Yona 1

1 Yehova anayankhula ndi Yona mwana wa Amitai kuti,

Now the word of Jehovah came to Jonah, the son of Amittai, saying,

2 “Nyamuka, pita ku mzinda waukulu wa Ninive ndipo ukalalikire motsutsana nawo, chifukwa zoyipa zawo zafika pamaso panga.”

Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.

3 Koma Yona anathawa Yehova ndi kulowera ku Tarisisi. Anapita ku Yopa, kumene anapeza sitima yapamadzi yopita ku Tarisisi. Atagula chiphaso, anakwera sitimayo kupita ku Tarisisi kuthawa Yehova.

But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of Jehovah; and he went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish, and paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of Jehovah.

4 Koma Yehova anatumiza chimphepo champhamvu pa nyanja, ndipo panauka namondwe wamphamvu amene anafuna kuphwanya sitimayo.

But Jehovah sent forth a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken in pieces.

5 Onse oyendetsa sitimayo anachita mantha ndipo aliyense anayamba kupemphera kwa mulungu wake. Ndipo anaponya katundu mʼnyanja kuti sitimayo ipepuke. Koma Yona pa nthawiyi nʼkuti atatsikira mʼkatikati mwa sitimayo kumene anagona tulo tofa nato.

Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man to his god. And they cast forth the things that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah had gone down to the lower part of the ship, and he lay and was fast asleep.

6 Mkulu wa oyendetsa sitimayo anapita kwa iye ndipo anati, “Kodi iwe, nʼchifukwa chiyani ukugona? Dzuka pemphera kwa mulungu wako! Mwina adzatithandiza, ndipo sitidzawonongeka.”

And the shipmaster came to him, and said to him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? Arise, call upon thy God! Perhaps God will think upon us, that we perish not.

7 Ndipo oyendetsa sitimayo anayamba kuwuzana kuti, “Bwerani, tichite maere kuti tipeze amene wabweretsa tsoka limeneli.” Iwo anachita maerewo ndipo anagwera Yona.

And they said one to another, come, and let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil is upon us! And they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.

8 Tsono anamufunsa kuti, “Tatiwuze, tsoka limeneli latigwera chifukwa chiyani? Umagwira ntchito yanji? Ukuchokera kuti? Kwanu nʼkuti? Ndiwe mtundu wanji wa anthu?”

Then said they to him, Tell us, we pray thee, on whose account this evil is upon us. What is thy business? And whence comest thou? What is thy country? And of what people art thou?

9 Iye anayankha kuti, “Ndine Mhebri, ndipo ndimapembedza Yehova, Mulungu Wakumwamba, amene analenga nyanja ndi mtunda.”

And he said to them, I am a Hebrew; and I fear Jehovah, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.

10 Izi zinawachititsa mantha kwambiri ndipo anafunsa kuti, “Kodi wachita chiyani?” (Iwo ankadziwa kuti iyeyo amathawa Yehova, chifukwa nʼkuti atawawuza kale).

Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said to him, Wherefore hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of Jehovah, because he had told them.

11 Namondwe ananka nakulirakulirabe pa nyanjapo. Tsono anamufunsa iye kuti, “Kodi tikuchite chiyani kuti nyanjayi ikhale bata?”

Then said they to him, What shall we do to thee, that the sea may be calm to us? For the sea grew more and more tempestuous.

12 Iye anayankha kuti, “Nyamuleni ndi kundiponya mʼnyanjamu ndipo nyanjayi ikhala bata. Ndikudziwa kuti wolakwa ndine nʼchifukwa chake chimphepo champhamvuchi chabwera pa inu.”

And he said to them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; and the sea shall be calm to you. For I know that because of me this great tempest is upon you.

13 Komabe oyendetsa sitimayo anayesetsa kupalasa kwambiri kuti abwerere ku mtunda koma analephera ndithu poti nyanja inawinduka kwambiri kuposa poyamba paja

Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring the ship to the land; but they could not; for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them.

14 Pamenepo iwo anafuwulira kwa Yehova nati, “Inu Yehova, musalole kuti ife tife chifukwa cha moyo wa munthu uyu. Musatizenge mlandu wa kupha munthu wosalakwa, pakuti ife tachita monga mwakufuna kwanu, Inu Yehova.”

And they cried to Jehovah, and said, We beseech thee, O Jehovah, we beseech thee, let us not perish for the life of this man, and lay not upon us innocent blood! For thou, O Jehovah, hast done as it pleased thee.

15 Ndipo anatenga Yona namuponya mʼnyanja, ndipo nyanja yowindukayo inakhala bata.

And they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea; and the sea ceased from its raging.

16 Anthuwo ataona zimenezi anachita mantha akulu ndi Yehova, ndipo anapereka nsembe kwa Yehova nalumbira kuti adzatumikira Yehovayo.

Then the men feared Jehovah exceedingly, and offered sacrifice to Jehovah, and made vows.

17 Koma Yehova anatuma nsomba yayikulu kuti imeze Yona. Motero Yona anakhala mʼmimba mwa nsombayo masiku atatu, usana ndi usiku.

Now Jehovah had appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.