Yona 1

1 Yehova anayankhula ndi Yona mwana wa Amitai kuti,

Now the LORD’s word 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 preach against it, for their wickedness has 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 the LORD. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid its fare, and went down into it, 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 sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty storm on the sea, so that the ship was likely to break up.

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 every man cried to his god. They threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone down into the innermost parts of the ship and he was laying down, 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.”

So the ship master came to him, and said to him, “What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God! Maybe your God will notice us, so that we won’t perish.”

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

They all said to each other, “Come! Let’s cast lots, that we may know who is responsible for this evil that is on us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.

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

Then they asked him, “Tell us, please, for whose cause this evil is on us. What is your occupation? Where do you come from? What is your country? Of what people are you?”

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

He said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, who has 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 exceedingly afraid, and said to him, “What have you done?” For the men 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 shall we do to you, that the sea may be calm to 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. Then the sea will be calm for you; for I know that because of me this great storm is on 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 get them back to the land; but they could not, for the sea grew more and more stormy 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.”

Therefore 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 lay on us innocent blood; for you, LORD, have done as it pleased you.”

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

So they took up Jonah and threw him into the sea; and the sea ceased its raging.

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

Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly; and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows.

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

The LORD prepared a huge fish to swallow up Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.