< Jonas 1 >
1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonas the son of Amathi, saying,
耶和華的話臨到亞米太的兒子約拿,說:
2 Rise, and go to Nineve, the great city, and preach in it; for the cry of its wickedness is come up to me.
「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。」
3 But Jonas rose up to flee to Tharsis from the presence of the Lord. And he went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tharsis: and he paid his fare, and went up into it, to sail with them to Tharsis from the presence of the Lord.
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。
4 And the Lord raised up a wind on the sea; and there was a great storm on the sea, and the ship was in danger of being broken.
然而耶和華使海中起大風,海就狂風大作,甚至船幾乎破壞。
5 And the sailors were alarmed, and cried every one to his god, and cast out the wares that were in the ship into the sea, that it might be lightened of them. But Jonas was gone down into the hold of the ship, and was asleep, and snored.
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。
6 And the shipmaster came to him, and said to him, Why snore you? arise, and call upon your God, that God may save us, and we perish not.
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。」
7 And each man said to his neighbor, Come, let us cast lots, and find out for whose sake this mischief is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonas.
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。
8 And they said to him, Tell us what is your occupation, and whence come you, and of what country and what people are you?
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?」
9 And he said to them, I am a servant of the Lord; and I worship the Lord God of heaven, who made the sea, and the dry [land].
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。」
10 Then the men feared exceedingly, and said to him, What is this [that] you have done? for the men knew that he was fleeing from the face of the Lord, because he had told them.
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。
11 And they said to him, What shall we do to you, that the sea may be calm to us? for the sea rose, and lifted its wave exceedingly.
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。
12 And Jonas said to them, Take me up, and cast me into the sea, and the sea shall be calm to you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.
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。」
13 And the men tried hard to return to the land, and were not able: for the sea rose and grew more and more tempestuous against them.
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。
14 And they cried to the Lord, and said, Forbid it, Lord: let us not perish for the sake of this man's life, and bring not righteous blood upon us: for you, Lord, have done as you would.
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。」
15 So they took Jonas, and cast him out into the sea: and the sea ceased from its raging.
他們遂將約拿抬起,拋在海中,海的狂浪就平息了。
16 And the men feared the Lord very greatly, and offered a sacrifice to the Lord, and vowed vows.
那些人便大大敬畏耶和華,向耶和華獻祭,並且許願。
17 Now the Lord had commanded a great whale to swallow up Jonas: and Jonas was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights.
耶和華安排一條大魚吞了約拿,他在魚腹中三日三夜。