazwiyisa pasi mbeli kwangu, anditjowozhisa golomodzo mu misi ye butjilo gugwe. Koga ndowozhisa golomodzo mu nsha uwe mu misi ye butjilo gwe nkololo uwe.”
Jezebel Has Naboth Killed
1 Naboth owned a vineyard in Jezreel near King Ahab's palace.
2 One day, Ahab said, “Naboth, your vineyard is near my palace. Give it to me so I can turn it into a vegetable garden. I'll give you a better vineyard or pay whatever you want for yours.”
3 Naboth answered, “This vineyard has always been in my family. I won't let you have it.”
4 So Ahab went home, angry and depressed because of what Naboth had told him. He lay on his bed, just staring at the wall and refusing to eat a thing.
5 Jezebel his wife came in and asked, “What's wrong? Why won't you eat?”
6 “I asked Naboth to sell me his vineyard or to let me give him a better one,” Ahab replied. “And he told me I couldn't have it.”
7 “Aren't you the king of Israel?” Jezebel asked. “Get out of bed and eat something! Don't worry, I'll get Naboth's vineyard for you.”
8-10 Jezebel wrote a letter to each of the leaders of the town where Naboth lived. In the letters she said:
Call everyone together and tell them to go without eating today. When they come together, give Naboth a seat at the front. Get two liars to sit facing him and swear that Naboth has cursed God and the king. Then take Naboth outside and stone him to death!
She signed Ahab's name to the letters and sealed them with his seal. Then she sent them to the town leaders.
11 After receiving her letters, they did exactly what she had asked. 12 They told the people that it was a day to go without eating, and when they all came together, they seated Naboth at the front. 13 The two liars came in and sat across from Naboth. Then they accused him of cursing God and the king, so the people dragged Naboth outside and stoned him to death.
14 The leaders of Jezreel sent a message back to Jezebel that said, “Naboth is dead.”
15 As soon as Jezebel got their message, she told Ahab, “Now you can have the vineyard Naboth refused to sell. He's dead.” 16 Ahab got up and went to take over the vineyard.
Elijah Condemns Ahab
17 The Lord said to Elijah the prophet, 18 “King Ahab of Israel is in Naboth's vineyard right now, taking it over. 19 Go tell him that I say, ‘Ahab, you murdered Naboth and took his property. And so, in the very spot where dogs licked up Naboth's blood, they will lick up your blood.’ ”
When Elijah found him, 20 Ahab said, “So, my enemy, you found me at last.”
Elijah answered:
Yes, I did! Ahab, you have managed to do everything the Lord hates. 21 Now you will be punished. You and every man and boy in your family will die, whether slave or free. 22 Your whole family will be wiped out, just like the families of King Jeroboam and King Baasha. You've made the Lord very angry by sinning and causing the Israelites to sin.
23 And as for Jezebel, dogs will eat her body there in Jezreel. 24 Dogs will also eat the bodies of your relatives who die in town, and vultures will eat the bodies of those who die in the country.
25-29 When Ahab heard this, he tore his clothes in sorrow and wore sackcloth day and night. He was depressed and refused to eat.
Some time later, the Lord said, “Elijah, do you see how sorry Ahab is for what he did? I won't punish his family while he is still alive. I'll wait until his son is king.”
No one was more determined than Ahab to disobey the Lord. And Jezebel encouraged him. Worst of all, he had worshiped idols, just as the Amorites had done before the Lord forced them out of the land and gave it to Israel.