Siona 1

1 Ko eni, naʻe hoko mai ʻae folofola ʻa Sihova kia Siona, ko e foha ʻo ʻAmitai, ʻo pehē,

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

2 “Tuʻu hake ʻo ʻalu ki Ninive, ʻae kolo lahi ko ia, pea ke kalanga ki ai; he kuo aʻu hake ki hoku ʻao ʻa ʻenau angahala.”

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

3 Ka naʻe tuʻu hake ʻa Siona ke hola ki Tasisi mei he ʻao ʻo Sihova, pea ne ʻalu hifo ai ki Sopa; pea naʻa ne ʻilo ai ʻae vaka, naʻe te u folau ki Tasisi; ko ia naʻa ne ʻatu ki ai ʻae totongi, ʻo ne ʻalu ai, ko ʻene ʻalu mo kinautolu ki Tasisi, mei he ʻao ʻo Sihova.

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 Ka naʻe tuku atu ʻe Sihova ʻae fuʻu matangi ki he tahi, pea naʻe havili ʻaupito ʻi he vaha, pea ko ia naʻe hangē ka maumau ʻae vaka.

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

5 Pea naʻe toki manavahē ʻae kau vaka, pea naʻe taki taha tangi ki hono ʻotua, pea naʻe tolo kotoa pē ʻae meʻa ʻi he vaka, koeʻuhi ke maʻamaʻa. Ka kuo ʻalu hifo ʻa Siona ki he kaokao ʻoe vaka; pea naʻa ne tokoto, ʻo mohe maʻu.

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 Ko ia ne haʻu ai kiate ia ʻae ʻeiki vaka ʻo ne pehēange kiate ia, “Ko e hā hono ʻuhinga ʻo hoʻo pehē, ʻa koe ʻoku mohe? Tuʻu hake, ui ki ho ʻOtua ʻoʻou, heiʻilo ʻe manatuʻi ʻakitautolu ʻe he ʻOtua, koeʻuhi ke ʻoua naʻa tau mate.”

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 Pea naʻa nau fepehēʻaki ʻiate kinautolu, “Ko eni ke tau fai ha talotalo, koeʻuhi ke tau ʻilo pe ko hai ia kuo hoko ai ʻae kovi ni kiate kitautolu.” Pea naʻa nau talotalo, pea totonu ʻae talotalo kia Siona.

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 Pea naʻa nau pehē ai kiate ia, “ʻOku mau kole kiate koe, fakahā mai pe ko e hā ʻae meʻa kuo hoko ai ʻae kovi ni kiate kitautolu; Ko e hā hoʻo ngāue ʻaʻau? Pea kuo ke haʻu koe mei fē? Ko fē ʻia ho fonua? Pea ʻoku ke ʻoe kakai fē?”

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 Pea naʻa ne pehēange kiate kinautolu, “Ko e tangata Hepelū au; pea ʻoku ou manavahē kia Sihova ko e ʻOtua ʻoe langi, ʻaia kuo ne ngaohi ʻae tahi, pea mo e fonua mōmoa.”

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

10 Pea naʻe toki tō ai ʻae manavahē lahi ki he kau tangata, mo nau pehē kiate ia. “Ko e hā kuo ke fai ai ʻae meʻa ni?” He naʻe ʻilo ʻe he kau tangata ʻa ʻene hola mei he ʻao ʻo Sihova, he naʻa ne fakahā ia kiate kinautolu.

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 Ko ia naʻa nau pehē ai kiate ia, “Ko e hā te mau fai kiate koe, koeʻuhi kae laolao ʻae tahi kiate kitautolu?” He naʻe hou ʻae tahi, pea havili lahi.

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

12 Pea ne pehē ʻe ia kiate kinautolu, “Mou hiki hake au, pea lī au ki tahi; ko ia ia ʻe laolao ai ʻae tahi kiate kimoutolu: he ʻoku ou ʻilo ko au pe ia kuo hoko ai ʻae fuʻu havili ni kiate kimoutolu.”

“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 Ka naʻe fekeli mālohi ʻae kau tangata koeʻuhi ke nau lava ki ʻuta: ka naʻe ʻikai te nau faʻa fai: he naʻe hou ʻae tahi, pea havili, pea tokai kiate kinautolu.

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 Ko ia naʻa nau tangi ai kia Sihova, ʻo pehē, “ʻOku mau kole kiate koe, ʻE Sihova, ʻoku mau kole kiate koe, ke ʻoua naʻa mau mate, koeʻuhi ko e moʻui ʻae tangata ni; pea ʻoua naʻa tuku kiate kimautolu ʻae toto ʻoe taʻehalaia: he ko koe, ʻE Sihova, kuo ke fai ʻe koe ʻa hoʻo faʻiteliha.”

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 Ko ia ne nau toʻo hake ʻa Siona, pea lī atu ia ki tahi: pea naʻe ngata ai leva ʻae hou ʻae tahi.

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

16 Pea ne toki manavahē lahi ʻaupito ʻae kau tangata kia Sihova, pea naʻa nau fai ʻae feilaulau kia Sihova, mo nau fai ʻae ngaahi fuakava.

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

17 Ka ko eni, naʻe teuteu ʻe Sihova ʻae fuʻu ika ke ne folo hifo ʻa Siona. Pea naʻe ʻaho tolu mo pō tolu ʻa Siona ʻi he kete ʻoe ika.

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