约拿书 1

1 耶和华的话临到亚米太的儿子约拿，说：

The Lord spoke to Jonah the son of Amittai, telling him,

2 “你起来往尼尼微大城去，向其中的居民呼喊，因为他们的恶达到我面前。”

“Go immediately to the great city of Nineveh and condemn it because I have seen the wickedness of its people.”

3 约拿却起来，逃往他施去躲避耶和华；下到约帕，遇见一只船，要往他施去。他就给了船价，上了船，要与船上的人同往他施去躲避耶和华。

But Jonah left and ran away to Tarshish to get away from the Lord. He went to Joppa where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He paid the fare and went on board to sail to Tarshish in order to get away from the Lord.

4 然而耶和华使海中起大风，海就狂风大作，甚至船几乎破坏。

But the Lord sent a terrible wind across the sea, creating a violent storm that threatened to break up the ship.

5 水手便惧怕，各人哀求自己的神。他们将船上的货物抛在海中，为要使船轻些。约拿已下到底舱，躺卧沉睡。

The sailors were terrified and each of them prayed to their own god to save them. They threw the cargo overboard to make the ship lighter. Meanwhile, Jonah had gone down into the hold where he had laid down and fallen fast asleep.

6 船主到他那里对他说：“你这沉睡的人哪，为何这样呢？起来，求告你的神，或者神顾念我们，使我们不致灭亡。”

The ship's captain went to Jonah and asked him, “How can you be sleeping? Get up and pray to your God. Maybe he will take notice of what's happening to us and we won't drown.”

7 船上的人彼此说：“来吧，我们掣签，看看这灾临到我们是因谁的缘故。”于是他们掣签，掣出约拿来。

Then the sailors said to each other, “Let's draw lots so we can find out who's to blame for this disaster that's fallen on us.” They drew lots and Jonah's name was came up.

8 众人对他说：“请你告诉我们，这灾临到我们是因谁的缘故？你以何事为业？你从哪里来？你是哪一国？属哪一族的人？”

So they asked him, “Tell us who is responsible for this trouble that we're in. What do you do for a living? Where are you from? What is your country? What is your nationality?”

9 他说：“我是希伯来人。我敬畏耶和华—那创造沧海旱地之天上的 神。”

“I am a Hebrew,” Jonah replied, “and I worship the Lord, the God of the heavens, the sea, and the land.”

10 他们就大大惧怕，对他说：“你做的是什么事呢？”他们已经知道他躲避耶和华，因为他告诉了他们。

The sailors became even more terrified and said to Jonah, “What have you done?” because Jonah had explained to them that he was running away from the Lord.

11 他们问他说：“我们当向你怎样行，使海浪平静呢？”这话是因海浪越发翻腾。

“What shall we do to you to calm the storm?” they asked him, since the storm was getting worse.

12 他对他们说：“你们将我抬起来，抛在海中，海就平静了；我知道你们遭这大风是因我的缘故。”

“Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” Jonah replied. “Then the sea will become calm, because I know it's because of me that you're in this terrible storm.”

13 然而那些人竭力荡桨，要把船拢岸，却是不能，因为海浪越发向他们翻腾。

Instead the sailors tried to row to get back to the shore, but they couldn't because the sea had become so wild from the worsening storm.

14 他们便求告耶和华说：“耶和华啊，我们恳求你，不要因这人的性命使我们死亡，不要使流无辜血的罪归与我们；因为你—耶和华是随自己的意旨行事。”

Then they called out to the Lord, “Lord! Please don't kill us for sacrificing this man's life or for spilling innocent blood, for you, Lord, made it happen.”

15 他们遂将约拿抬起，抛在海中，海的狂浪就平息了。

So they picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea, and it became calm.

16 那些人便大大敬畏耶和华，向耶和华献祭，并且许愿。

The sailors were overcome with fear. They offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made many promises to him.

17 耶和华安排一条大鱼吞了约拿，他在鱼腹中三日三夜。

The Lord sent a huge fish to swallow Jonah. Jonah spent three days and nights in the belly of the fish.