< Jona 1 >

1 Na rĩrĩ, ndũmĩrĩri ya Jehova nĩyakinyĩire Jona mũrũ wa Amitai, akĩĩrwo atĩrĩ:
This message from the Lord came to Jonah, the son of Amittai:
2 “Ũkĩra, ũthiĩ itũũra rĩrĩa inene rĩa Nineve, na ũrĩhunjĩrie ũkĩrĩkaanagia, nĩgũkorwo waganu warĩo nĩwambatĩte ũgakinya o harĩ niĩ.”
‘Arise, go to that great city, Nineveh, and preach against it; for their wickedness is known to me.’
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 Jonah started to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went aboard to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.
4 No rĩrĩ, Jehova akĩrehe rũhuho rũnene kũu iria-inĩ, gũkĩgĩa kĩhuhũkanio kĩnene mũno, hakuhĩ marikabu ĩyo yunĩkange.
But the Lord made a furious wind blow over the sea, and there was such a great storm that the ship was in danger of breaking to pieces.
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 terrified and each cried for help to his own god. They threw the ship’s cargo into the sea to make the ship lighter. Meanwhile Jonah had gone down into the bottom of the ship and lay fast asleep.
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.”
The captain of the ship went and said to him, ‘How can you sleep? Call on your god; perhaps that god will think of us, so that we may not be lost.’
7 Ningĩ atwari a marikabu makĩĩrana atĩrĩ, “Ũkai tũcuuke mĩtĩ nĩguo tũmenye nũũ ũrehete mũtino ũyũ.” Magĩcuuka mĩtĩ naguo mũtĩ ũkĩgwĩra Jona.
The sailors said to one another, ‘Come, let us cast lots to discover on whose account this evil has come upon us.’ So they cast lots, and the lot indicated Jonah.
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 they said to him, ‘Are you to blame for this? Tell us, what is your business, and where do you come from? What is your country and to what people do you belong?’
9 Nake Jona akĩmacookeria atĩrĩ, “Niĩ ndĩ Mũhibirania na ndĩ mũhooi Jehova, Ngai wa igũrũ, ũrĩa wombire iria na thĩ nyũmũ.”
He replied, ‘I am a Hebrew, and a worshipper of the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.’
10 Ũndũ ũcio ũkĩmeekĩra guoya, makĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Nĩ atĩa wĩkĩte?” (Nĩmamenyete atĩ nĩ kũũra ooragĩra Jehova, tondũ nĩameerĩte ũguo.)
Then the men were greatly frightened and said to him, ‘What have you done?’ For they knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.
11 Narĩo iria rĩgĩkĩrĩrĩria kũhuhũkania. Nĩ ũndũ ũcio makĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Ũkwenda tũgwĩke atĩa nĩgeetha tũhoorererwo nĩ iria?”
Then they said to him, ‘What should we do to you, to make the sea calm for us?’ For the sea grew more and more stormy.
12 Nake akĩmacookeria atĩrĩ, “Njoyai mũnjikie iria-inĩ na nĩrĩkũhoorera. Niĩ nĩnjũũĩ atĩ nĩ mahĩtia makwa matũmĩte kĩhuhũkanio gĩkĩ kĩnene kĩmũkore.”
He said to them, ‘Take me up and throw me into the sea, and the sea will be calm for you, for I know that it is because of me this fierce storm has overtaken you.’
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 instead the men rowed hard to get back to the land; they could not, however, for the sea grew more and more stormy ahead.
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.”
So they cried to the Lord and said, ‘We beg you, Lord, we beg you, don’t let us die for this man’s life, and don’t let us be guilty of shedding innocent blood, for you are the Lord; you have done as it pleases you.’
15 Makĩoya Jona makĩmũikia iria-inĩ, narĩo iria rĩu rĩahurutanaga rĩkĩhoorera.
And they took up Jonah, and threw him into the sea; and the sea became calm.
16 Mona ũguo andũ acio magĩĩtigĩra Jehova mũno; na makĩrutĩra Jehova igongona, na makĩĩhĩta mĩĩhĩtwa mbere yake.
Then the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice and made vows to him.
17 Nake Jehova agĩathĩrĩria thamaki nene mũno ĩmerie Jona, nake Jona agĩikara nda ya thamaki ĩyo matukũ matatũ, mũthenya na ũtukũ.
But the Lord arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights.

< Jona 1 >