Verse 1: Kwathi emva kwezinsuku eziningi izwi likaJehova lafika ku-Eliya ngomnyaka wesithathu, lathi: “Hamba uzibonakalise ku-Ahabi; ngiyakunisa imvula emhlabeni.”
Verse 2: Wayesehamba u-Eliya ukuzibonakalisa ku-Ahabi. Indlala yayinamandla eSamariya.
Verse 3: U-Ahabi wabiza u-Obadiya owayephezu kwendlu yakhe. U-Obadiya wayemesaba kakhulu uNkulunkulu,
Verse 4: ngokuba kwathi lapho u-Izebeli ebulala abaprofethi bakaJehova, u-Obadiya wathatha abaprofethi abayikhulu, wabafihla emhumeni ngamashumi ayisihlanu, wabondla ngesinkwa nangamanzi.
Verse 5: U-Ahabi wathi ku-Obadiya: “Hamba ezweni, uye emithonjaneni yonke yamanzi nasemifudlaneni yonke; mhlawumbe singafumana utshani, sisindise amahhashi neminyuzi, izilwane zingabhubhi.”
Verse 6: Base bahlukaniselana izwe ukuba balidabule: u-Ahabi wahamba ngenye indlela eyedwa, u-Obadiya naye wahamba ngenye indlela eyedwa.
Verse 7: U-Obadiya esendleleni, bheka, kwahlangana naye u-Eliya, wambona, wawa ngobuso, wathi: “Wena uyinkosi yami u-Eliya na?”
Verse 8: Wathi kuye: “Yimi; hamba utshele inkosi yakho ukuthi: ‘Nangu u-Eliya.’ ”
Verse 9: Wayesethi kuye: “Ngoneni ukuba unikele inceku yakho esandleni sika-Ahabi ukungibulala na?
Verse 10: Kuphila kukaJehova, uNkulunkulu wakho, akukho sizwe nambuso lapho inkosi yami ingathumanga khona ukukufuna, nanxa bethi akakho lapha, yafungisa umbuso nesizwe ukuthi abakufumananga.
Verse 11: Manje usuthi wena: ‘Hamba utshele inkosi yakho ukuthi: Nangu u-Eliya.’
Verse 12: Kuyakuthi sengisukile kuwe, uMoya kaJehova akuyise lapho ngingazi khona, nanxa sengifika ukuba ngimtshele u-Ahabi, yena angakufumani, uyakungibulala; kepha mina nceku yakho ngiyamesaba uJehova kwasebusheni bami.
Verse 13: Inkosi yami ayitshelwanga yini lokho engakwenzayo lapho u-Izebeli ebulala abaprofethi bakaJehova, ukuthi ngafihla abantu abayikhulu kubaprofethi bakaJehova ngamashumi ayisihlanu emhumeni, ngabondla ngesinkwa nangamanzi, na?
Verse 14: Usuthi manje: ‘Hamba utshele inkosi yakho ukuthi: Nangu u-Eliya,’ bese yingibulala.”
Verse 15: Kepha u-Eliya wathi: “Kuphila kukaJehova Sebawoti engimi phambi kwakhe namuhla, ngizakuzibonakalisa kuye.”
Verse 16: U-Obadiya wayesehamba ukumhlangabeza u-Ahabi, wamtshela lokho; wayesehamba u-Ahabi ukumhlangabeza u-Eliya.
Verse 17: Kwathi u-Ahabi esembonile u-Eliya, u-Ahabi wathi kuye: “Nguwe ongumhluphi wakwa-Israyeli na?”
Verse 18: Kodwa wathi: “Mina angimhluphanga u-Israyeli, kepha nguwe nendlu kayihlo, ngokuyilahla imiyalo kaJehova, uze ulandele oBali.
Verse 19: Ngalokho thumela ubuthe kimi u-Israyeli wonke entabeni yaseKarmeli, nabaprofethi bakaBali abangamakhulu amane namashumi ayisihlanu, nabaprofethi baka-Ashera abangamakhulu amane abadla etafuleni lika-Izebeli.”
Verse 20: U-Ahabi wayesethumela kubo bonke abantwana bakwa-Israyeli, wabutha abaprofethi entabeni yaseKarmeli.
Verse 21: U-Eliya wasondela kubo bonke abantu, wathi: “Koze kube nini nimanqikanqika phakathi kwezinhlangothi ezimbili na? Uma uJehova enguNkulunkulu, mlandeleni yena, kepha uma kunguBali, mlandeleni yena.” Kodwa abantu kabamphendulanga ngazwi.
Verse 22: Wayesethi u-Eliya kubantu: “Yimi ngedwa oseleyo engumprofethi kaJehova, kepha abaprofethi bakaBali bangabantu abangamakhulu amane namashumi ayisihlanu.
Verse 23: Mabasinike izinkunzi ezimbili, bazikhethele inkunzi ibenye, bayihlahlele, bayibeke phezu kwezinkuni, bangafaki umlilo; mina ngiyakuyilungisa enye inkunzi, ngiyibeke phezu kwezinkuni, ngingafaki umlilo.
Verse 24: Libizeni igama likankulunkulu wenu, mina ngibize igama likaJehova; bese kuthi uNkulunkulu ophendula ngomlilo abe nguye onguNkulunkulu.” Bonke abantu bathi: “Lihle leli zwi.”
Verse 25: U-Eliya wayesethi kubaprofethi bakaBali: “Zikhetheleni inkunzi, niyilungise kuqala, ngokuba nibaningi, nibize igama likankulunkulu wenu, ningafaki umlilo nokho.”
Verse 26: Bayithatha inkunzi abayinikwayo, bayilungisa, balibiza igama likaBali kwasekuseni kwaze kwaba semini ngokuthi: “Bali, siphenduleni;” kepha akubangakho zwi, nophendulayo wayengekho. Baxhuma ngase-altare ebelenziwe.
Verse 27: Kwathi ngasemini u-Eliya wadlala ngabo, wathi: “Memezani ngezwi elikhulu; noma engunkulunkulu, mhlawumbe uyazindla, noma echezukile nje, noma esohambeni, noma elele edinga ukuvuswa.”
Verse 28: Base bememeza ngezwi elikhulu, bazisika ngawomese nangemikhonto ngomthetho wabo, kwaze kwatshaza igazi kubo.
Verse 29: Kwathi lapho isidlulile imini, baprofetha kwaze kwanikelwa ngomnikelo wempuphu, kepha akubangakho zwi, nophendulayo, nonakekelayo.
Verse 30: U-Eliya wayesethi kubantu bonke: “Sondelani kimi.” Bonke abantu basondela kuye. Wayeselungisa i-altare likaJehova elalidiliziwe.
Verse 31: U-Eliya wathatha amatshe ayishumi nambili njengomumo wezizwe zamadodana kaJakobe okweza kuye izwi likaJehova, lathi: “Igama lakho lizakuba ngu-Israyeli.”
Verse 32: Wakha i-altare ngamatshe egameni likaJehova, wenza umsele ngase-altare nxazonke olingene namaseya amabili embewu.
Verse 33: Wahlela izinkuni, wayihlahlela inkunzi, wayibeka phezu kwezinkuni.
Verse 34: Wathi: “Gcwalisani izimbiza ezine ngamanzi, niwathele emnikelweni wokushiswa naphezu kwezinkuni.” Wathi: “Kwenzeni ngokwesibili.” Wayesethi: “Kwenzeni nangokwesithathu.” Baphinda ngokwesithathu.
Verse 35: Amanzi agobhoza ngase-altare nxazonke; wagcwalisa nomsele ngamanzi.
Verse 36: Kwathi ngesikhathi sokunikela ngomnikelo wempuphu u-Eliya umprofethi wasondela, wathi: “Jehova Nkulunkulu ka-Abrahama noka-Isaka noka-Israyeli, makwazeke namuhla ukuthi wena unguNkulunkulu kwa-Israyeli, nokuthi mina ngiyinceku yakho, nokuthi ngenzile konke lokhu ngezwi lakho.
Verse 37: Ngiphendule, Jehova, ngiphendule ukuba laba bantu bazi ukuthi wena Jehova unguNkulunkulu nokuthi uphendukisela kuwe izinhliziyo.”
Verse 38: Wawusuwehla umlilo kaJehova, wawuqeda umnikelo wokushiswa, nezinkuni, namatshe, nothuli, wakhotha amanzi asemseleni.
Verse 39: Abantu bonke sebekubonile lokho bawa ngobuso babo, bathi: “UJehova nguye onguNkulunkulu; uJehova nguye onguNkulunkulu.”
Verse 40: U-Eliya wathi kubo: “Bambani abaprofethi bakaBali, kungabaleki noyedwa kubo.” Bababamba, u-Eliya wabehlisela emfudlaneni iKishoni, wababulala khona.
Verse 41: Wayesethi u-Eliya ku-Ahabi: “Khuphuka, udle, uphuze, ngokuba kukhona umdumo wemvula enkulu.”
Verse 42: Wayesekhuphuka u-Ahabi ukuba adle, aphuze. U-Eliya wakhuphukela esiqongweni saseKarmeli, wakhothamela phansi, wabeka ubuso bakhe phakathi kwamadolo akhe.
Verse 43: Wathi encekwini yakhe: “Khuphuka, ubheke ngaselwandle.” Yakhuphuka, yabheka, yathi: “Akukho lutho.” Wayesethi: “Phinda kasikhombisa.”
Verse 44: Kwathi ngokwesikhombisa yathi: “Bheka, kukhuphuka ifu elwandle, lingangesandla somuntu.” Wayesethi: “Khuphuka, umtshele u-Ahabi ukuthi: ‘Bophela, wehle, funa uvinjelwe yimvula.’ ”
Verse 45: Kwathi ngesikhashana nje izulu laguqubala ngamafu nangomoya, lana imvula enkulu. U-Ahabi wakhwela inqola, waya eJizreyeli.
Verse 46: Isandla sikaJehova sasiku-Eliya; wabopha ukhalo lwakhe, wagijima phambi kuka-Ahabi, waze wafika ekungeneni kwaseJizreyeli.