1U-Eliya, umThishibhi owayengomunye wababegogobele kwaGileyadi, wathi ku-Ahabi: “Ngifunga ngiyagomela phambi kukaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli engimi phambi kwakhe, akuyukuba khona mazolo namvula kule minyaka, kuze kusho mina.”
2Izwi likaSimakade lafika kuye, lathi:
3“Suka lapha, uhambe ubheke ngasempumalanga, ufike ucashe ngasemfudlaneni iKherithi, ophambi kweJordani.
4Uyophuza emfudlaneni, Mina ngiyale amagwababa ukuba akondle lapho.”
5Wahamba, wenza njengalokhu izwi likaSimakade limyalile; wahamba wahlala ngasemfudlaneni iKherithi ophambi kweJordani.
6Amagwababa amlethela isinkwa nenyama ekuseni, nesinkwa nenyama kusihlwa, waphuza emfudlaneni.
7Kwathi ngokuhamba kwezinsuku, umfudlana washa, ngokuba kwakungekho mvula ezweni.
8Izwi likaSimakade lafika kuye, lathi:
9“Suka uye eZarefathi eseSidoni, uhlale khona. Sengiyale owesifazane ongumfelokazi lapho ukuba akondle.”
10Wasuka waya eZarefathi; wafika esangweni lomuzi, bheka, nango owesifazane ongumfelokazi etheza izinkuni zokubasa. Wambiza wathi kuye: “Ake ungilethele amanzana esitsheni, ngiphuze.”
11Esasuka nje eyowalanda, wambiza futhi, wathi: “Ake ungiphathele nocezu lwesinkwa.”
12Kepha wathi: “Ngifunga ngiyagomela phambi kukaSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho, anginalo iqebelengwane, okukhona nje inkeshezana yempuphu esembizeni, nengcosana yamafutha ophisweni. Uyabona-ke, sengizitholele izinkuni ezimbili ukuze ngihambe ngizilungiselele khona nendodana yami ukuba sidle, sife.”
13Wayesethi u-Eliya kuye: “Ungesabi; hamba wenze njengokusho kwakho, kodwa yenzela mina kuqala iqebelengwane elincane, ulilethe kimi, andukuba uzilungiselele wena nendodana yakho.
14Ngokuba usho kanje uSimakade uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: ‘Imbiza yempuphu ayiyukuphela, nophiso lwamafutha aluyukuswela, kuze kufike lolo lusuku uSimakade ayokunisa ngalo imvula emhlabeni.’ ”
15Wayesehamba, wenza njengokusho kuka-Eliya: kwadla yena, u-Eliya, nabendlu yakhe izinsuku eziningi.
16Imbiza yempuphu ayiphelanga, nophiso lwamafutha aluswelanga njengokusho kwezwi likaSimakade ayelikhulume ngomlomo ka-Eliya.
17Kwathi emveni kwalokho, indodana yalowo mfelokazi, umninindlu, yagula. Ukugula kwayo kwaba nzima kangangokuthi yayingasakwazi ukuphefumula.
18Wayesethi ku-Eliya: “Kodwa ngikone ngani wena muntu kaNkulunkulu? Uze lapha ukuba uzongikhumbuza isono sami nokuba kufe indodana yami na?”
19Kepha u-Eliya wathi kuye: “Nginike indodana yakho.” Wayithatha esifubeni sakhe, wakhuphukela nayo ekamelweni eliphezulu, lapho ayehlala khona, wayibeka embhedeni wakhe.
20Wayesekhala kuSimakade, ethi: “Simakade Nkulunkulu wami, kungani wehlisele lo mfelokazi engigogobele kwakhe okubi okungaka uze ubulale indodana yakhe na?”
21Wazelula phezu komntwana kathathu, wakhala kuSimakade, wathi: “Simakade Nkulunkulu wami, umphefumulo walo mntwana mawubuyele kuye.”
22USimakade walizwa izwi lika-Eliya; umphefumulo womntwana wabuyela kuye, waphila.
23U-Eliya wayesemthatha umntwana, wamehlisa ekamelweni eliphezulu, wamngenisa endlini, wamnika unina; wathi: “Bheka, indodana yakho isiyaphila.”
24Owesifazane wathi ku-Eliya: “Manje sengiyazi ukuthi wena ungumuntu kaNkulunkulu nokuthi izwi likaSimakade elisemlonyeni wakho, liyiqiniso.”