Yona 1

1 Yehova anayankhula ndi Yona mwana wa Amitai kuti,

This message from the Lord came to Jonah, the son of Amittai:

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

‘Arise, go to that great city, Nineveh, and preach against it; for their wickedness is known to 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 started to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went aboard to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.

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

But the Lord made a furious wind blow over the sea, and there was such a great storm that the ship was in danger of breaking to 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.

The sailors were terrified and each cried for help to his own god. They threw the ship’s cargo into the sea to make the ship lighter. Meanwhile Jonah had gone down into the bottom of the ship and lay 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.”

The captain of the ship went and said to him, ‘How can you sleep? Call on your god; perhaps that god will think of us, so that we may not be lost.’

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

The sailors said to one another, ‘Come, let us cast lots to discover on whose account this evil has come upon us.’ So they cast lots, and the lot indicated Jonah.

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

So they said to him, ‘Are you to blame for this? Tell us, what is your business, and where do you come from? What is your country and to what people do you belong?’

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

He replied, ‘I am a Hebrew, and a worshipper of the Lord, 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 the men were greatly frightened and said to him, ‘What have you done?’ For they knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.

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

Then they said to him, ‘What should we do to you, to make the sea calm for us?’ For the sea grew more and more stormy.

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

He said to them, ‘Take me up and throw me into the sea, and the sea will be calm for you, for I know that it is because of me this fierce storm has overtaken you.’

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

But instead the men rowed hard to get back to the land; they could not, however, for the sea grew more and more stormy ahead.

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.”

So they cried to the Lord and said, ‘We beg you, Lord, we beg you, don’t let us die for this man’s life, and don’t let us be guilty of shedding innocent blood, for you are the Lord; you have done as it pleases you.’

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

And they took up Jonah, and threw him into the sea; and the sea became calm.

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

Then the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice and made vows to him.

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

But the Lord arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights.