< Jonah 1 >

1 The Lord spoke to Jonah the son of Amittai, telling him,
Awurade asɛm baa Amitai babarima Yona nkyɛn sɛ,
2 “Go immediately to the great city of Nineveh and condemn it because I have seen the wickedness of its people.”
“Kɔ kuropɔn kɛseɛ Ninewe mu na kɔka asɛmpa no tia wɔn sɛ wɔn atirimuɔdensɛm aforo abɛduru mʼanim.”
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.
Nanso, Yona dwane firii Awurade anim na ɔde nʼani kyerɛɛ Tarsis. Ɔkɔɔ Yopa, na ɛhɔ ɔkɔnyaa ɛhyɛn a ɛrekɔ Tarsis. Ɔtuaa ka kɔtenaa ɛhyɛn no mu, sɛ ɔrefiri Awurade anim akɔ Tarsis.
4 But the Lord sent a terrible wind across the sea, creating a violent storm that threatened to break up the ship.
Nanso Awurade maa mframa kɛseɛ bi bɔɔ wɔ ɛpo no so; ɛmaa ahum tuiɛ a, anka ɛhyɛn no rebɛbɔ.
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.
Ɛhyɛn no mufoɔ no nyinaa surooɛ na obiara su frɛɛ ne nyame. Wɔtotoo adwadeɛ a ɛwɔ ɛhyɛn no mu guguu ɛpo no mu sɛdeɛ ɛhyɛn no mu bɛyɛ herɛ. Nanso na Yona akɔhyɛ ɛhyɛn no ase baabi ada hatee.
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.”
Ɛna ɛhyɛn no so panin no kɔɔ ne nkyɛn kɔkaa sɛ, “Adɛn na woada? Sɔre na frɛ wo nyame! Ebia, ɔbɛhunu yɛn mmɔbɔ, na yɛannwuwu.”
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.
Afei ɛhyɛn no mufoɔ no keka kyerɛɛ wɔn ho wɔn ho sɛ, “Momma yɛmmɔ ntonto nhwehwɛ deɛ saa amanehunu yi nam ne so aba.” Wɔbɔɔ ntonto no na ɛbɔɔ 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?”
Enti wɔbisaa no sɛ, “Kyerɛ yɛn, hwan na wama saa ɔhaw yi nyinaa aba? Adwuma bɛn na woyɛ? Ɛhe na wo fire? Ɔman bɛn so na wofiri? Ɛhefoɔ ne wo nkurɔfoɔ?”
9 “I am a Hebrew,” Jonah replied, “and I worship the Lord, the God of the heavens, the sea, and the land.”
Ɔbuaa sɛ, “Meyɛ Hebrini, na mesom Awurade, ɔsoro Onyankopɔn a, ɔbɔɔ ɛpo ne asase.”
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.
Yei bɔɔ wɔn hu, enti wɔbisaa Yona sɛ, “Ɛdeɛn na woayɛ?” (Na wɔnim sɛ ɔredwane afiri Awurade nkyɛn, ɛfiri sɛ na waka saa akyerɛ wɔn dada).
11 “What shall we do to you to calm the storm?” they asked him, since the storm was getting worse.
Na ahum no kɔ so tu dendeenden ara. Enti wɔbisaa no sɛ, “Ɛdeɛn na yɛnyɛ wo a ɛbɛma ahum yi ano abrɛ ase ama yɛn?”
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 buaa wɔn sɛ, “Momma me so nto me ntwene ɛpo yi mu, na ano bɛdwo. Menim sɛ me enti na ahum kɛseɛ yi retu mo so.”
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.
Mmarima no yɛɛ deɛ wɔbɛtumi biara sɛ wɔbɛhare ɛhyɛn no akɔ mpoano. Nanso, wɔantumi, ɛsiane sɛ na ɛpo so ahum no ano ayɛ den asene kane no.
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.”
Afei wosu frɛɛ Awurade sɛ, “Ao Awurade yɛsrɛ wo mma yɛn nwuwu sɛ yɛama ɔbarima yi ahwere ne nkwa enti. Mma yɛn nni fɔ wɔ ɔbarima yi mogya ho, ɛfiri sɛ, Ao Awurade wayɛ deɛ wo pɛ.”
15 So they picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea, and it became calm.
Afei, wɔmaa Yona so too no twenee ɛpo no mu, na ɛpo a na ɛrehuru soɔ no yɛɛ dinn.
16 The sailors were overcome with fear. They offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made many promises to him.
Yei maa mmarima no suroo Awurade pa ara na wɔbɔɔ afɔdeɛ maa Awurade, na wɔhyɛɛ no bɔ.
17 The Lord sent a huge fish to swallow Jonah. Jonah spent three days and nights in the belly of the fish.
Na Awurade maa apataa kɛseɛ bi bɛmenee Yona, na Yona daa apataa no yam nnansa, awia ne anadwo.

< Jonah 1 >