約拿書 1

1 那時，上主的話傳給阿米泰的兒子約納說：

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

2 「你起身往尼尼微大城去，向他們宣佈：他們的邪惡已達到我前」。

"Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim against it, for their wickedness has come up before me."

3 約納卻起身，想躲開上主的面，逃到塔爾史士去：遂下到約培，找到一隻要開往塔爾史士的船，繳了船費，上了船，同他們往塔爾史士去，好躲開上主的面。

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 但是上主卻使海上起了大風，海中風浪大作，那隻船眼看就要被擊破。

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 水手們都驚慌起來，每人呼求自己的神，並將船上的貨物拋在海裏，為減輕載重。約納卻下到船艙，躺下沈睡了。

Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man to his god. They threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten it. But Jonah had gone down into the innermost parts of the ship, and he was laying down, and was fast asleep.

6 船長走到他跟前，向他說：「怎麼，你還在睡覺﹖起來! 呼求你的神吧! 你的神也許會眷念我們，使我們不致喪亡」。

So the shipmaster 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 他們彼此說：「來，我們抽籤，以便知道，我們遇到這場災禍，是因誰的緣故」。他們便抽籤，約納竟抽中了。

They all said to each other, "Come, let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is on us." So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.

8 他們向他說：「請告訴我們：我們遇到這場災禍，是因什麼緣故﹖你是幹什麼的﹖從那裏來﹖你是什麼地方的人﹖屬於那一個民族﹖」

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 他回答他們說：「我是個希伯來人，我敬畏的，是那創造海洋和陸地的上天的上主天主。」

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 那些人都很害怕，就對他說：「怎麼你做了這事﹖」人們都知道，他是從天主面前逃跑的，因為他已告訴了他們。

Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said to him, "What is this that you have done?" For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.

11 他們又向他說：「我們該怎樣處置你，才能使海為我們而平靜﹖」因為海越來越洶湧了。

Then said they 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 他對他們說：「你們舉起我，將我拋在海裏，海就會為你們平靜下來，因為我知道，這場大風暴，臨到你們身上，只是因了我的緣故。」

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 眾人雖然盡力搖櫓，想回到海岸，卻是不能，因為海上風暴，越來越洶湧。

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 所以他們便呼求上主說：「上主! 求你不要因這一個人的性命，使我們全部喪亡；不要將無辜者的血，歸在我們身上，因為你是上主，就按你的意願作吧! 」

Therefore they cried to the LORD, and said, "We beg you, LORD, we beg you, let us not perish for this man's life, and do not lay on us innocent blood; for you, LORD, have done as it pleased you."

15 他們於是舉起約納，將他拋在海裏，海遂平靜。

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

16 眾人都極其敬畏上主，遂向上主祭獻，許下誓願。

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

17 上主安排了一條大魚，吞了約納；約納在魚腹裏，三天三夜。

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