1 Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. 3 But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.
4 ¶ But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken. 5 Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep. 6 So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not. 7 And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah. 8 Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; What is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou? 9 And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land . 10 Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.
11 ¶ Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous. 12 And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you. 13 Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them. 14 Wherefore they cried unto the LORD, and said, We beseech thee, O LORD, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O LORD, hast done as it pleased thee. 15 So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging. 16 Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows.
17 ¶ Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish 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.