Jonah 1

1 Now Yahweh’s word came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,

Awurade asɛm baa Amitai babarima Yona nkyɛn se,

2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach against it, for their wickedness has come up before me.”

“Kɔ kuropɔn Ninewe mu na kɔka asɛmpa no tia wɔn, efisɛ wɔn atirimɔdensɛm aforo abedu mʼanim.”

3 But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh. 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 Yahweh.

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.

4 But Yahweh 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.

Nanso Awurade maa mframa kɛse bi bɔɔ wɔ po no so; ɛmaa ahum tui a, anka hyɛn no rebɛbɔ.

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

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.

6 So the ship master 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.”

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.”

7 They all said to each other, “Come! Let’s cast lots, that we may know who is responsible for this evil that is on us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.

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.

8 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?”

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?”

9 He said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear Yahweh, the God of heaven, who has made the sea and the dry land.”

Obuae se, “Meyɛ Hebrini, na mesom Awurade, ɔsoro Nyankopɔn a, ɔbɔɔ po ne asase.”

10 Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and said to him, “What have you done?” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of Yahweh, because he had told them.

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).

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

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?”

12 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.”

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.”

13 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.

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.

14 Therefore they cried to Yahweh, and said, “We beg you, Yahweh, we beg you, don’t let us die for this man’s life, and don’t lay on us innocent blood; for you, Yahweh, have done as it pleased you.”

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.”

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

Afei, wɔmaa Yona so tow no kyenee po no mu, na po a na ehuru so no yɛɛ komm.

16 Then the men feared Yahweh exceedingly; and they offered a sacrifice to Yahweh and made vows.

Eyi maa mmarima no suroo Awurade pa ara na wɔbɔɔ afɔre maa Awurade, na wɔhyɛɛ no bɔ.

17 Yahweh prepared a huge fish to swallow up Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Na Awurade maa bonsu kɛse bi bɛmenee Yona, na Yona daa bonsu no yam nnansa, awia ne anadwo.