Jonah Disobeys the Lord
1 One day the Lord spoke to Jonah son of Amittai. 2 He said, “Go to Nineveh, that great city, and speak out against it; I am aware of how wicked its people are.” 3 Jonah, however, set out in the opposite direction in order to get away from the Lord. He went to Joppa, where he found a ship about to go to Spain. He paid his fare and went aboard with the crew to sail to Spain, where he would be away from the Lord.
4 But the Lord sent a strong wind on the sea, and the storm was so violent that the ship was in danger of breaking up. 5 The sailors were terrified and cried out for help, each one to his own god. Then, in order to lessen the danger, they threw the cargo overboard. Meanwhile, Jonah had gone below and was lying in the ship's hold, sound asleep.
6 The captain found him there and said to him, “What are you doing asleep? Get up and pray to your god for help. Maybe he will feel sorry for us and spare our lives.”
7 The sailors said to each other, “Let's draw lots and find out who is to blame for getting us into this danger.” They did so, and Jonah's name was drawn. 8 So they said to him, “Now, then, tell us! Who is to blame for this? What are you doing here? What country do you come from? What is your nationality?”
9 “I am a Hebrew,” Jonah answered. “I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made land and sea.” 10 Jonah went on to tell them that he was running away from the Lord.
The sailors were terrified, and said to him, “That was an awful thing to do!” 11 The storm was getting worse all the time, so the sailors asked him, “What should we do to you to stop the storm?”
12 Jonah answered, “Throw me into the sea, and it will calm down. I know it is my fault that you are caught in this violent storm.”
13 Instead, the sailors tried to get the ship to shore, rowing with all their might. But the storm was becoming worse and worse, and they got nowhere. 14 So they cried out to the Lord, “O Lord, we pray, don't punish us with death for taking this man's life! You, O Lord, are responsible for all this; it is your doing.” 15 Then they picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea, and it calmed down at once. 16 This made the sailors so afraid of the Lord that they offered a sacrifice and promised to serve him.
17 At the Lord's command a large fish swallowed Jonah, and he was inside the fish for three days and three nights.
Jona unolamba ndayilo ya Yahwe
1 Dama la Yahwe lakazha kuna Jona, nkololo wa Amitayi, liti, 2 “Milika uyende ku Ninive, nzi nkulu usinshoma, usumikile kuti matjinyo abo akandikopodza.” 3 Koga Jona wakamilika katizha pa mesho a Yahwe, katizhila ku Tashishi. Ndizo kadelukila ku Jopa kwaakawana ikepe tjinoyenda ku Tashishi, kalipa themba, kadelukila mutjili kuyenda nabo ku Tashishi etizha pa mesho a Yahwe. 4 Koga Yahwe bakazhulila phepho isishoma mu gungwa, ndizo kukabe ne dutu lisishoma mu gungwa, ngono ikepeIkepe tjikashoko pkhwanyika. 5 Bayendisi be ikepe bakatja, ngono bakalila mmwe ne mmwe edana ndzimu uwe. Bakaposela thundu dzakabe dzili mu ikepe mu gungwa kutjilelusa. Koga Jona kabe adelukila pasi mukatikati kwe ikepe kalala pasi ngono kafa nge hwope.
6 Ntungamili we ikepe kazha kunli ngono kandwa kati, “Wakayizelelani? Muka ukumbile ku ndzimu uwo! Pamwe ungatikumbula tikasilobe.”
7 Ngono bayendisi be ikepe bakalebesana beti, “Ngatikandileni kuti ndizo tizibe ungabe athama kuti tibe mu mbatsha idzedzi.” Ndizo bakakandila ngono kukabhakhwa Jona. 8 Ngono bakati kunli, “Utibudze ungabe athama kuti tibe mu mbatsha idzedzi. Nshingo waunoshinga ndiupi? Unodwa ngayi? Shango ya kanyi kwenyu ndiipi? U ludzini?”
9 “Imi ndi Nhebheru,” Jona ebashandula, “ndonamata Yahwe, Ndzimu we kudzimu, ibo bakathama gungwa ne shango.”
10 Ngwenu balume ibaba bakazhigwa ngotja kusikushoma ngono bakati kunli, “Ini ikoku kwawathama?” Balume ibaba bakabe beziba kuti wakabe etizha pa mesho a Yahwe, ngobe wakabe ababudza. 11 Ngono bakati kunli, “Tikutini kuti gungwa gutidzikamile?” Ngobe gungwa igo gwakabe gudzongeka guyenda mbeli.
12 Ngono kati ku bali, “Munditole mundiposele mu gungwa, ndizo gungwa gowomudzikamila; ngobe ndoziba kuti ndimi ndathama kuti dutu ileli lisishoma limuwile.”
13 Koga balume ibaba bakatjikodza betjitendebudzila shule ku shango, koga bakakong'wa, ngobe gungwa gwakadzongeka guyenda mbeli gukabakulila. 14 Ndizo bakalilila kuna Yahwe beti, “Tomukumbila Yahwe, musitilobese ngekwe butjilo gwe nlume iwoyu, kakale musititilike nlandu ngotebula lopa lisina nlandu, ngobe imwi Yahwe mathama sekwa mada.” 15 Ndizo bakamilidza Jona bakamposela mu gungwa, ngono gungwa gukadzikama gukama kudzongeka. 16 Balume ibaba bakatja Yahwe ngotja kusikushoma, ndizo bakadusila Yahwe tjibhayilo kakale bakaloba tjinyala bakatuna.