Jonah's Prayer
1 From deep inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God:
2 “In my distress, O Lord, I called to you,
and you answered me.
From deep in the world of the dead
I cried for help, and you heard me.
3 You threw me down into the depths,
to the very bottom of the sea,
where the waters were all around me,
and all your mighty waves rolled over me.
4 I thought I had been banished from your presence
and would never see your holy Temple again.
5 The water came over me and choked me;
the sea covered me completely,
and seaweed wrapped around my head.
6 I went down to the very roots of the mountains,
into the land whose gates lock shut forever.
But you, O Lord my God,
brought me back from the depths alive.
7 When I felt my life slipping away,
then, O Lord, I prayed to you,
and in your holy Temple you heard me.
8 Those who worship worthless idols
have abandoned their loyalty to you.
9 But I will sing praises to you;
I will offer you a sacrifice
and do what I have promised.
Salvation comes from the Lord!”
10 Then the Lord ordered the fish to spit Jonah up on the beach, and it did.
Ntembezelo wa Jona mu ntumbu we hwobe
1 Ipapo Yahwe bakazhisa zhihwobe lisishoma kumidza Jona, ngono Jona wakagala mu ntumbu we hwobe mazhuba matatu ne masiku matatu. 2 Kudwa mu ntumbu we hwobe Jona katembezela Yahwe Ndzimu uwe 3 eti,
“Ndakalilila kuna Yahwe ndili mu kumanikana,
ngono bakandidabila;
kudwa mukatikati kwe gomba le lufu, alila,
ngono makahwa hwi langu.
4 Makandiposela mukatikati mu ntumbu we gungwa,
ngono mikubila ikandikombeledza,
mabundo ne matuthu ose e gungwa kapinda pezhugwi kwangu.
5 Ipapo akumbula nditi,
‘Ndakatatigwa kutjena ne mesho enyu.
Ngono ndowolinga tjini kakale ku ng'umba yenyu yakayengemala?’
6 Gungwa gwakandikwididza gukashoko ndibulaya.
Ndili mukatikati kwe vula isishoma,
Imwi Yahwe, Ndzimu we bupenyu gwangu!
7 Ndakadelukila kusi kusi ku midzi ye matombo,
ngono mazhalilo e shango ye lufu akandizhalilila nge kusingapele.
Koga makandidusa mu gomba,
imwi Yahwe, Ndzimu wangu.
8 Kwakati meya yangu ipela mundili,
akumbula Yahwe;
ntembezelo wangu ukazha kumuli
mu ng'umba yenyu yakayengemala.
9 Ibabo banothigamila midzimu isi ye tjimwe,
banolasha kugalikabgwe kwabo kwe lebeswa.
10 Koga imi nge hwi linoboka,
ndomudusila tjibhayilo
sekwa ndakatuna ndowoshingikadza.
Jidzo lodwa kuna Yahwe!”
Ipapo Yahwe bakalebeleka ne hwobe,
ngono ikathwila Jona kuzhe ku shango.