< 約拿書 1 >
The Lord spoke to Jonah the son of Amittai, telling him,
2 「你起來往尼尼微大城去,向其中的居民呼喊,因為他們的惡達到我面前。」
“Go immediately to the great city of Nineveh and condemn it because I have seen the wickedness of its people.”
3 約拿卻起來,逃往他施去躲避耶和華;下到約帕,遇見一隻船,要往他施去。他就給了船價,上了船,要與船上的人同往他施去躲避耶和華。
But Jonah left and ran away to Tarshish to get away from the Lord. He went to Joppa where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He paid the fare and went on board to sail to Tarshish in order to get away from the Lord.
4 然而耶和華使海中起大風,海就狂風大作,甚至船幾乎破壞。
But the Lord sent a terrible wind across the sea, creating a violent storm that threatened to break up the ship.
5 水手便懼怕,各人哀求自己的神。他們將船上的貨物拋在海中,為要使船輕些。約拿已下到底艙,躺臥沉睡。
The sailors were terrified and each of them prayed to their own god to save them. They threw the cargo overboard to make the ship lighter. Meanwhile, Jonah had gone down into the hold where he had laid down and fallen fast asleep.
6 船主到他那裏對他說:「你這沉睡的人哪,為何這樣呢?起來,求告你的神,或者神顧念我們,使我們不致滅亡。」
The ship's captain went to Jonah and asked him, “How can you be sleeping? Get up and pray to your God. Maybe he will take notice of what's happening to us and we won't drown.”
7 船上的人彼此說:「來吧,我們掣籤,看看這災臨到我們是因誰的緣故。」於是他們掣籤,掣出約拿來。
Then the sailors said to each other, “Let's draw lots so we can find out who's to blame for this disaster that's fallen on us.” They drew lots and Jonah's name was came up.
8 眾人對他說:「請你告訴我們,這災臨到我們是因誰的緣故?你以何事為業?你從哪裏來?你是哪一國?屬哪一族的人?」
So they asked him, “Tell us who is responsible for this trouble that we're in. What do you do for a living? Where are you from? What is your country? What is your nationality?”
9 他說:「我是希伯來人。我敬畏耶和華-那創造滄海旱地之天上的上帝。」
“I am a Hebrew,” Jonah replied, “and I worship the Lord, the God of the heavens, the sea, and the land.”
10 他們就大大懼怕,對他說:「你做的是甚麼事呢?」他們已經知道他躲避耶和華,因為他告訴了他們。
The sailors became even more terrified and said to Jonah, “What have you done?” because Jonah had explained to them that he was running away from the Lord.
11 他們問他說:「我們當向你怎樣行,使海浪平靜呢?」這話是因海浪越發翻騰。
“What shall we do to you to calm the storm?” they asked him, since the storm was getting worse.
12 他對他們說:「你們將我抬起來,拋在海中,海就平靜了;我知道你們遭這大風是因我的緣故。」
“Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” Jonah replied. “Then the sea will become calm, because I know it's because of me that you're in this terrible storm.”
13 然而那些人竭力盪槳,要把船攏岸,卻是不能,因為海浪越發向他們翻騰。
Instead the sailors tried to row to get back to the shore, but they couldn't because the sea had become so wild from the worsening storm.
14 他們便求告耶和華說:「耶和華啊,我們懇求你,不要因這人的性命使我們死亡,不要使流無辜血的罪歸與我們;因為你-耶和華是隨自己的意旨行事。」
Then they called out to the Lord, “Lord! Please don't kill us for sacrificing this man's life or for spilling innocent blood, for you, Lord, made it happen.”
15 他們遂將約拿抬起,拋在海中,海的狂浪就平息了。
So they picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea, and it became calm.
16 那些人便大大敬畏耶和華,向耶和華獻祭,並且許願。
The sailors were overcome with fear. They offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made many promises to him.
17 耶和華安排一條大魚吞了約拿,他在魚腹中三日三夜。
The Lord sent a huge fish to swallow Jonah. Jonah spent three days and nights in the belly of the fish.