< Yona 1 >

1 Yehova anayankhula ndi Yona mwana wa Amitai kuti,
Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kuJona indodana ka-Amithayi lathi:
2 “Nyamuka, pita ku mzinda waukulu wa Ninive ndipo ukalalikire motsutsana nawo, chifukwa zoyipa zawo zafika pamaso panga.”
“Hamba uye edolobheni elikhulu laseNiniva utshumayele ngokulisola kakhulu, ngoba ububi balo sebufinyelele kimi.”
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.
Kodwa uJona wabalekela uThixo waqonda eThashishi. Wehla waya eJopha, lapho afica khona umkhumbi owawusiya kuleyondawo. Eseyikhuphile imali yokugada, wangena umkhumbi waqonda eThashishi yena ebalekela uThixo.
4 Koma Yehova anatumiza chimphepo champhamvu pa nyanja, ndipo panauka namondwe wamphamvu amene anafuna kuphwanya sitimayo.
UThixo wathumela isiphepho elwandlwe, kwaphenquka isavunguzane esasingathi sizawubhidliza umkhumbi.
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.
Bonke abagwedli bawo besaba, ngulowo lalowo wakhala kunkulunkulu wakhe. Baphosela imithwalo elwandle ukuze baphungule ubunzima bomkhumbi. Kodwa uJona wayehlele endlwaneni engaphansi, emkhunjini, walala khona ubuthongo bukabhuka.
6 Mkulu wa oyendetsa sitimayo anapita kwa iye ndipo anati, “Kodi iwe, nʼchifukwa chiyani ukugona? Dzuka pemphera kwa mulungu wako! Mwina adzatithandiza, ndipo sitidzawonongeka.”
Induna yomkhumbi yaya kuye yathi, “Ungalala njani? Vuka ubize unkulunkulu wakho! Mhlawumbe yena uzasizwa ukuze singabhubhi.”
7 Ndipo oyendetsa sitimayo anayamba kuwuzana kuti, “Bwerani, tichite maere kuti tipeze amene wabweretsa tsoka limeneli.” Iwo anachita maerewo ndipo anagwera Yona.
Abagwedli basebecebisana bathi, “Wozani, senze inkatho ukuze sibone ukuthi ngubani osibangele uhlupho lolu.” Bayenza inkatho, yadla uJona.
8 Tsono anamufunsa kuti, “Tatiwuze, tsoka limeneli latigwera chifukwa chiyani? Umagwira ntchito yanji? Ukuchokera kuti? Kwanu nʼkuti? Ndiwe mtundu wanji wa anthu?”
Basebembuza bathi, “Akusitshele, ngubani osibangele lonke lolu uhlupho na? Wenza msebenzi bani na? Uvela ngaphi? Ungowakuliphi ilizwe? Ungowasiphi isizwe na?”
9 Iye anayankha kuti, “Ndine Mhebri, ndipo ndimapembedza Yehova, Mulungu Wakumwamba, amene analenga nyanja ndi mtunda.”
Waphendula wathi, “NgingumHebheru, ngikhonza uThixo, uNkulunkulu wasezulwini, owenza ulwandle kanye lomhlabathi.”
10 Izi zinawachititsa mantha kwambiri ndipo anafunsa kuti, “Kodi wachita chiyani?” (Iwo ankadziwa kuti iyeyo amathawa Yehova, chifukwa nʼkuti atawawuza kale).
Lokhu kwabethusa, babuza bathi, “Wenzeni pho?” (Babekwazi ukuthi ubalekela uThixo ngoba wayevele esebatshelile.)
11 Namondwe ananka nakulirakulirabe pa nyanjapo. Tsono anamufunsa iye kuti, “Kodi tikuchite chiyani kuti nyanjayi ikhale bata?”
Ulwandle lwaselulokhu luqubuka lusiya phambili ngamandla. Ngakho basebembuza bathi, “Senzeni kuwe ukuze ulwandle luthule singalimali na?”
12 Iye anayankha kuti, “Nyamuleni ndi kundiponya mʼnyanjamu ndipo nyanjayi ikhala bata. Ndikudziwa kuti wolakwa ndine nʼchifukwa chake chimphepo champhamvuchi chabwera pa inu.”
Waphendula wathi, “Ngiqukulani lingiphosele elwandle, luzathula. Ngiyazi ukuthi kungumlandu wami okwenze isiphepho esikhulu kangaka sehlela phezu kwenu.”
13 Komabe oyendetsa sitimayo anayesetsa kupalasa kwambiri kuti abwerere ku mtunda koma analephera ndithu poti nyanja inawinduka kwambiri kuposa poyamba paja
Kodwa amadoda azama ngamandla ukugwedlela emuva emhlabathini. Kodwa behluleka ngoba ulwandle lwaselusidla amahabula okudlula kuqala.
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.”
Khonapho basebekhala kuThixo bathi, “Oh, Thixo, ungasiyekeli sife ngoba sibulele indoda le. Ungasibeki umlandu wokubulala umuntu ongelacala, ngoba wena, Oh Thixo, wenzile njengokufisa kwakho.”
15 Ndipo anatenga Yona namuponya mʼnyanja, ndipo nyanja yowindukayo inakhala bata.
Basebethatha uJona bamphosela olwandle, ulwandle lwase luthula ukugubhaza.
16 Anthuwo ataona zimenezi anachita mantha akulu ndi Yehova, ndipo anapereka nsembe kwa Yehova nalumbira kuti adzatumikira Yehovayo.
Lokhu kwenza amadoda lawo amesabe kakhulu uThixo, asesenza umhlatshelo kuThixo enza izifungo kuye.
17 Koma Yehova anatuma nsomba yayikulu kuti imeze Yona. Motero Yona anakhala mʼmimba mwa nsombayo masiku atatu, usana ndi usiku.
Kodwa uThixo waletha inhlanzi enkulukazi yamginya uJona, uJona wahlala phakathi kwenhlanzi insuku ezintathu lobusuku obuthathu.

< Yona 1 >