< Yona 1 >
1 Awurade asɛm baa Amitai babarima Yona nkyɛn se,
This message from the Lord came to Jonah, the son of Amittai:
2 “Kɔ kuropɔn Ninewe mu na kɔka asɛmpa no tia wɔn, efisɛ wɔn atirimɔdensɛm aforo abedu mʼanim.”
‘Arise, go to that great city, Nineveh, and preach against it; for their wickedness is known to 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.
But Jonah started 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 the fare and went aboard to go with them to Tarshish from the presence 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 made a furious wind blow over the sea, and there was such a great storm that the ship was in danger of breaking to pieces.
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.
The sailors were terrified and each cried for help to his own god. They threw the ship’s cargo into the sea to make the ship lighter. Meanwhile Jonah had gone down into the bottom of the ship and lay fast asleep.
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.”
The captain of the ship went and said to him, ‘How can you sleep? Call on your god; perhaps that god will think of us, so that we may not be lost.’
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.
The sailors said to one another, ‘Come, let us cast lots to discover on whose account this evil has come upon us.’ So they cast lots, and the lot indicated Jonah.
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?”
So they said to him, ‘Are you to blame for this? Tell us, what is your business, and where do you come from? What is your country and to what people do you belong?’
9 Obuae se, “Meyɛ Hebrini, na mesom Awurade, ɔsoro Nyankopɔn a, ɔbɔɔ po ne asase.”
He replied, ‘I am a Hebrew, and a worshipper of the Lord, the God of heaven, who made 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).
Then the men were greatly frightened and said to him, ‘What have you done?’ For they knew that he was fleeing from the presence 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?”
Then they said to him, ‘What should we do to you, to make the sea calm for us?’ For the sea grew more and more stormy.
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.”
He said to them, ‘Take me up and throw me into the sea, and the sea will be calm for you, for I know that it is because of me this fierce storm has overtaken 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.
But instead the men rowed hard to get back to the land; they could not, however, for the sea grew more and more stormy ahead.
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.”
So they cried to the Lord and said, ‘We beg you, Lord, we beg you, don’t let us die for this man’s life, and don’t let us be guilty of shedding innocent blood, for you are the Lord; you have done as it pleases you.’
15 Afei, wɔmaa Yona so tow no kyenee po no mu, na po a na ehuru so no yɛɛ komm.
And they took up Jonah, and threw him into the sea; and the sea became calm.
16 Eyi maa mmarima no suroo Awurade pa ara na wɔbɔɔ afɔre maa Awurade, na wɔhyɛɛ no bɔ.
Then the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice and made vows to him.
17 Na Awurade maa bonsu kɛse bi bɛmenee Yona, na Yona daa bonsu no yam nnansa, awia ne anadwo.
But the Lord arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights.