Jonah 1

1 This message from the Lord came to Jonah, the son of Amittai:

Awurade asɛm baa Amitai babarima Yona nkyɛn sɛ,

2 ‘Arise, go to that great city, Nineveh, and preach against it; for their wickedness is known to me.’

“Kɔ kuropɔn kɛseɛ Ninewe mu na kɔka asɛmpa no tia wɔn sɛ wɔn atirimuɔdensɛm aforo abɛduru mʼanim.”

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.

Nanso, Yona dwane firii Awurade anim na ɔde nʼani kyerɛɛ Tarsis. Ɔkɔɔ Yopa, na ɛhɔ ɔkɔnyaa ɛhyɛn a ɛrekɔ Tarsis. Ɔtuaa ka kɔtenaa ɛhyɛn no mu, sɛ ɔrefiri Awurade anim akɔ Tarsis.

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.

Nanso Awurade maa mframa kɛseɛ bi bɔɔ wɔ ɛpo no so; ɛmaa ahum tuiɛ a, anka ɛhyɛn no rebɛbɔ.

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.

Ɛhyɛn no mufoɔ no nyinaa surooɛ na obiara su frɛɛ ne nyame. Wɔtotoo adwadeɛ a ɛwɔ ɛhyɛn no mu guguu ɛpo no mu sɛdeɛ ɛhyɛn no mu bɛyɛ herɛ. Nanso na Yona akɔhyɛ ɛhyɛn no ase baabi ada hatee.

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.’

Ɛna ɛhyɛn no so panin no kɔɔ ne nkyɛn kɔkaa sɛ, “Adɛn na woada? Sɔre na frɛ wo nyame! Ebia, ɔbɛhunu yɛn mmɔbɔ, na yɛannwuwu.”

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.

Afei ɛhyɛn no mufoɔ no keka kyerɛɛ wɔn ho wɔn ho sɛ, “Momma yɛmmɔ ntonto nhwehwɛ deɛ saa amanehunu yi nam ne so aba.” Wɔbɔɔ ntonto no na ɛbɔɔ Yona.

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?’

Enti wɔbisaa no sɛ, “Kyerɛ yɛn, hwan na wama saa ɔhaw yi nyinaa aba? Adwuma bɛn na woyɛ? Ɛhe na wo fire? Ɔman bɛn so na wofiri? Ɛhefoɔ ne wo nkurɔfoɔ?”

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.’

Ɔbuaa sɛ, “Meyɛ Hebrini, na mesom Awurade, ɔsoro Onyankopɔn a, ɔbɔɔ ɛpo ne asase.”

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.

Yei bɔɔ wɔn hu, enti wɔbisaa Yona sɛ, “Ɛdeɛn na woayɛ?” (Na wɔnim sɛ ɔredwane afiri Awurade nkyɛn, ɛfiri sɛ na waka saa akyerɛ wɔn dada).

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.

Na ahum no kɔ so tu dendeenden ara. Enti wɔbisaa no sɛ, “Ɛdeɛn 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, and the sea will be calm for you, for I know that it is because of me this fierce storm has overtaken you.’

Yona buaa wɔn sɛ, “Momma me so nto me ntwene ɛpo yi mu, na ano bɛdwo. Menim sɛ me enti na ahum kɛseɛ yi retu mo so.”

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.

Mmarima no yɛɛ deɛ wɔbɛtumi biara sɛ wɔbɛhare ɛhyɛn no akɔ mpoano. Nanso, wɔantumi, ɛsiane sɛ na ɛpo so ahum no ano ayɛ den asene kane no.

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.’

Afei wosu frɛɛ Awurade sɛ, “Ao Awurade yɛsrɛ wo mma yɛn nwuwu sɛ yɛama ɔbarima yi ahwere ne nkwa enti. Mma yɛn nni fɔ wɔ ɔbarima yi mogya ho, ɛfiri sɛ, Ao Awurade wayɛ deɛ wo pɛ.”

15 And they took up Jonah, and threw him into the sea; and the sea became calm.

Afei, wɔmaa Yona so too no twenee ɛpo no mu, na ɛpo a na ɛrehuru soɔ no yɛɛ dinn.

16 Then the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice and made vows to him.

Yei maa mmarima no suroo Awurade pa ara na wɔbɔɔ afɔdeɛ maa Awurade, na wɔhyɛɛ no bɔ.

17 But the Lord arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights.

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