UJona 1
1 Ilizwi leNkosi laselifika kuJona indodana kaAmithayi, lisithi:
[One day] Yahweh said to [the prophet] Jonah, the son of Amittai,
2 Sukuma, uye eNineve, umuzi omkhulu, umemeze umelene lawo; ngoba ububi babo benyukele phambi kwami.
“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 Kodwa uJona wasukuma ukuze abalekele eTarshishi esuka ebusweni beNkosi, wehlela eJopha, wathola umkhumbi oya eTarshishi, wanika imali yawo, wehlela kuwo, ukuze ahambe labo eTarshishi, asuke ebusweni beNkosi.
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 Kodwa iNkosi yaphosa umoya omkhulu elwandle; kwasekusiba lesiphepho esikhulu elwandle, okungangokuthi umkhumbi wacatshangelwa ukwephuka.
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 Abatshayeli bomkhumbi basebesesaba, bakhala, ngulowo lalowo kunkulunkulu wakhe, baphosela olwandle izimpahla ezazisemkhunjini, ukuwenza ube lula kuzo. Kodwa uJona wayehlele emaceleni omkhumbi, walala, waba lobuthongo obukhulu.
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 Ngakho induna yomkhumbi yasondela kuye, yathi kuye: Ulani wena olobuthongo obukhulu? Vuka, ubize kuNkulunkulu wakho; mhlawumbe lowoNkulunkulu angasikhumbula, ukuze singabhubhi.
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 Basebesithi, ngulowo kumngane wakhe: Wozani senze inkatho yokuphosa, ukuze sazi ukuthi kungenxa kabani lobububi buphezu kwethu. Basebesenza inkatho yokuphosa; inkatho yasiwela phezu kukaJona.
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 Basebesithi kuye: Akusitshele ukuthi kungenxa kabani lobububi buphezu kwethu. Umsebenzi wakho uyini? Njalo uvela ngaphi? Yiliphi ilizwe lakini? Njalo ungowasiphi isizwe?
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 Wasesithi kubo: NgingumHebheru, ngiyayesaba iNkosi, uNkulunkulu wamazulu, owenza ulwandle lomhlabathi owomileyo.
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 Amadoda asesesaba ngokwesaba okukhulu, athi kuye: Ukwenzeleni lokhu? Ngoba amadoda akwazi ukuthi ubalekile ebusweni beNkosi, ngoba wayesewatshelile.
After the sailors heard that, they were terrified. So they asked him, “Do you realize what [trouble] you have caused?”
11 Asesithi kuye: Senzeni kuwe ukuze ulwandle luthule kithi? Ngoba ulwandle lwaqhubeka lwaba lesiphepho esikhulu.
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 Wasesithi kiwo: Ngiphakamisani, lingiphosele olwandle; ngalokho ulwandle luzalithulela; ngoba ngiyazi ukuthi lesisiphepho esikhulu siphezu kwenu ngenxa yami.
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 Kodwa amadoda agwedla ngamandla ukuze awubuyisele umkhumbi emhlabathini owomileyo, kodwa ehluleka, ngoba ulwandle lwaqhubeka lwaba lesiphepho lumelene lawo.
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 Ngakho akhala eNkosini, athi: Siyakuncenga, Nkosi, kasingabhubhi ngenxa yempilo yalumuntu, ungabeki phezu kwethu igazi elingelacala; ngoba wena, Nkosi, wenzile njengokukuthokozisayo.
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 Asephakamisa uJona, amphosela elwandle; ulwandle lwaselusima ekuvubekeni kwalo.
Then they picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea. Then the sea became calm.
16 Amadoda aseyesaba iNkosi ngokwesaba okukhulu, anikela umhlatshelo eNkosini, afunga izifungo.
[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 Njalo iNkosi yayimise inhlanzi enkulu ukuze imginye uJona; njalo uJona waba semathunjini enhlanzi insuku ezintathu lobusuku obuthathu.
[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.
