Yona 1
1 Neno la Bwana lilimjia Yona mwana wa Amitai:
[One day] Yahweh said to [the prophet] Jonah, the son of Amittai,
2 “Nenda katika mji mkubwa wa Ninawi ukahubiri juu yake, kwa sababu uovu wake umekuja juu mbele zangu.”
“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 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 [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 Ndipo Bwana akatuma upepo mkali baharini, nayo dhoruba kali sana ikavuma hata meli ikawa hatarini kuvunjika.
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 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 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 Nahodha akamwendea na kusema, “Wewe unawezaje kulala? Amka ukamwite mungu wako! Huenda akatuangalia, tusiangamie.”
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 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, “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 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 [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 Akajibu, “Mimi ni Mwebrania, nami namwabudu Bwana, Mungu wa Mbinguni, aliyeumba bahari na nchi kavu.”
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 Hili liliwaogopesha nao wakamuuliza, “Umefanya nini?” (Walijua alikuwa anamkimbia Bwana, kwa sababu alishawaambia hivyo.)
After the sailors heard that, they were terrified. So they asked him, “Do you realize what [trouble] you have caused?”
11 Bahari ilikuwa inazidi kuchafuka. Kwa hiyo walimuuliza, “Tukutendee nini ili kufanya bahari itulie kwa ajili yetu?”
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 Akawajibu, “Niinueni mnitupe baharini, nayo itakuwa shwari. Ninajua mawimbi haya makubwa yamewatokea kwa ajili ya kosa langu.”
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 Badala yake, wale watu walijitahidi kupiga makasia wawezavyo ili wapate kurudi pwani. Lakini hawakuweza, kwa kuwa bahari ilizidi kuchafuka kuliko mwanzo.
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 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.”
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 Kisha walimchukua Yona, wakamtupa baharini nayo bahari iliyokuwa imechafuka ikatulia.
Then they picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea. Then the sea became calm.
16 Katika jambo hili watu wakamwogopa Bwana sana, wakamtolea Bwana dhabihu na kumwekea nadhiri.
[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 Lakini Bwana akamwandaa nyangumi kummeza Yona, naye Yona alikuwa ndani ya tumbo la nyangumi kwa siku tatu, usiku na mchana.
[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.
