Nsholo we shathu unoangama
1 Badiyiwana be balebesambeli bakadwa Elisha bakati, “Bona, pathu patigele tili pasi kwe ndaulo iyo pakamanikana mutili. 2 Ngatiyendeni ku Jorodani mmwe ne mmwe wedu ateme bhango, ngono tizwibakigwe pathu patingagala ikoko.” Ngono kadabila eti, “Yendani.” 3 Ipapo mmwe wabo kati, “Tokumbila muyende ne balanda benyu.” Ngono kadabila eti, “Ndowoyenda.” 4 Ndizo kayenda nabo. Ngono bakati beswika ku Jorodani bakatema miti. 5 Koga kwakati mmwe wabo atjatema nti, nsholo we shathu lile ukawila mu vula, ngono kalila eti, “Tetshi wangu wee, labelaadzimiwa.” 6 Ipapo nlume we Ndzimu kabe eti, “Lawila poni?” Wakati enlakidza pathu palawila, Elisha kavuna ikuni katjilashila ipapo ngono butale gukaangama. 7 Ngono kati, “Uguduse.” Ndizo katambunudza luboko gugwe kagutola.
Babhayani be Siriya banokundiwa
8 Kwakati mambo we Siriya ali mu ngwa ne Iziraela, kalangana ne balanda babe kati, “Bukotokelo gwangu gowobe kwakati ne kwakati.” 9 Koga nlume we Ndzimu katumila dama kuna mambo we Iziraela eti, “Uyele njele kuti autopinda pathu ipapo, ngoti Basiriya banodelukila ko.” 10 Ngono mambo we Iziraela katuma nthu kunoshola pathu pa abudziwa nge nlume we Ndzimu, wakabe egala enkumbuludza ngekwa ikoku ndizo kazwitjidza ikoko kusi kang'ompela kene kabili.
11 Moyo wa mambo we Siriya wakadziyidzika kwazo ngekwa ikoku, ngono kadana balanda babe kabadwa kati, “Apa amungandilakidze kuti umile na mambo we Iziraela pakati kwedu ndiyani kene?” 12 Mmwe we balanda babe kati, “Akuna mu tili, tetshi wangu, mambo wangu, ndi Elisha nlebesambeli umu Iziraela unobudza mambo we Iziraela matama a munoleba mu ng'umba yenyu ye bulalo.” 13 Ngono mambo kabadwa kati, “Yendani munobona kuti uponi, ndizo nditume bathu ndimbhate.” Ngono kadwiwa kuyi, “Bona, umu Dotani.” 14 Ndizo katumila mbizi ne koloyi dze ngwa kose ne ngwa hwulu, ngono bakaswika kuli busiku bakakomba nzi nkulu.
15 Kwakati nlanda we nlume we Ndzimu a binduka ngono kabhudila kuzhe, bona, ngwa ne mbizi ne koloyi dze ngwa dzikabe dzakakomba nzi nkulu. Ngono nlanda kati, “Tetshi wangu wee, towothama tjini kene?” 16 Ngono nlebesambeli kati, “Usitje, ngobe ibaba banaswi, banji pana ibabo banabo.” 17 Ipapo Elisha katembezela eti, “Yahwe zhulani mesho awe kuti abone.” Ndizo Yahwe bakazhula mesho e nzhuzha ngono kalinga kabona dombo lili zhele mbizi ne koloyi dze ngwa dze moto dzakapoteleka Elisha. 18 Ngono kwakati Basiriya bedelukila pasi kunli, Elisha katembezela kuna Yahwe eti, “Lobani bathu ibaba nge bupofu.” Ndizo bakabaloba nge bupofu kuyendidzana nge ntembezelo wa Elisha.
19 Ngono Elisha kabadwa kati, “Iyeyi zila ateiyo, naiko ne nzi nkulu auteuli iwo, mundisale shule ngono ndowomuyisa ku nlume wamunoshaka.” Kabatungamilila ku Samariya. 20 Tjinyolotjo bakati bengina mu Samariya, Elisha kati, “Yahwe zhulani mesho e balume ibaba kuti babone.” Ndizo Yahwe bakazhula mesho abo bakabona ngono bakazwibona balipakati kwe Samariya. 21 Kwakati mambo we Iziraela ebabona, kabhuzwa Elisha kati, “Tate apa ndibabulaye kene? Apa ndibabulaye?” 22 Ngono kadabila eti, “Usibabulaye, apa ungabulaya bawatapa nge thumo nenge nsebe kene? Biga zojiwa ne vula mbeli kwabo kuti baje bang'we ngono babgwilile kuna tetshi wabo.” 23 Ndizo kabathamila nzano nkulu ngono bakati baja bang'wa kabaletja, ngono bakayenda kuna tetshi wabo. Ngono Basiriya bakamisa ku nginilila shango ye Iziraela.
Samariya inokombiwa nge ngwa
24 Kwakati shule Bhenihadadi mambo we Siriya kalulwamisa ngwa iye yose ngono katathila kanokomba Samariya. 25 Ngono kwakabe kuna bhamba gulu mu Samariya, bakayikomba kwe tjibaka tjilefu kukadza kukatengesiwa nsholo we donki nge shekele dze siliva dzili makumi ali zhanakadzi (80) ne kung'ompela mu bunna kwe nswani we njiba kuli shekele dze siliva dzili shanu. 26 Kwakati mambo we Iziraela eyenda pezhugwi kwe guma, nkadzi kalilila kunli eti, “Mundibhatshe, tetshi wangu, imwi mambo.” 27 Ngono mambo kashandula eti, “Ha Yahwe basingakubhatshe, imi ndowotola ngayi bhatsho kene? Ku lutombo kene kunoswinigwa nkumbi?” 28 Ngono mambo kambhuzwa eti, “Kwatini?” Nkadzi kashandula eti, “Nkadzi iwoyu wakandidwa eti, ‘Zhisa nkololo uwo tije nasi ngono mangwana towoja nkololo wangu.’ 29 Ndizo takabhika nkololo wangu tikaja, ngono kwakati tjimuka ndi ndwa nditi, ‘Zhisa nkololo uwo tije’, ngono kasumbika nkololo uwe.” 30 Kwakati mambo ehwa matama e nkadzi iwoyu, kapalula zwiambalo zwizwe, wakati atjayenda pezhugwi kwe guma bathu bakalinga ngono bakabona akaambala saka kusi mu mbili uwe. 31 Ngono kati, “Ndzimu ngabandilobe ndife ha zhuba linganomila nsholo wa Elisha nkololo wa Shafati utjimile munli nasi.” 32 Elisha wakabe aligele mu ng'umba iye ne sholotjena dziligele naye. Mambo bakatuma ntumwa ngono wakati asathu kaswika, Elisha kadwa sholotjena kati, “Apa mobona kuti mbulayi watuma nthu kundithubula nsholo kene? Bonani, ha ntumwa ezha munzhalilile kuzhe musunde tjizhalilo. Apa ate nsindo we makumbo a tetshi uwe shule kukwe kene?” 33 Ngono wakati atjalebeleka nabo, mambo kadelukila kunli kati, “Mbatsha idzedzi dzodwa kuna Yahwe. Ndowobe nditjamilililani Yahwe kene?”
Elisha Makes an Ax Head Float
1 One day the prophets said to Elisha, “The place where we meet with you is too small. 2 Why don't we build a new meeting place near the Jordan River? Each of us could get some wood, then we could build it.”
“That's a good idea,” Elisha replied, “get started.”
3 “Aren't you going with us?” one of the prophets asked.
“Yes, I'll go,” Elisha answered, 4 and he left with them.
They went to the Jordan River and began chopping down trees. 5 While one of the prophets was working, his ax head fell off and dropped into the water. “Oh!” he shouted. “Sir, I borrowed this ax.”
6 “Where did it fall in?” Elisha asked. The prophet pointed to the place, and Elisha cut a stick and threw it into the water at that spot. The ax head floated to the top of the water.
7 “Now get it,” Elisha told him. And the prophet reached in and grabbed it.
Elisha Stops an Invasion of the Syrian Army
8 Time after time, when the king of Syria was at war against the Israelites, he met with his officers and announced, “I've decided where we will set up camp.”
9 Each time, Elisha would send this warning to the king of Israel: “Don't go near there. That's where the Syrian troops have set up camp.” 10 So the king would warn the Israelite troops in that place to be on guard.
11 The king of Syria was furious when he found out what was happening. He called in his officers and asked, “Which one of you has been telling the king of Israel our plans?”
12 “None of us, Your Majesty,” one of them answered. “It's an Israelite named Elisha. He's a prophet, so he can tell his king everything—even what you say in your own room.”
13 “Find out where he is!” the king ordered. “I'll send soldiers to bring him here.”
They learned that Elisha was in the town of Dothan and reported it to the king. 14 He ordered his best troops to go there with horses and chariots. They marched out during the night and surrounded the town.
15 When Elisha's servant got up the next morning, he saw that Syrian troops had the town surrounded. “Sir, what are we going to do?” he asked.
16 “Don't be afraid,” Elisha answered. “There are more troops on our side than on theirs.” 17 Then he prayed, “Lord, please help him to see.” And the Lord let the servant see that the hill was covered with fiery horses and flaming chariots all around Elisha.
18 As the Syrian army came closer, Elisha prayed, “Lord, make those soldiers blind!” And the Lord blinded them with a bright light.
19 Elisha told the enemy troops, “You've taken the wrong road and are in the wrong town. Follow me. I'll lead you to the man you're looking for.” Elisha led them straight to the capital city of Samaria.
20 When all the soldiers were inside the city, Elisha prayed, “Lord, now let them see again.” The Lord let them see that they were standing in the middle of Samaria.
21 The king of Israel saw them and asked Elisha, “Should I kill them, sir?”
22 “No!” Elisha answered. “You didn't capture these troops in battle, so you have no right to kill them. Instead, give them something to eat and drink and let them return to their leader.”
23 The king ordered a huge meal to be prepared for Syria's army, and when they finished eating, he let them go.
For a while, the Syrian troops stopped invading Israel's territory.
King Benhadad of Syria Attacks Samaria
24 Some time later, King Benhadad of Syria called his entire army together, then they marched to Samaria and attacked. 25 They kept up the attack until there was nothing to eat in the city. In fact, a donkey's head cost 80 pieces of silver, and a small bowl of pigeon droppings cost 5 pieces of silver.
26 One day as the king of Israel was walking along the top of the city wall, a woman shouted to him, “Please, Your Majesty, help me!”
27 “Let the Lord help you!” the king said. “Do you think I have grain or wine to give you?” 28 Then he asked, “What's the matter anyway?”
The woman answered, “Another woman and I were so hungry that we agreed to eat our sons. She said if we ate my son one day, we could eat hers the next day. 29 So yesterday we cooked my son and ate him. But today when I went to her house to eat her son, she had hidden him.”
30 The king tore off his clothes in sorrow, and since he was on top of the city wall, the people saw that he was wearing sackcloth underneath. 31 He said, “I pray that God will punish me terribly, if Elisha's head is still on his shoulders by this time tomorrow.” 32 Then he sent a messenger to Elisha.
Elisha was home at the time, and the important leaders of Israel were meeting with him. Even before the king's messenger arrived, Elisha told the leaders, “That murderer is sending someone to cut off my head. When you see him coming, shut the door and don't let him in. I'm sure the king himself will be right behind him.”
33 Before Elisha finished talking, the messenger came up and said, “The Lord has made all these terrible things happen to us. Why should I think he will help us now?”