Yona 1

1 Awurade asɛm baa Amitai babarima Yona nkyɛn sɛ,

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

2 “Kɔ kuropɔn kɛseɛ Ninewe mu na kɔka asɛmpa no tia wɔn sɛ wɔn atirimuɔdensɛm aforo abɛduru mʼanim.”

Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.

3 Nanso, Yona dwane firii Awurade anim na ɔde nʼani kyerɛɛ Tarsis. Ɔkɔɔ Yopa, na ɛhɔ ɔkɔnyaa ɛhyɛn a ɛrekɔ Tarsis. Ɔtuaa ka kɔtenaa ɛhyɛn no mu, sɛ ɔrefiri Awurade anim akɔ Tarsis.

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

4 Nanso Awurade maa mframa kɛseɛ bi bɔɔ wɔ ɛpo no so; ɛmaa ahum tuiɛ a, anka ɛhyɛn no rebɛbɔ.

But Jehovah sent forth a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken in pieces.

5 Ɛhyɛn no mufoɔ no nyinaa surooɛ na obiara su frɛɛ ne nyame. Wɔtotoo adwadeɛ a ɛwɔ ɛhyɛn no mu guguu ɛpo no mu sɛdeɛ ɛhyɛn no mu bɛyɛ herɛ. Nanso na Yona akɔhyɛ ɛhyɛn no ase baabi ada hatee.

Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man to his god. And they cast forth the things that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah had gone down to the lower part of the ship, and he lay and was fast asleep.

6 Ɛna ɛhyɛn no so panin no kɔɔ ne nkyɛn kɔkaa sɛ, “Adɛn na woada? Sɔre na frɛ wo nyame! Ebia, ɔbɛhunu yɛn mmɔbɔ, na yɛannwuwu.”

And the shipmaster came to him, and said to him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? Arise, call upon thy God! Perhaps God will think upon us, that we perish not.

7 Afei ɛhyɛn no mufoɔ no keka kyerɛɛ wɔn ho wɔn ho sɛ, “Momma yɛmmɔ ntonto nhwehwɛ deɛ saa amanehunu yi nam ne so aba.” Wɔbɔɔ ntonto no na ɛbɔɔ Yona.

And they said one to another, come, and let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil is upon us! And they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.

8 Enti wɔbisaa no sɛ, “Kyerɛ yɛn, hwan na wama saa ɔhaw yi nyinaa aba? Adwuma bɛn na woyɛ? Ɛhe na wo fire? Ɔman bɛn so na wofiri? Ɛhefoɔ ne wo nkurɔfoɔ?”

Then said they to him, Tell us, we pray thee, on whose account this evil is upon us. What is thy business? And whence comest thou? What is thy country? And of what people art thou?

9 Ɔbuaa sɛ, “Meyɛ Hebrini, na mesom Awurade, ɔsoro Onyankopɔn a, ɔbɔɔ ɛpo ne asase.”

And he said to them, I am a Hebrew; and I fear Jehovah, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.

10 Yei bɔɔ wɔn hu, enti wɔbisaa Yona sɛ, “Ɛdeɛn na woayɛ?” (Na wɔnim sɛ ɔredwane afiri Awurade nkyɛn, ɛfiri sɛ na waka saa akyerɛ wɔn dada).

Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said to him, Wherefore hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of Jehovah, because he had told them.

11 Na ahum no kɔ so tu dendeenden ara. Enti wɔbisaa no sɛ, “Ɛdeɛn na yɛnyɛ wo a ɛbɛma ahum yi ano abrɛ ase ama yɛn?”

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

12 Yona buaa wɔn sɛ, “Momma me so nto me ntwene ɛpo yi mu, na ano bɛdwo. Menim sɛ me enti na ahum kɛseɛ yi retu mo so.”

And he said to them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; and the sea shall be calm to you. For I know that because of me this great tempest is upon you.

13 Mmarima no yɛɛ deɛ wɔbɛtumi biara sɛ wɔbɛhare ɛhyɛn no akɔ mpoano. Nanso, wɔantumi, ɛsiane sɛ na ɛpo so ahum no ano ayɛ den asene kane no.

Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring the ship to the land; but they could not; for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them.

14 Afei wosu frɛɛ Awurade sɛ, “Ao Awurade yɛsrɛ wo mma yɛn nwuwu sɛ yɛama ɔbarima yi ahwere ne nkwa enti. Mma yɛn nni fɔ wɔ ɔbarima yi mogya ho, ɛfiri sɛ, Ao Awurade wayɛ deɛ wo pɛ.”

And they cried to Jehovah, and said, We beseech thee, O Jehovah, we beseech thee, let us not perish for the life of this man, and lay not upon us innocent blood! For thou, O Jehovah, hast done as it pleased thee.

15 Afei, wɔmaa Yona so too no twenee ɛpo no mu, na ɛpo a na ɛrehuru soɔ no yɛɛ dinn.

And they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea; and the sea ceased from its raging.

16 Yei maa mmarima no suroo Awurade pa ara na wɔbɔɔ afɔdeɛ maa Awurade, na wɔhyɛɛ no bɔ.

Then the men feared Jehovah exceedingly, and offered sacrifice to Jehovah, and made vows.

17 Na Awurade maa apataa kɛseɛ bi bɛmenee Yona, na Yona daa apataa no yam nnansa, awia ne anadwo.

Now Jehovah had appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.