Yona 1
1 Neno la Bwana lilimjia Yona mwana wa Amitai:
The Lord spoke to Jonah the son of Amittai, telling him,
2 “Nenda katika mji mkubwa wa Ninawi ukahubiri juu yake, kwa sababu uovu wake umekuja juu mbele zangu.”
“Go immediately to the great city of Nineveh and condemn it because I have seen the wickedness of its people.”
3 Lakini Yona alimkimbia Bwana na kuelekea Tarshishi. Alishuka mpaka Yafa, ambapo alikuta meli iliyokuwa imepangwa kuelekea bandari ile. Baada ya kulipa nauli, akapanda melini na kuelekea Tarshishi ili kumkimbia Bwana.
But Jonah left and ran away to Tarshish to get away from the Lord. He went to Joppa where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He paid the fare and went on board to sail to Tarshish in order to get away from the Lord.
4 Ndipo Bwana akatuma upepo mkali baharini, nayo dhoruba kali sana ikavuma hata meli ikawa hatarini kuvunjika.
But the Lord sent a terrible wind across the sea, creating a violent storm that threatened to break up the ship.
5 Mabaharia wote waliogopa na kila mmoja akamlilia mungu wake mwenyewe. Nao wakatupa mizigo baharini ili meli ipungue uzito. Lakini Yona alikuwa ameteremkia chumba cha ndani ya meli, mahali ambapo alilala na kupatwa na usingizi mzito.
The sailors were terrified and each of them prayed to their own god to save them. They threw the cargo overboard to make the ship lighter. Meanwhile, Jonah had gone down into the hold where he had laid down and fallen fast asleep.
6 Nahodha akamwendea na kusema, “Wewe unawezaje kulala? Amka ukamwite mungu wako! Huenda akatuangalia, tusiangamie.”
The ship's captain went to Jonah and asked him, “How can you be sleeping? Get up and pray to your God. Maybe he will take notice of what's happening to us and we won't drown.”
7 Kisha mabaharia wakasemezana wao kwa wao, “Njooni, tupige kura tumtafute anayehusika na maafa haya.” Wakapiga kura, kura ikamwangukia Yona.
Then the sailors said to each other, “Let's draw lots so we can find out who's to blame for this disaster that's fallen on us.” They drew lots and Jonah's name was came up.
8 Kwa hiyo walimuuliza, “Tuambie, ni nani anayehusika kwa kutuletea tatizo hili lote? Unafanya kazi gani? Umetoka wapi? Nchi yako ni ipi? Wewe ni kutoka taifa lipi?”
So they asked him, “Tell us who is responsible for this trouble that we're in. What do you do for a living? Where are you from? What is your country? What is your nationality?”
9 Akajibu, “Mimi ni Mwebrania, nami namwabudu Bwana, Mungu wa Mbinguni, aliyeumba bahari na nchi kavu.”
“I am a Hebrew,” Jonah replied, “and I worship the Lord, the God of the heavens, the sea, and the land.”
10 Hili liliwaogopesha nao wakamuuliza, “Umefanya nini?” (Walijua alikuwa anamkimbia Bwana, kwa sababu alishawaambia hivyo.)
The sailors became even more terrified and said to Jonah, “What have you done?” because Jonah had explained to them that he was running away from the Lord.
11 Bahari ilikuwa inazidi kuchafuka. Kwa hiyo walimuuliza, “Tukutendee nini ili kufanya bahari itulie kwa ajili yetu?”
“What shall we do to you to calm the storm?” they asked him, since the storm was getting worse.
12 Akawajibu, “Niinueni mnitupe baharini, nayo itakuwa shwari. Ninajua mawimbi haya makubwa yamewatokea kwa ajili ya kosa langu.”
“Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” Jonah replied. “Then the sea will become calm, because I know it's because of me that you're in this terrible storm.”
13 Badala yake, wale watu walijitahidi kupiga makasia wawezavyo ili wapate kurudi pwani. Lakini hawakuweza, kwa kuwa bahari ilizidi kuchafuka kuliko mwanzo.
Instead the sailors tried to row to get back to the shore, but they couldn't because the sea had become so wild from the worsening storm.
14 Ndipo wakamlilia Bwana, “Ee Bwana, tafadhali usituue kwa kuondoa uhai wa mtu huyu. Usituhesabie hatia kwa kuutoa uhai wa mtu asiyekuwa na hatia, kwa kuwa wewe, Ee Bwana, umefanya kama ilivyokupendeza.”
Then they called out to the Lord, “Lord! Please don't kill us for sacrificing this man's life or for spilling innocent blood, for you, Lord, made it happen.”
15 Kisha walimchukua Yona, wakamtupa baharini nayo bahari iliyokuwa imechafuka ikatulia.
So they picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea, and it became calm.
16 Katika jambo hili watu wakamwogopa Bwana sana, wakamtolea Bwana dhabihu na kumwekea nadhiri.
The sailors were overcome with fear. They offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made many promises to him.
17 Lakini Bwana akamwandaa nyangumi kummeza Yona, naye Yona alikuwa ndani ya tumbo la nyangumi kwa siku tatu, usiku na mchana.
The Lord sent a huge fish to swallow Jonah. Jonah spent three days and nights in the belly of the fish.
