Yona 1

1 Awurade asɛm baa Amitai babarima Yona nkyɛn se,

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

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

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

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

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

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 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 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 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 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.

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

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

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 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?”

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

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.”

“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 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.

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 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.”

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

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

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

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

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

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