Jona 1
1 Na rĩrĩ, ndũmĩrĩri ya Jehova nĩyakinyĩire Jona mũrũ wa Amitai, akĩĩrwo atĩrĩ:
[One day] Yahweh said to [the prophet] Jonah, the son of Amittai,
2 “Ũkĩra, ũthiĩ itũũra rĩrĩa inene rĩa Nineve, na ũrĩhunjĩrie ũkĩrĩkaanagia, nĩgũkorwo waganu warĩo nĩwambatĩte ũgakinya o harĩ niĩ.”
“I have [seen] how wicked [the people of] [MTY] the great city of Nineveh are. Therefore go there and warn the people that [I am planning to] destroy their city [because of their sins].”
3 No Jona agĩũkĩra nĩguo orĩre Jehova, akĩerekera Tarishishi. Agĩikũrũka nginya Jopa na agĩkorerera marikabu yathiiaga Tarishishi. Aarĩkia kũrĩha thogora wa rũgendo, akĩingĩra marikabu nĩguo athiĩ Tarishishi, orĩre Jehova.
But [instead of going to Nineveh], Jonah [went in the direction] opposite to where Yahweh [told him to go]. He went down to Joppa [city]. There he bought a ticket to travel on a ship that was going to Tarshish [city], in order to avoid [doing what] Yahweh [told him to do]. [He got on the ship, ] and [then went down] to a lower deck, [lay down, and went to sleep].
4 No rĩrĩ, Jehova akĩrehe rũhuho rũnene kũu iria-inĩ, gũkĩgĩa kĩhuhũkanio kĩnene mũno, hakuhĩ marikabu ĩyo yunĩkange.
Then Yahweh caused a very strong wind to blow, and there was such a violent storm that [the sailors thought] the ship would break apart.
5 Atwari ayo othe makĩmaka na o mũndũ agĩkaĩra ngai yake; magĩcooka magĩikia mĩrigo iria-inĩ, nĩgeetha marikabu ĩhũthe. No Jona nĩaikũrũkĩte kũu marikabu thĩinĩ, na agakoma toro mũnene.
The sailors were very frightened. Because of that, they each [started to] pray to their own gods [to save them]. Then they threw the cargo into the sea to make the ship lighter [in order that it would not sink easily].
6 Tondũ ũcio mũnene wa marikabu agĩthiĩ harĩ we, akĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Wee ũngĩhota gũkoma atĩa? Ũkĩra ũkaĩre ngai yaku! No gũkorwo yahota gũtũigua twage gũthira.”
Then the captain went [down] to where Jonah was sleeping soundly. [He awoke him] and said [to him], “(How can you sleep [during a storm like this]?/You should not be sleeping [during a storm like this]) [RHQ]! Get up and pray to your god! Perhaps he will pity us and save us, in order that we will not drown!” [But Jonah refused to do that].
7 Ningĩ atwari a marikabu makĩĩrana atĩrĩ, “Ũkai tũcuuke mĩtĩ nĩguo tũmenye nũũ ũrehete mũtino ũyũ.” Magĩcuuka mĩtĩ naguo mũtĩ ũkĩgwĩra Jona.
Then the sailors said to each other, “We need to (cast lots/shake from a container small objects that we have all marked), to determine who has caused [all] this trouble!” So they did that, and [the object with] Jonah’s mark fell out [of the container].
8 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio, makĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Ta twĩre, nũũ ũtũmĩte thĩĩna ũyũ wothe ũtũkore? Wee-rĩ, ũrutaga wĩra ũrĩkũ? Uumĩte kũ? Wĩ wa bũrũri ũrĩkũ? Wĩ wa rũrĩrĩ rũrĩkũ?”
So [various ones of] them asked him, “Are you the one who has caused us all this trouble?” “What work do you do?” “Where are you [coming] from?” “What country and what people-group do you belong to?”
9 Nake Jona akĩmacookeria atĩrĩ, “Niĩ ndĩ Mũhibirania na ndĩ mũhooi Jehova, Ngai wa igũrũ, ũrĩa wombire iria na thĩ nyũmũ.”
Jonah replied, “I am a Hebrew. I worship Yahweh God, who [lives in] heaven. He is the one who made the sea and the land. I am trying to escape from [doing what] Yahweh [told me to do].”
10 Ũndũ ũcio ũkĩmeekĩra guoya, makĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Nĩ atĩa wĩkĩte?” (Nĩmamenyete atĩ nĩ kũũra ooragĩra Jehova, tondũ nĩameerĩte ũguo.)
After the sailors heard that, they were terrified. So they asked him, “Do you realize what [trouble] you have caused?”
11 Narĩo iria rĩgĩkĩrĩrĩria kũhuhũkania. Nĩ ũndũ ũcio makĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Ũkwenda tũgwĩke atĩa nĩgeetha tũhoorererwo nĩ iria?”
The [storm kept getting worse and] the waves kept getting bigger. So [one of] the sailors asked Jonah, “What should we do in order to make the sea become calm?”
12 Nake akĩmacookeria atĩrĩ, “Njoyai mũnjikie iria-inĩ na nĩrĩkũhoorera. Niĩ nĩnjũũĩ atĩ nĩ mahĩtia makwa matũmĩte kĩhuhũkanio gĩkĩ kĩnene kĩmũkore.”
He replied, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea. [If you do that], it will become calm. I know that this terrible storm is the result of my [not doing what Yahweh told me to do].”
13 No andũ acio makĩĩrutanĩria mũno gũcookia marikabu yao hũgũrũrũ-inĩ cia iria. No makĩremwo, nĩgũkorwo iria nĩrĩakĩrĩrĩirie kũhuhũkania makĩria ma ũrĩa rĩarĩ mbere.
But the sailors did [not want to do that]. [Instead], they tried hard to row the ship back to the land. But they could not [do that], because the storm continued to get worse.
14 Nao magĩkaĩra Jehova makiuga atĩrĩ, “Twagũthaitha Wee Jehova, ndũkareke tũkue nĩ ũndũ wa muoyo wa mũndũ ũyũ. Ndũgatũcookererie mahĩtia ma kũũraga mũndũ ũtehĩtie, nĩgũkorwo Wee Jehova, wĩkĩte ũrĩa wonete arĩ wega.”
Therefore they prayed to Yahweh, and [one of them] prayed, “O Yahweh, please do not let us drown because of our causing this man to die. O Yahweh, you have done what you wanted to do. [We do not know if this man has sinned. If] he has not sinned, do not consider that we are guilty of sinning when we cause him to die!”
15 Makĩoya Jona makĩmũikia iria-inĩ, narĩo iria rĩu rĩahurutanaga rĩkĩhoorera.
Then they picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea. Then the sea became calm.
16 Mona ũguo andũ acio magĩĩtigĩra Jehova mũno; na makĩrutĩra Jehova igongona, na makĩĩhĩta mĩĩhĩtwa mbere yake.
[When that happened], the sailors became greatly awed at Yahweh’s [power]. So they offered a sacrifice to Yahweh, and they strongly promised [him that they would do things that would please him].
17 Nake Jehova agĩathĩrĩria thamaki nene mũno ĩmerie Jona, nake Jona agĩikara nda ya thamaki ĩyo matukũ matatũ, mũthenya na ũtukũ.
[While they were doing that, ] Yahweh sent a huge fish that swallowed Jonah. Then Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights.
