< Jonah 1 >
1 Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
耶和華的話臨到亞米太的兒子約拿,說:
2 Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before 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 Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare of it, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish 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 But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that 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 Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man to his god, and cast the wares that [were] in the ship into the sea, to lighten [it] of them. But Jonah had gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.
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 So the ship-master came to him, and said to him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, it may be that God will think upon us, that 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 they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil [is] upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.
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 Then said they to him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil [is] upon us; What [is] thy occupation? and whence comest thou? what [is] thy country? and of what people [art] thou?
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 Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, who hath 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 were the men exceedingly afraid, and said to him, Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence 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 Then said they to him, What shall we do to thee, that the sea may be calm to us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous.
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 he said to them, Take me, and cast me into the sea; so shall the sea 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 Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring [it] to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was 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 Wherefore they cried to the LORD, and said, We beseech thee, O LORD, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O LORD, hast done as it pleased thee.
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 Jonah, and cast him into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging.
他們遂將約拿抬起,拋在海中,海的狂浪就平息了。
16 Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the LORD, and made 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 prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish 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。