< Yona 1 >

1 Awurade asɛm baa Amitai babarima Yona nkyɛn se,
Now the word of the Lord came to Jonas the son of Amathi, saying:
2 “Kɔ kuropɔn Ninewe mu na kɔka asɛmpa no tia wɔn, efisɛ wɔn atirimɔdensɛm aforo abedu mʼanim.”
Arise, and go to Ninive the great city, and preach in it: for the wickedness thereof is come up before me.
3 Nanso Yona guan fii Awurade anim na ɔde nʼani kyerɛɛ Tarsis. Ɔkɔɔ Yopa, na okonyaa hyɛn wɔ hɔ a na ɛrekɔ Tarsis. Otuaa ka kɔtenaa hyɛn no mu, sɛ ɔrefi Awurade anim akɔ Tarsis.
And Jonas rose up to flee into Tharsis from the face of the Lord, and he went down to Joppe, and found a ship going to Tharsis: and he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them to Tharsis from the face of the Lord.
4 Nanso Awurade maa mframa kɛse bi bɔɔ wɔ po no so; ɛmaa ahum tui a, anka hyɛn no rebɛbɔ.
But the Lord sent a great wind into the sea: and a great tempest was raised in the sea, and the ship was in danger to be broken.
5 Hyɛn no mufo no nyinaa suroe, na obiara su frɛɛ ne nyame. Wɔtotoo aguade a ɛwɔ hyɛn no mu guguu po no mu sɛnea hyɛn no mu bɛyɛ hare. Nanso na Yona akɔhyɛ hyɛn no ase baabi ada hatee.
And the mariners were afraid, and the men cried to their god: and they cast forth the wares that were in the ship, into the sea, to lighten it of them: and Jonas went down into the inner part of the ship, and fell into a deep sleep.
6 Na hyɛn no so panyin no kɔɔ ne nkyɛn kɔkae se, “Adɛn na woada? Sɔre na frɛ wo nyame! Ebia, obehu yɛn mmɔbɔ, na yɛanwuwu.”
And the shipmaster came to him, and said to him: Why art thou fast asleep? rise up, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think of us, that we may not perish.
7 Afei hyɛn no mufo no keka kyerɛɛ wɔn ho wɔn ho se, “Momma yɛmmɔ ntonto nhwehwɛ nea saa amanehunu yi nam ne so aba.” Wɔbɔɔ ntonto no na ɛbɔɔ Yona.
And they said every one to his fellow: Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know why this evil is upon us. And they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonas.
8 Enti wobisaa no se, “Kyerɛ yɛn, hena na wama saa ɔhaw yi nyinaa aba? Adwuma bɛn na woyɛ? Ɛhe na wufi? Ɔman bɛn so na wufi? Ɛhefo ne wo nkurɔfo?”
And they said to him: Tell us for what cause this evil is upon us, what is thy business? of what country art thou? and whither goest thou? or of what people art thou?
9 Obuae se, “Meyɛ Hebrini, na mesom Awurade, ɔsoro Nyankopɔn a, ɔbɔɔ po ne asase.”
And he said to them: I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord the God of heaven, who made both the sea and the dry land.
10 Eyi bɔɔ wɔn hu, enti wobisaa Yona se, “Dɛn na woayɛ?” (Na wonim sɛ ɔreguan afi Awurade nkyɛn, efisɛ na waka saa akyerɛ wɔn dedaw).
And the men were greatly afraid, and they said to him: Why hast thou done this? (for the men knew that he fled from the face of the Lord: because he had told them.)
11 Na ahum no kɔ so tu denneennen ara. Enti wobisaa no se, “Dɛn na yɛnyɛ wo a ɛbɛma ahum yi ano abrɛ ase ama yɛn?”
And they said to him: What shall we do to thee, that the sea may be calm to us? for the sea flowed and swelled.
12 Yona buaa wɔn se, “Momma me so ntow me nkyene po yi mu, na ano bedwo. Minim sɛ me nti na ahum kɛse yi retu wɔ mo so.”
And he said to them: Take me up, and cast me into the sea, and the sea shall be calm to you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.
13 Mmarima no yɛɛ nea wobetumi biara sɛ wɔbɛhare hyɛn no akɔ mpoano. Nanso, wɔantumi, esiane sɛ na po no so ahum no ano ayɛ den asen kan no.
And the men rowed hard to return to land, but they were not able: because the sea tossed and swelled upon them.
14 Afei wosu frɛɛ Awurade se, “Awurade yɛsrɛ wo mma yennwuwu sɛ yɛama ɔbarima yi ahwere ne nkwa nti. Mma yennni fɔ wɔ ɔbarima yi mogya ho, efisɛ, Awurade wayɛ nea wopɛ.”
And they cried to the Lord, and said: We beseech thee, O Lord, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O Lord, hast done as it pleased thee.
15 Afei, wɔmaa Yona so tow no kyenee po no mu, na po a na ehuru so no yɛɛ komm.
And they took Jonas, and cast him into the sea, and the sea ceased from raging.
16 Eyi maa mmarima no suroo Awurade pa ara na wɔbɔɔ afɔre maa Awurade, na wɔhyɛɛ no bɔ.
And the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and sacrificed victims to the Lord, and made vows.
17 Na Awurade maa bonsu kɛse bi bɛmenee Yona, na Yona daa bonsu no yam nnansa, awia ne anadwo.
Now the Lord prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonas: and Jonas was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

< Yona 1 >