ʻIlaisiā

ʻĪmisi

The Old Testament prophet Elijah standing next to an altar. Elijah has his arms extended as he commands fire from heaven to consume the altar.

Ne u ngāue ko ha palōfita ʻi he Puleʻanga Fakatokelau ʻo ʻIsilelí.² Koeʻuhí ko e faiangahala e kakai ʻIsilelí, ne u tāpuniʻi ai e langí ke ʻoua naʻa tō ha ʻuha, ʻo hoko ai ha honge ʻi he fonuá. Lolotonga e hongé, ne u nofo ʻi ha kiʻi veʻe vai pea ʻomi ʻe he lēvení ʻeku meʻakaí, ka naʻe maha e kiʻi vaí iá.³

Ne fekau ʻe he ʻEikí ke u ʻalu ki ha uitou ʻi Salifate, ʻa ia te ne fafanga au. Ne u ʻiloʻi ia ʻoku fai haʻane okooko ko e teuteu ki haʻane feimeʻatokoni fakaʻosi maʻana mo hono fohá. Naʻá ku talaange kapau te ne ʻuluaki fafanga au, “ʻe ʻikai [totonu ke] fakaʻau ke ʻosi ʻa e mahoaʻa he [ʻene] puhá, pea ʻe ʻikai [totonu ke] maha ʻa e lolo ʻi he ipú, [kae ʻoua ke] aʻu ki he ʻaho ʻe foaki ai ʻe [he ʻEikí] ʻa e ʻuha ki he fonuá.”⁴ Naʻá ne fakaʻaongaʻi e tuí, pea naʻe fakahoko ʻe he ʻEikí ʻEne talaʻofá.

Lolotonga ʻeku nofo mo hono fāmilí, naʻe mate e foha ʻo e uitoú. Ne u tangi, “ʻE [ʻEiki] ko hoku ʻOtua, ʻoku ou kole kiate koe, tuku ke toe hoko mai ʻa e laumālie ʻo e tamasiʻí ni kiate ia.”⁵ Ne fanongo e ʻEikí ki heʻeku tangí, pea naʻe toe moʻui hono fohá.⁶

Kimui aí, ne u fakahā e mālohi ʻo e ʻEikí ki he kakai ʻIsilelí ʻaki haʻaku poleʻi e kau taulaʻeiki ʻa Pealí ke mau feʻauhi. Naʻe teuteu ʻe he kau taulaʻeikí ha feilaulau pea nau ui kia Peali he ʻahó hono kotoa ke tuku hifo ha afi, ka naʻe ʻikai. Ne u fokotuʻu leva ha ʻōlita ʻaki ha maka ʻe 12, ko hano fakataipe ki he faʻahinga ʻe 12 ʻo ʻIsilelí, pea keli takai ha luo ʻi he ʻōlitá. Ne u hanga leva ʻo fakaviviku e ʻōlitá mo e feilaulauʻangá ʻaki ha talamu vai ʻe 12, ʻo viviku e fefié pea fonu vai mo e kau kelí. Ne u ui ki he ʻOtuá, pea naʻá Ne ʻohifo ha afi ʻo ne keina e feilaulauʻangá, ʻōlitá, pea mo e vaí. Ne u lotu kimui ki he ʻEikí, pea naʻá Ne fakaava e ngaahi langí ʻo tō mai ha ʻuha.⁷

Ne ʻikai ke u mate ʻi he fakaʻosinga ʻo ʻeku moʻuí, ka naʻe ʻave au ki he langí ʻi ha saliote afi.⁸ Lolotonga e ngāue ʻa Kalaisi ʻi he māmaní, ne u hā mai ʻi he Moʻunga ʻo e Liliú ʻo foaki kia Pita, Sēmisi, mo Sione e ngaahi kī ʻo e lakanga fakataulaʻeikí.⁹

Ne u toe hā mai ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho kimui ní “ke liliu e loto ʻo e ngaahi tamaí ki he fānaú, pea mo e loto ʻo e fānaú ki he ngaahi tamaí,” ʻi heʻeku haʻu ki he Temipale Ketilaní ʻi he ʻaho 3 ʻo ʻEpeleli 1836, ʻo toe fakafoki mai e ngaahi kī ʻo e mālohi faisilá kia Siosefa Sāmita mo ʻŌliva Kautele.¹⁰