1 Umfazi wenye indoda phakathi kwexuku labaphrofethi wakhalaza ku-Elisha wathi, “Indoda yami ebiyinceku yakho isifile, njalo uyakwazi ukuthi ibe imkhonza uThixo. Umkami ubelesikwelede sendoda ethile esifuna ukuthumba amadodana ami amabili ukuze abe yizigqili zayo.”

2 U-Elisha wamphendula wathi, “Ngingakunceda kanjani na? Akungitshele, kulani endlini yakho?”

Umfelokazi wathi, “Incekukazi yakho ayilalutho ngaphandle kwengcosana yamafutha.”

3 U-Elisha wasesithi, “Hamba uyekweboleka imbiza ezinengi kubomakhelwane bakho bonke. Ungaceli ezilutshwane nje. 4 Ubusungena endlini yakho lamadodana akho uvale umnyango. Ubusuthululela amafutha embizeni inye nganye, ithi ingagcwala uyibeke eceleni.”

5 Wasuka kuye kwathi ngemva kwesikhathi wavala umnyango lamadodana akhe. Amadodana amqhubela imbiza yena elokhu ezigcwalisa ngamafutha. 6 Kuthe imbiza zonke sezigcwele, wathi endodaneni yakhe, “Letha enye futhi.”

Kodwa yaphendula yathi, “Akuselambiza eseleyo.” Amafutha kazabe esajuluka.

7 Wasuka wayatshela umuntu kaNkulunkulu, owathi, “Hamba uyethengisa amafutha lawo ubhadale izikwelede zakho. Wena lamadodana akho lizaphila ngaseleyo.”

8 Ngolunye usuku u-Elisha waya eShunemi. Kwakulowesifazane onothileyo, owamcela ukuba ahlale adle ukudla. Kwakusithi nxa ehambele khonale wayethola ukudla khonapho. 9 Owesifazane wathi kumyeni wakhe, “Ngiyakwazi ukuthi lumuntu ohlala esedlula lapha ngumuntu ongcwele kaNkulunkulu. 10 Kasimlungisele indlu ephezulu simfakele khona umbheda, itafula, isihlalo kanye lesibane. Kube yindlu azafikela kiyo nxa elapha kithi.”

11 Kwelinye ilanga, u-Elisha wafika wayangena endlini yakhe leyo wacambalala khona. 12 Wathuma inceku yakhe uGehazi, wathi, “Ngibizela umShunami.” Ngakho inceku yambiza, wafika wema phansi kwakhe. 13 U-Elisha wasesithi, “Umtshele uthi, ‘Usuzihluphe kangaka usilungisela. Kambe kuyini ongakwenzelwa wena? Singakukhulumela yini enkosini loba kumlawuli wamabutho na?’ ”

Owesifazane wathi, “Ngilomuzi phakathi kwabantu bakithi.”

14 U-Elisha wabuza wathi, “Kuyini esingamenzela khona na?”

UGehazi wathi, “Kalandodana njalo umyeni wakhe useluphele.”

15 Ngakho u-Elisha wathi, “Mbize.” Inceku yasimbiza, wafika wema emnyango. U-Elisha wathi, 16 “Ngasolesi isikhathi ngomnyaka ozayo uzaphatha indodana ezandleni zakho.”

Owesifazane waphikisa wathi, “Atshi, nkosi yami, ungabokhohlisa incekukazi yakho, wena muntu kaNkulunkulu!”

17 Owesifazane wathatha isisu, kwathi ngomnyaka owalandelayo ngesikhathi esifananayo wakhululeka wazuza indodana njengokutshelwa kwakhe ngu-Elisha.

18 Umntwana wakhula, kwathi ngelinye ilanga walandela uyise, owayelabavuni. 19 Wasesithi kuyise, “Maye ikhanda lami! Maye ikhanda lami!”

Uyise wathuma isisebenzi wathi, “Thwala umntwana uye laye kunina.” 20 Isisebenzi sesimthwalele kunina unina wamanga kwaze kwaba semini enkulu umntwana wasesifa. 21 Unina wamthatha wayamlalisa embhedeni womuntu kaNkulunkulu, waphuma wasevala umnyango.

22 Owesifazane wathumela kumkakhe ilizwi elithi, “Ngicela ungithumele esinye sezisebenzi kanye lobabhemi ukuze ngiphange ngiyebona umuntu kaNkulunkulu ngiphenduke.”

23 Umyeni wakhe wathi, “Kungani umlanda lamuhla? Akusikho ekuThwaseni kweNyanga njalo akusilo iSabatha.”

Owesifazane wathi, “Kulungile kunjalo.”

24 Wethesa ubabhemi wasesithi kusisebenzi sakhe, “Khokhela; ungahambi kancane usenzela mina ngaphandle kokuba ngikutshele.” 25 Ngakho waphuma wahamba waze wayamthola umuntu kaNkulunkulu eNtabeni yaseKhameli.

Ebona owesifazane esesebucwadlana, umuntu kaNkulunkulu wathi kuGehazi inceku yakhe, “Khangela! Nanguyana umShunami! 26 Gijima umhlangabeze umbuze uthi, ‘Konke kulungile kuwe na? Umkakho uyaphila na? Umntanakho uyaphila na?’ ”

Owesifazane wathi, “Konke kulungile.”

27 Kodwa esefikile emuntwini kaNkulunkulu entabeni, wagagadlela inyawo zakhe. UGehazi weza kuye wamfuqela khatshana, kodwa umuntu kaNkulunkulu wathi, “Myekele! Uphakathi kosizi olukhulu, kodwa uThixo ukufihlile kimi lokho njalo kangitshelanga ukuthi kungani.”

28 Owesifazane wathi, “Ngake ngacela indodana kuwe na, nkosi yami? Angizange ngikutshele yini ukuthi ungaze wangikhohlisa na?”

29 U-Elisha wathi kuGehazi, “Khwincela ijazi lakho ebhantini, uphathe intonga yami ngesandla ubusugijima. Loba ngubani ohlangana laye, ungambingeleli, loba angaze akubingelele ungamphenduli. Ufike ubeke intonga yami ebusweni bomfana.”

30 Kodwa unina womfana wathi, “Ngeqiniso elinjengoba uThixo ephila lanjengoba uphila, angiyikukutshiya.” Ngakho wasuka walandela owesifazane.

31 UGehazi wahle wagijima phambili wayabeka intonga ebusweni bomfana, kodwa akuzwakalanga lutho njalo kanyikinyekanga. Ngakho uGehazi wabuyela ukuyahlangabeza u-Elisha wamtshela wathi, “Umfana kavukanga.”

32 Ekufikeni kwakhe endlini u-Elisha, wafumana lakanye nangu umfana usembhedeni wakhe ufile. 33 Wangena wavala umnyango baba bobabili lomfana wasekhuleka kuThixo. 34 Wakhwela embhedeni wacambalala phezu komfana, umlomo emlonyeni, amehlo emehlweni, izandla ezandleni. Uthe esazelula phezu komfana, umzimba womfana waqalisa ukukhudumala. 35 U-Elisha wafulathela wahambahamba endlini waphinda wabuyela embhedeni wacambalala phezu komfana. Umfana wathimula kasikhombisa wasevula amehlo.

36 U-Elisha wabiza uGehazi wathi kuye, “Biza umShunami.” Wakwenza lokho. Uthe esefikile wasesithi kuye owesifazane, “Thatha indodana yakho.” 37 UmShunami wangena, wawela ezinyaweni zakhe wakhothama. Wasethatha indodana yakhe wahamba.

38 U-Elisha wabuyela eGiligali njalo kulesosigaba kwakulendlala. Kwathi esesemhlanganweni lexuku labaphrofethi, wathuma isisebenzi sakhe wathi, “Beka imbiza enkulu eziko, uphekele abaphrofethi ukudla.”

39 Omunye wabo wayakukha imibhida egangeni wathola ivini leganga. Wakha amajodwana wagcwalisa ophikweni lwesigqoko sakhe. Ekuphendukeni kwakhe wawaqobaqoba wawafaka embizeni yesitshebo lanxa kungekho owayesazi ukuthi kuyini. 40 Kwaphakululwa ukuba abantu badle, kodwa bathi beqalisa ukudla bamemeza bathi, “Awu muntu kaNkulunkulu kulokufa embizeni!” Kabazabe besakudla.

41 U-Elisha wathi, “Lethani ifulawa.” Wayifaka embizeni wasesithi, “Baphakuleleni abantu badle.” Ngalokho kwakungaselabuthi embizeni.

42 Kwafika indoda ethile ivela eBhali-Shalisha, iphathele umuntu kaNkulunkulu izinkwa zebhali ezingamatshumi amabili, zibhekhwe ngezilimo zakuqala. U-Elisha wathi, “Nikani abantu badle.”

43 Inceku yakhe yathi, “Ngingababela njani abantu abalikhulu okungaka?”

Kodwa u-Elisha wathi, “Phakululela abantu badle. Ngoba ilizwi likaThixo lithi: ‘Bazakudla baze bakutshiye.’ ” 44 Inceku yasiphakululela abantu, badla baze bakutshiya, njengokutsho kwelizwi likaThixo.

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