Jonas 1
1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonas the son of Amathi, saying,
Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kuJona indodana ka-Amithayi lathi:
2 Rise, and go to Nineve, the great city, and preach in it; for the cry of its wickedness is come up to me.
“Hamba uye edolobheni elikhulu laseNiniva utshumayele ngokulisola kakhulu, ngoba ububi balo sebufinyelele kimi.”
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.
Kodwa uJona wabalekela uThixo waqonda eThashishi. Wehla waya eJopha, lapho afica khona umkhumbi owawusiya kuleyondawo. Eseyikhuphile imali yokugada, wangena umkhumbi waqonda eThashishi yena ebalekela uThixo.
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.
UThixo wathumela isiphepho elwandlwe, kwaphenquka isavunguzane esasingathi sizawubhidliza umkhumbi.
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.
Bonke abagwedli bawo besaba, ngulowo lalowo wakhala kunkulunkulu wakhe. Baphosela imithwalo elwandle ukuze baphungule ubunzima bomkhumbi. Kodwa uJona wayehlele endlwaneni engaphansi, emkhunjini, walala khona ubuthongo bukabhuka.
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.
Induna yomkhumbi yaya kuye yathi, “Ungalala njani? Vuka ubize unkulunkulu wakho! Mhlawumbe yena uzasizwa ukuze singabhubhi.”
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.
Abagwedli basebecebisana bathi, “Wozani, senze inkatho ukuze sibone ukuthi ngubani osibangele uhlupho lolu.” Bayenza inkatho, yadla uJona.
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?
Basebembuza bathi, “Akusitshele, ngubani osibangele lonke lolu uhlupho na? Wenza msebenzi bani na? Uvela ngaphi? Ungowakuliphi ilizwe? Ungowasiphi isizwe na?”
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].
Waphendula wathi, “NgingumHebheru, ngikhonza uThixo, uNkulunkulu wasezulwini, owenza ulwandle kanye lomhlabathi.”
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.
Lokhu kwabethusa, babuza bathi, “Wenzeni pho?” (Babekwazi ukuthi ubalekela uThixo ngoba wayevele esebatshelile.)
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.
Ulwandle lwaselulokhu luqubuka lusiya phambili ngamandla. Ngakho basebembuza bathi, “Senzeni kuwe ukuze ulwandle luthule singalimali na?”
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.
Waphendula wathi, “Ngiqukulani lingiphosele elwandle, luzathula. Ngiyazi ukuthi kungumlandu wami okwenze isiphepho esikhulu kangaka sehlela phezu kwenu.”
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.
Kodwa amadoda azama ngamandla ukugwedlela emuva emhlabathini. Kodwa behluleka ngoba ulwandle lwaselusidla amahabula okudlula kuqala.
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.
Khonapho basebekhala kuThixo bathi, “Oh, Thixo, ungasiyekeli sife ngoba sibulele indoda le. Ungasibeki umlandu wokubulala umuntu ongelacala, ngoba wena, Oh Thixo, wenzile njengokufisa kwakho.”
15 So they took Jonas, and cast him out into the sea: and the sea ceased from its raging.
Basebethatha uJona bamphosela olwandle, ulwandle lwase luthula ukugubhaza.
16 And the men feared the Lord very greatly, and offered a sacrifice to the Lord, and vowed vows.
Lokhu kwenza amadoda lawo amesabe kakhulu uThixo, asesenza umhlatshelo kuThixo enza izifungo kuye.
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.
Kodwa uThixo waletha inhlanzi enkulukazi yamginya uJona, uJona wahlala phakathi kwenhlanzi insuku ezintathu lobusuku obuthathu.
