Yona 1

1 Ndipo neno la Bwana lilimjia Yona mwana wa Amittai, kusema,

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

2 “Simama uende Ninawi, mji kuu, na ukapaze sauti dhidi yake, kwa sababu uovu wao umeinuka mbele yangu.”

"Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim against it, for their wickedness has come up before me."

3 Lakini Yona akaondoka kukimbia kutoka mbele ya Bwana na kwenda Tarshishi. Akatelemka mpaka Yafa na akaona melikebu inayokwenda Tarshishi. Kwa hiyo alilipa nauli na akapanda melikebu kwenda nayo Tarishishi, mbali na uwepo wa Yahweh.

But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid its fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.

4 Lakini Bwana akatuma upepo mkubwa juu ya bahari, ikawa tufani juu ya bahari. Hivi karibuni ikaonekana kwamba meli ilikuwa inataka kuvunjika.

But the LORD sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty storm on the sea, so that the ship was likely to break up.

5 Wale baharia waliogopa sana na kila mtu alilia kwa mungu wake mwenyewe. Wakatupa mizigo bahari iliyokuwa merikebuni ili kuifungua. Yona alikuwa ameshuka hapa pande za ndani ya melikebu, naye alikuwa amelala huko usingizi.

Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man to his god. They threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten it. But Jonah had gone down into the innermost parts of the ship, and he was laying down, and was fast asleep.

6 Basi nahoza akamwendea akamwambia, “kwa nini unalala? Amka! ukamwombe mungu wako! Labda mungu wako atatutambua na hatutapotea.”

So the shipmaster came to him, and said to him, "What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God. Maybe your God will notice us, so that we won't perish."

7 Wote wakaambiana, 'Njoni, tupige kura, ili tujue ni nani ndiye sababu ya mabaya haya yanayotupata.' Basi wakapiga kura, na kura ikaangukia kwa Yona.

They all said to each other, "Come, let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is on us." So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.

8 Kisha wakamwambia Yona, “Tafadhali tuambie ni nani ndiye sababu ya mabaya haya yanayotupata. Unafanya kazi gani, na umetoka wapi? Nchi yako ni ipi, na kutoka kwa watu wa kabila gani?”

Then they asked him, "Tell us, please, for whose cause this evil is on us. What is your occupation? Where do you come from? What is your country? Of what people are you?"

9 Yona akawaambia, Mimi ni Mhebrania; Nami namuogopa Bwana, Mungu wa mbinguni, aliyeifanya bahari na nchi kavu.

He said to them, "I am a Hebrew, and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, who has made the sea and the dry land."

10 Ndipo watu hao waliogopa zaidi, wakamwambia Yona, Ni jambo gani hili ulilolifanya? Kwa maana hao watu walijua kwamba alikuwa akikimbia mbele ya Bwana, kwa sababu alikuwa amewaambia.

Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said to him, "What is this that you have done?" For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.

11 Ndipo wakamwambia Yona, Tukufanyie nini ili bahari iweze kutulia? Kwa maana bahari ilikuwa imechafuka zaidi na zaidi.

Then said they to him, "What shall we do to you, that the sea may be calm to us?" For the sea grew more and more stormy.

12 Yona akawaambia, “Nikamateni na nitupeni baharini. Kisha bahari itatulia kwa ajili yenu, kwa maana najua kwamba ni kwa sababu yangu kwamba tufani hii kubwa iwapate.”

He said to them, "Take me up, and throw me into the sea. Then the sea will be calm for you; for I know that because of me this great storm is on you."

13 Hata hivyo, watu hao wavuta makasia kwa bidii ili kurudi nchi kavu, lakini hawakuweza kufanya hivyo kwa sababu bahari ilikuwa imechafuka zaidi dhidi yao.

Nevertheless the men rowed hard to get them back to the land; but they could not, for the sea grew more and more stormy against them.

14 Basi wakamwomba Bwana, wakasema, Tunakuomba, Bwana, tunakuomba, usiache tuangamize kwa sababu ya maisha ya mtu huyu; wala usituwekee hatia ya kufa kwake, kwa kuwa wewe, Bwana, umefanya kama ulivyopenda.

Therefore they cried to the LORD, and said, "We beg you, LORD, we beg you, let us not perish for this man's life, and do not lay on us innocent blood; for you, LORD, have done as it pleased you."

15 Basi wakamchukua Yona wakamtupa baharini, nayo bahari ikaacha kuchafuka.

So they took up Jonah, and threw him into the sea; and the sea ceased its raging.

16 Ndipo watu wale wakamuogopa Bwana sana. Wakamtolea dhabihu Bwana na kuweka nadhiri.

Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly; and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD, and made vows.

17 Bwana alikuwa ameandaa samaki mkubwa kummeza Yona, na Yona alikuwa ndani ya tumbo lasamaki siku tatu na usiku wa tatu.

The LORD prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.