Jonah 1
1 This message from the Lord came to Jonah, the son of Amittai:
Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kuJona indodana ka-Amithayi lathi:
2 ‘Arise, go to that great city, Nineveh, and preach against it; for their wickedness is known to me.’
“Hamba uye edolobheni elikhulu laseNiniva utshumayele ngokulisola kakhulu, ngoba ububi balo sebufinyelele kimi.”
3 But Jonah started to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went aboard to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.
Kodwa uJona wabalekela uThixo waqonda eThashishi. Wehla waya eJopha, lapho afica khona umkhumbi owawusiya kuleyondawo. Eseyikhuphile imali yokugada, wangena umkhumbi waqonda eThashishi yena ebalekela uThixo.
4 But the Lord made a furious wind blow over the sea, and there was such a great storm that the ship was in danger of breaking to pieces.
UThixo wathumela isiphepho elwandlwe, kwaphenquka isavunguzane esasingathi sizawubhidliza umkhumbi.
5 The sailors were terrified and each cried for help to his own god. They threw the ship’s cargo into the sea to make the ship lighter. Meanwhile Jonah had gone down into the bottom of the ship and lay fast asleep.
Bonke abagwedli bawo besaba, ngulowo lalowo wakhala kunkulunkulu wakhe. Baphosela imithwalo elwandle ukuze baphungule ubunzima bomkhumbi. Kodwa uJona wayehlele endlwaneni engaphansi, emkhunjini, walala khona ubuthongo bukabhuka.
6 The captain of the ship went and said to him, ‘How can you sleep? Call on your god; perhaps that god will think of us, so that we may not be lost.’
Induna yomkhumbi yaya kuye yathi, “Ungalala njani? Vuka ubize unkulunkulu wakho! Mhlawumbe yena uzasizwa ukuze singabhubhi.”
7 The sailors said to one another, ‘Come, let us cast lots to discover on whose account this evil has come upon us.’ So they cast lots, and the lot indicated Jonah.
Abagwedli basebecebisana bathi, “Wozani, senze inkatho ukuze sibone ukuthi ngubani osibangele uhlupho lolu.” Bayenza inkatho, yadla uJona.
8 So they said to him, ‘Are you to blame for this? Tell us, what is your business, and where do you come from? What is your country and to what people do you belong?’
Basebembuza bathi, “Akusitshele, ngubani osibangele lonke lolu uhlupho na? Wenza msebenzi bani na? Uvela ngaphi? Ungowakuliphi ilizwe? Ungowasiphi isizwe na?”
9 He replied, ‘I am a Hebrew, and a worshipper of the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.’
Waphendula wathi, “NgingumHebheru, ngikhonza uThixo, uNkulunkulu wasezulwini, owenza ulwandle kanye lomhlabathi.”
10 Then the men were greatly frightened and said to him, ‘What have you done?’ For they knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.
Lokhu kwabethusa, babuza bathi, “Wenzeni pho?” (Babekwazi ukuthi ubalekela uThixo ngoba wayevele esebatshelile.)
11 Then they said to him, ‘What should we do to you, to make the sea calm for us?’ For the sea grew more and more stormy.
Ulwandle lwaselulokhu luqubuka lusiya phambili ngamandla. Ngakho basebembuza bathi, “Senzeni kuwe ukuze ulwandle luthule singalimali na?”
12 He said to them, ‘Take me up and throw me into the sea, and the sea will be calm for you, for I know that it is because of me this fierce storm has overtaken you.’
Waphendula wathi, “Ngiqukulani lingiphosele elwandle, luzathula. Ngiyazi ukuthi kungumlandu wami okwenze isiphepho esikhulu kangaka sehlela phezu kwenu.”
13 But instead the men rowed hard to get back to the land; they could not, however, for the sea grew more and more stormy ahead.
Kodwa amadoda azama ngamandla ukugwedlela emuva emhlabathini. Kodwa behluleka ngoba ulwandle lwaselusidla amahabula okudlula kuqala.
14 So they cried to the Lord and said, ‘We beg you, Lord, we beg you, don’t let us die for this man’s life, and don’t let us be guilty of shedding innocent blood, for you are the Lord; you have done as it pleases you.’
Khonapho basebekhala kuThixo bathi, “Oh, Thixo, ungasiyekeli sife ngoba sibulele indoda le. Ungasibeki umlandu wokubulala umuntu ongelacala, ngoba wena, Oh Thixo, wenzile njengokufisa kwakho.”
15 And they took up Jonah, and threw him into the sea; and the sea became calm.
Basebethatha uJona bamphosela olwandle, ulwandle lwase luthula ukugubhaza.
16 Then the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice and made vows to him.
Lokhu kwenza amadoda lawo amesabe kakhulu uThixo, asesenza umhlatshelo kuThixo enza izifungo kuye.
17 But the Lord arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights.
Kodwa uThixo waletha inhlanzi enkulukazi yamginya uJona, uJona wahlala phakathi kwenhlanzi insuku ezintathu lobusuku obuthathu.
