Yona 1

1 Neno la Bwana lilimjia Yona mwana wa Amitai:

And the word of the Lord came to Jonah, the son of Amittai, saying,

2 “Nenda katika mji mkubwa wa Ninawi ukahubiri juu yake, kwa sababu uovu wake umekuja juu mbele zangu.”

Up! go to Nineveh, that great town, and let your voice come to it; for their evil-doing has come up before me.

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.

And Jonah got up to go in flight to Tarshish, away from the Lord; and he went down to Joppa, and saw there a ship going to Tarshish: so he gave them the price of the journey and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish, away from the Lord.

4 Ndipo Bwana akatuma upepo mkali baharini, nayo dhoruba kali sana ikavuma hata meli ikawa hatarini kuvunjika.

And the Lord sent out a great wind on to the sea and there was a violent storm in the sea, so that the ship seemed in danger of being broken.

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.

Then the sailors were full of fear, every man crying to his god; and the goods in the ship were dropped out into the sea to make the weight less. But Jonah had gone down into the inmost part of the ship where he was stretched out in a deep sleep.

6 Nahodha akamwendea na kusema, “Wewe unawezaje kulala? Amka ukamwite mungu wako! Huenda akatuangalia, tusiangamie.”

And the ship's captain came to him and said to him, What are you doing sleeping? Up! say a prayer to your God, if by chance God will give a thought to us, so that we may not come to destruction.

7 Kisha mabaharia wakasemezana wao kwa wao, “Njooni, tupige kura tumtafute anayehusika na maafa haya.” Wakapiga kura, kura ikamwangukia Yona.

And they said to one another, Come, let us put this to the decision of chance and see on whose account this evil has come on us. So they did so, and Jonah was seen to be the man.

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?”

Then they said to him, Now make clear to us what is your work, and where you come from? what is your country, and who are your people?

9 Akajibu, “Mimi ni Mwebrania, nami namwabudu Bwana, Mungu wa Mbinguni, aliyeumba bahari na nchi kavu.”

And he said to them, I am a Hebrew, a worshipper of the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.

10 Hili liliwaogopesha nao wakamuuliza, “Umefanya nini?” (Walijua alikuwa anamkimbia Bwana, kwa sababu alishawaambia hivyo.)

And the men were in great fear, and they said to him, What is this you have done? For the men had knowledge of his flight from the Lord because he had not kept it from them.

11 Bahari ilikuwa inazidi kuchafuka. Kwa hiyo walimuuliza, “Tukutendee nini ili kufanya bahari itulie kwa ajili yetu?”

And they said to him, What are we to do to you so that the sea may become calm for us? For the sea was getting rougher and rougher.

12 Akawajibu, “Niinueni mnitupe baharini, nayo itakuwa shwari. Ninajua mawimbi haya makubwa yamewatokea kwa ajili ya kosa langu.”

And he said to them, Take me up and put me into the sea, and the sea will become calm for you: for I am certain that because of me this great storm has come on you.

13 Badala yake, wale watu walijitahidi kupiga makasia wawezavyo ili wapate kurudi pwani. Lakini hawakuweza, kwa kuwa bahari ilizidi kuchafuka kuliko mwanzo.

And the men were working hard to get back to the land, but they were not able to do so: for the sea got rougher and rougher against them.

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.”

So, crying to the Lord, they said, Give ear to our prayer, O Lord, give ear, and do not let destruction overtake us because of this man's life; do not put on us the sin of taking life without cause: for you, O Lord, have done what seemed good to you.

15 Kisha walimchukua Yona, wakamtupa baharini nayo bahari iliyokuwa imechafuka ikatulia.

So they took Jonah up and put him into the sea: and the sea was no longer angry.

16 Katika jambo hili watu wakamwogopa Bwana sana, wakamtolea Bwana dhabihu na kumwekea nadhiri.

Then great was the men's fear of the Lord; and they made an offering to the Lord and took oaths to him.

17 Lakini Bwana akamwandaa nyangumi kummeza Yona, naye Yona alikuwa ndani ya tumbo la nyangumi kwa siku tatu, usiku na mchana.

And the Lord made ready a great fish to take Jonah into its mouth; and Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights.