Jonah 1
1 The Lord spoke to Jonah the son of Amittai, telling him,
Ndipo neno la Bwana lilimjia Yona mwana wa Amittai, kusema,
2 “Go immediately to the great city of Nineveh and condemn it because I have seen the wickedness of its people.”
“Simama uende Ninawi, mji kuu, na ukapaze sauti dhidi yake, kwa sababu uovu wao umeinuka mbele yangu.”
3 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.
Lakini Yona akaondoka kukimbia kutoka mbele ya Bwana na kwenda Tarshishi. Akatelemka mpaka Yafa na akaona melikebu inayokwenda Tarshishi. Kwa hiyo alilipa nauli na akapanda melikebu kwenda nayo Tarishishi, mbali na uwepo wa Yahweh.
4 But the Lord sent a terrible wind across the sea, creating a violent storm that threatened to break up the ship.
Lakini Bwana akatuma upepo mkubwa juu ya bahari, ikawa tufani juu ya bahari. Hivi karibuni ikaonekana kwamba meli ilikuwa inataka kuvunjika.
5 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.
Wale baharia waliogopa sana na kila mtu alilia kwa mungu wake mwenyewe. Wakatupa mizigo bahari iliyokuwa merikebuni ili kuifungua. Yona alikuwa ameshuka hapa pande za ndani ya melikebu, naye alikuwa amelala huko usingizi.
6 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.”
Basi nahoza akamwendea akamwambia, “kwa nini unalala? Amka! ukamwombe mungu wako! Labda mungu wako atatutambua na hatutapotea.”
7 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.
Wote wakaambiana, 'Njoni, tupige kura, ili tujue ni nani ndiye sababu ya mabaya haya yanayotupata.' Basi wakapiga kura, na kura ikaangukia kwa Yona.
8 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?”
Kisha wakamwambia Yona, “Tafadhali tuambie ni nani ndiye sababu ya mabaya haya yanayotupata. Unafanya kazi gani, na umetoka wapi? Nchi yako ni ipi, na kutoka kwa watu wa kabila gani?”
9 “I am a Hebrew,” Jonah replied, “and I worship the Lord, the God of the heavens, the sea, and the land.”
Yona akawaambia, Mimi ni Mhebrania; Nami namuogopa Bwana, Mungu wa mbinguni, aliyeifanya bahari na nchi kavu.
10 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.
Ndipo watu hao waliogopa zaidi, wakamwambia Yona, Ni jambo gani hili ulilolifanya? Kwa maana hao watu walijua kwamba alikuwa akikimbia mbele ya Bwana, kwa sababu alikuwa amewaambia.
11 “What shall we do to you to calm the storm?” they asked him, since the storm was getting worse.
Ndipo wakamwambia Yona, Tukufanyie nini ili bahari iweze kutulia? Kwa maana bahari ilikuwa imechafuka zaidi na zaidi.
12 “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.”
Yona akawaambia, “Nikamateni na nitupeni baharini. Kisha bahari itatulia kwa ajili yenu, kwa maana najua kwamba ni kwa sababu yangu kwamba tufani hii kubwa iwapate.”
13 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.
Hata hivyo, watu hao wavuta makasia kwa bidii ili kurudi nchi kavu, lakini hawakuweza kufanya hivyo kwa sababu bahari ilikuwa imechafuka zaidi dhidi yao.
14 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.”
Basi wakamwomba Bwana, wakasema, Tunakuomba, Bwana, tunakuomba, usiache tuangamize kwa sababu ya maisha ya mtu huyu; wala usituwekee hatia ya kufa kwake, kwa kuwa wewe, Bwana, umefanya kama ulivyopenda.
15 So they picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea, and it became calm.
Basi wakamchukua Yona wakamtupa baharini, nayo bahari ikaacha kuchafuka.
16 The sailors were overcome with fear. They offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made many promises to him.
Ndipo watu wale wakamuogopa Bwana sana. Wakamtolea dhabihu Bwana na kuweka nadhiri.
17 The Lord sent a huge fish to swallow Jonah. Jonah spent three days and nights in the belly of the fish.
Bwana alikuwa ameandaa samaki mkubwa kummeza Yona, na Yona alikuwa ndani ya tumbo lasamaki siku tatu na usiku wa tatu.
