Jona 1

1 Shoko raJehovha rakasvika kuna Jona mwanakomana waAmitai, richiti,

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

2 “Enda kuguta guru reNinevhe undoriparidzira, nokuti kuipa kwaro kwasvika pamberi pangu.”

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

3 Asi Jona akatiza kubva pamberi paJehovha akananga kuTashishi. Akaburuka akaenda kuJopa, kwaakawana chikepe chaienda ikoko. Mushure mokubvisa mari yokufambisa, akakwidza ndokuenda kuTashishi kuti atize kubva kuna Jehovha.

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 Ipapo Jehovha akatuma mhepo huru pagungwa, uye dutu raipenga kwazvo rikamuka zvokuti chikepe chakada kutsemuka-tsemuka.

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 Vafambisi vose vechikepe vakatya uye mumwe nomumwe akachema kuna mwari wake. Vakakanda nhumbi mugungwa kuti chikepe chireruke. Asi Jona akanga aenda pasi mukati mechikepe maakasvikovata uye akakotsira hope huru.

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 Mukuru wavachairi akaenda kwaari akati, “Ungarare sei iwe? Muka udane kuna mwari wako! Zvimwe angatirangarira tikasaparara.”

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 Ipapo vafambisi vechikepe vakati kuno mumwe nomumwe, “Uyai, tikande mijenya kuti tione kuti ndiani aita kuti tiwirwe nenjodzi iyi.” Vakakanda mijenya, mijenya ikawira pana Jona.

“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 Saka vakamubvunza vakati, “Tiudze, ndiani aita kuti matambudziko ose aya atiwire? Unoita basa reiko? Unobvepiko? Nyika yako inonzi ani? Uri worudzi rupi?”

“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 Akapindura akati, “Ndiri muHebheru, uye ndinonamata Jehovha, Mwari wokudenga, akaita gungwa nenyika.”

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

10 Izvi zvakavatyisa uye vakabvunza vakati, “Watadzeiko?” (Vaiziva kuti aitiza kubva pamberi paJehovha, nokuti akanga atovaudza kudaro.)

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 Gungwa rakanga rotonyanya kupenga. Saka vakamubvunza vakati, “Ko, tinofanira kuitei kwauri kuti gungwa ritidzikamire?”

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 Akapindura achiti, “Ndisimudzei mundikande mugungwa, ipapo richanyarara. Ndinoziva kuti mhosva yangu ndiyo yaita kuti dutu guru iri rikuwirei.”

“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 Pachinzvimbo chaizvozvo varume vakaedza napavaigona napo kuti vadzokere kunyika. Asi vakakoniwa, nokuti gungwa rakatonyanyisa kupenga kupfuura zvapakutanga.

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 Ipapo vakachema kuna Jehovha vakati, “Haiwa Jehovha, tapota musatiuraya nemhaka youpenyu hwomunhu uyu. Musatipa mhosva yokuuraya munhu asina mhaka, nokuti, iyemi Jehovha maita sokuda kwenyu.”

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 Ipapo vakatora Jona vakamukanda mugungwa, uye gungwa rikanyarara pakupenga kwaro.

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

16 Nokuda kwaizvozvi vakatya Jehovha kwazvo, uye vakabayira Jehovha chibayiro vakaita mhiko kwaari.

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

17 Asi Jehovha akatuma hove huru kuti izomedza Jona, uye Jona akava mudumbu mehove kwamazuva matatu nousiku hutatu.

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.