Yona 1
1 Yawe alobaki na Yona, mwana mobali ya Amitayi:
[One day] Yahweh said to [the prophet] Jonah, the son of Amittai,
2 — Telema, kende na Ninive, engumba monene, mpe kebisa bato na yango, pamba te mabe na bango ekomi kino epai na ngai.
“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 Yona atelemaki. Kasi mpo na kokima mosika na Yawe, akendeki na Tarsisi, akitaki na libongo ya Jafa mpe akutaki kuna masuwa moko oyo ezalaki kokende na Tarsisi. Sima na ye kofuta mbongo mpo na mobembo, akotaki na masuwa yango mpo na kokende na Tarsisi, mosika na Yawe.
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 Kasi Yawe atindaki mopepe makasi na likolo ya ebale monene, mpe mopepe yango ememaki mbonge oyo ekomaki pene ya kozindisa masuwa.
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 Bato oyo basalaka na masuwa bakomaki kobanga, mpe moto na moto akomaki kobelela nzambe na ye; babwakaki biloko nyonso oyo bazalaki na yango na ebale monene mpo na kokomisa masuwa pepele. Kasi Yona akitaki na kobe ya masuwa mpe, kuna, alalaki pongi ya makasi.
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 Mokumbi masuwa apusanaki pene ya Yona mpe alobaki na ye: — Ndenge nini okoki penza kolala pongi boye? Telema mpe belela nzambe na yo, tango mosusu akoki koyokela biso mawa mpo ete tokufa te.
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 Bato oyo basalaka na masuwa bamilobelaki bango na bango: « Boya! Tobeta zeke mpo toyeba moto oyo azali kobendela biso pasi oyo. » Babetaki zeke, mpe zeke yango ekweyaki epai ya Yona.
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 Batunaki ye: — Yebisa biso nani azali kobendela biso pasi oyo? Osalaka nini? Owuti wapi? Mboka na yo nini, mpe ozali moto ya ekolo nini?
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 Yona azongisaki: — Nazali Mo-Ebre, nasambelaka Yawe, Nzambe ya Lola, oyo akela bibale mpe mokili.
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 Ayebisaki bango ete azali kokima mosika na Yawe. Boye bato yango babangaki makasi; batunaki ye: — Eloko nini osalaki kuna?
After the sailors heard that, they were terrified. So they asked him, “Do you realize what [trouble] you have caused?”
11 Lokola ebale ezalaki kotomboka makasi penza, batunaki ye lisusu: — Tosala yo nini mpo ete ebale evanda kimia mpe etika kotungisa biso?
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 Azongiselaki bango: — Bokamata ngai mpe bobwaka ngai na ebale monene, mpe yango ekovanda kimia, pamba te nayebi malamu ete ezali mpo na ngai nde mopepe makasi oyo etelemeli bino.
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 Bato yango bamipesaki nanu na koluka nkayi, na makasi na bango nyonso, mpo na komema masuwa na mokili, kasi balongaki te, pamba te mopepe etelemelaki bango makasi.
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 Bongo, babelelaki Yawe: « Oh Yawe, tobondeli Yo, koboma biso te likolo ya moto oyo. Kotika te ete makila ya moto oyo asali mabe te etangama na mito na biso. Pamba te ezali solo Yo Yawe nde osali oyo olingaki. »
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 Boye, bakamataki Yona mpe babwakaki ye na ebale monene; mpe mbala moko, ebale monene oyo etombokaki makasi evandaki kimia.
Then they picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea. Then the sea became calm.
16 Babangaki mpe bayokaki somo makasi liboso ya Yawe; babonzelaki Ye bambeka mpe bapesaki Ye bilaka.
[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 Yawe atindaki mbisi moko ya monene komela Yona. Boye Yona asalaki kati na libumu ya mbisi yango mikolo misato mpe babutu misato.
[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.
