Yona 1

1 Yehowa ƒe nya va na Yona, Amitai ƒe vi la be,

Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai, saying,

2 “Yi ɖe Ninive, du gã la me, eye nàgblɔ nya ɖi ɖe wo ŋu, elabena woƒe ŋutasẽse va ɖo gbɔnye.”

“Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before Me.”

3 Ke nya sia na Yona si le Yehowa nu heɖo ta Tarsis. Eyi ƒutadu aɖe si woyɔna be Yopa la me, eye esi wòyi ɖe melidzeƒe si le afi ma la, ekpɔ meli aɖe si nɔ mɔ dzem yina ɖe Tarsis. Exe ʋuɖofe enumake, eye wòɖo ʋu la hege ɖe meli la ƒe globoeƒe aɖe be yeasi le Yehowa gbɔ.

Jonah, however, got up to flee to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship bound for Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went aboard to sail for Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD.

4 Esi ʋu la dze mɔ yina sẽe ko la, Yehowa dɔ yaƒoƒo sesẽ aɖe ɖa si na be ahom dziŋɔ aɖe tu. Meli la ʋuʋu heyeheye henɔ didim be yeanyrɔ.

Then the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship was in danger of breaking apart.

5 Ŋɔdzi kple vɔvɔ̃ gã aɖe lé ʋukulawo, eye wo dometɔ ɖe sia ɖe nɔ eƒe mawu yɔm kple ɣli, eye wotsɔ agba si wodo na meli la ƒu gbe ɖe atsiaƒu la me be meli la nazu wodzoe vie. Esi nu siawo katã nɔ edzi yim la, Yona ya nɔ alɔ̃ dɔm dzidzemetɔe le afi si wòbe ɖo.

The sailors were afraid, and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the ship’s cargo into the sea to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down to the lowest part of the vessel, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep.

6 Meli la ƒe amegã yi ɖe afi si wònɔ la, eye wòdo ɣli ɖe eta be, “Nu ka! Alɔ̃ dɔm wò ya nèle le ɣeyiɣi sia mea? Tso kaba nàyɔ wò mawu, ɖewohĩ akpɔ nublanui na mí tso ahom la me!”

The captain approached him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call upon your God. Perhaps this God will consider us, so that we may not perish.”

7 Azɔ melikulawo gblɔ na wo nɔewo be, “Miva, mina míadzidze nu, akpɔe ɖa be ame kae na dzɔgbevɔ̃e sia va mía dzi mahã.” Ale wodzidze nu, eye wòdze Yona dzi.

“Come!” said the sailors to one another. “Let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity that is upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.

8 Ale wo katã wobia gbee zi ɖeka be, “Nu ka nèwɔ, be nèhe ahom sia va mía dzi? Dɔ ka nèwɔna? Dukɔ ka me nètso? Gbe ka gblɔlae nènye?”

“Tell us now,” they demanded, “who is to blame for this calamity that is upon us? What is your occupation, and where have you come from? What is your country, and who are your people?”

9 Yona ɖo eŋu na wo be, “Hebritɔwoe menye, eye mesubɔa Yehowa, Dziƒo Mawu la, ame si wɔ atsiaƒu kple anyigba.”

“I am a Hebrew,” replied Jonah. “I worship the LORD, the God of the heavens, who made the sea and the dry land.”

10 Nya sia sese na wovɔ̃, eye wobiae be, “Nu ka nèwɔ?” Elabena ameawo nya be ɖe wònɔ sisim le Yehowa nu, elabena egblɔe na wo do ŋgɔ.

Then the men were even more afraid and said to him, “What have you done?” The men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.

11 Ƒutsotsoeawo gale agbo dzem ɖe edzi, eya ta wobiae be, “Nu ka míawɔ wò be ƒu la nadze akɔ anyi?”

Now the sea was growing worse and worse, so they said to Jonah, “What must we do to you to calm this sea for us?”

12 Yona gblɔ na wo be, “Mikɔm ƒu gbe ɖe ƒua me ekema ahom la nu atso. Elabena menya be tanye ahom la le tutum ɖo.”

“Pick me up,” he answered, “and cast me into the sea, so it may quiet down for you. For I know that I am to blame for this violent storm that has come upon you.”

13 Ʋukulawo dze agbagba be woaku ʋu la ava gota, gake gbeɖe; womete ŋui o, elabena ƒutsotsoeawo gadze agbo ɖe edzi wu tsã.

Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea was raging against them more and more.

14 Ale wodo gbe ɖa na Yehowa be, “O Yehowa, mègabia hlɔ̃ mi ɖe ame sia ƒe agbe ta o. Mègabu fɔ mí be míekɔ ʋu maɖifɔ ɖi o, elabena, O Yehowa, wòe wɔ nu si dze ŋuwò.”

So they cried out to the LORD: “Please, O LORD, do not let us perish on account of this man’s life! Do not charge us with innocent blood! For You, O LORD, have done as You pleased.”

15 Ale wolé Yona, kɔe ƒu gbe ɖe atsiaƒu la me, eye ƒu dzeagbo la dze akɔ anyi enumake.

At this, they picked up Jonah and cast him into the sea, and the raging sea grew calm.

16 Nu si dzɔ la na be ʋua me nɔlawo katã vɔ̃ Yehowa ŋutɔ, eye wosa vɔ na Yehowa heɖe adzɔgbe nɛ.

Then the men feared the LORD greatly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to Him.

17 Yehowa dɔ ƒumelã gã aɖe wòmi Yona. Ale Yona nɔ ƒumelã la ƒe dɔ me ŋkeke etɔ̃ kple zã etɔ̃.

Now the LORD had appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of the fish.