Yona 1
1 Neno la Bwana lilimjia Yona mwana wa Amitai:
Now the word of Yahweh came to Jonah son of Amittai, saying,
2 “Nenda katika mji mkubwa wa Ninawi ukahubiri juu yake, kwa sababu uovu wake umekuja juu mbele zangu.”
“Get up and go to Nineveh, that great city, and speak out against it, because their wickedness has risen 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.
But Jonah got up to run away from the presence of Yahweh and go to Tarshish. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and boarded the ship to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of Yahweh.
4 Ndipo Bwana akatuma upepo mkali baharini, nayo dhoruba kali sana ikavuma hata meli ikawa hatarini kuvunjika.
But Yahweh sent out a great wind on the sea and it became a mighty storm on the sea. Soon it appeared that the ship was going to be broken up.
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 became very afraid and each man cried out to his own god. They threw the ship's cargo into the sea to lighten it. But Jonah had gone down into the innermost parts of the ship, and he was lying there deeply asleep.
6 Nahodha akamwendea na kusema, “Wewe unawezaje kulala? Amka ukamwite mungu wako! Huenda akatuangalia, tusiangamie.”
So the captain came to him and said to him, “What are you doing sleeping? Get up! Call upon your god! Maybe your god will notice us and we will not perish.”
7 Kisha mabaharia wakasemezana wao kwa wao, “Njooni, tupige kura tumtafute anayehusika na maafa haya.” Wakapiga kura, kura ikamwangukia Yona.
They all said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots, so that we may know who is the cause of this evil that is happening to us.” So they threw lots, and the lot fell to Jonah.
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 Jonah, “Please tell us who is the cause of this evil that is happening to us. What is your occupation, and where did you come from? What is your country, and from which people are you?”
9 Akajibu, “Mimi ni Mwebrania, nami namwabudu Bwana, Mungu wa Mbinguni, aliyeumba bahari na nchi kavu.”
Jonah said to them, “I am a Hebrew; and I fear Yahweh, the God of heaven, who has made the sea and the dry land.”
10 Hili liliwaogopesha nao wakamuuliza, “Umefanya nini?” (Walijua alikuwa anamkimbia Bwana, kwa sababu alishawaambia hivyo.)
Then the men were even more afraid and said to Jonah, “What is this that you have done?” For the men knew that he was running away from the presence of Yahweh, because he had told them.
11 Bahari ilikuwa inazidi kuchafuka. Kwa hiyo walimuuliza, “Tukutendee nini ili kufanya bahari itulie kwa ajili yetu?”
Then they said to Jonah, “What should we do to you so that the sea will calm down for us?” For the sea became more and more violent.
12 Akawajibu, “Niinueni mnitupe baharini, nayo itakuwa shwari. Ninajua mawimbi haya makubwa yamewatokea kwa ajili ya kosa langu.”
Jonah said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea. Then the sea will be calm for you, for I know that it is because of me that this great storm is happening to you.”
13 Badala yake, wale watu walijitahidi kupiga makasia wawezavyo ili wapate kurudi pwani. Lakini hawakuweza, kwa kuwa bahari ilizidi kuchafuka kuliko mwanzo.
Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get them back to the land, but they could not do it because the sea was becoming more and more violent 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.”
Therefore they cried out to Yahweh and said, “We beg you, Yahweh, we beg you, do not let us perish on account of this man's life, and do not lay upon us the guilt of his death, because you, Yahweh, have done just as it pleased you.”
15 Kisha walimchukua Yona, wakamtupa baharini nayo bahari iliyokuwa imechafuka ikatulia.
So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea stopped raging.
16 Katika jambo hili watu wakamwogopa Bwana sana, wakamtolea Bwana dhabihu na kumwekea nadhiri.
Then the men feared Yahweh very much. They offered sacrifices to Yahweh and made vows.
17 Lakini Bwana akamwandaa nyangumi kummeza Yona, naye Yona alikuwa ndani ya tumbo la nyangumi kwa siku tatu, usiku na mchana.
Now Yahweh had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights.
