Jonah 1
1 [One day] Yahweh said to [the prophet] Jonah, the son of Amittai,
La parola dell’Eterno fu rivolta Giona, figliuolo di Amittai, in questi termini:
2 “I have [seen] how wicked [the people of] [MTY] the great city of Nineveh are. Therefore go there and warn the people that [I am planning to] destroy their city [because of their sins].”
“Lèvati, va’ a Ninive, la gran città, e predica contro di lei; perché la loro malvagità è salita nel mio cospetto”.
3 But [instead of going to Nineveh], Jonah [went in the direction] opposite to where Yahweh [told him to go]. He went down to Joppa [city]. There he bought a ticket to travel on a ship that was going to Tarshish [city], in order to avoid [doing what] Yahweh [told him to do]. [He got on the ship, ] and [then went down] to a lower deck, [lay down, and went to sleep].
Ma Giona si levò per fuggirsene a Tarsis, lungi dal cospetto dell’Eterno; e scese a Giaffa, dove trovò una nave che andava a Tarsis; e, pagato il prezzo del suo passaggio, s’imbarcò per andare con quei della nave a Tarsis, lungi dal cospetto dell’Eterno.
4 Then Yahweh caused a very strong wind to blow, and there was such a violent storm that [the sailors thought] the ship would break apart.
Ma l’Eterno scatenò un gran vento sul mare, e vi fu sul mare una forte tempesta, sì che la nave minacciava di sfasciarsi.
5 The sailors were very frightened. Because of that, they each [started to] pray to their own gods [to save them]. Then they threw the cargo into the sea to make the ship lighter [in order that it would not sink easily].
I marinari ebbero paura, e ognuno gridò al suo dio e gettarono a mare le mercanzie ch’erano a bordo, per alleggerire la nave; ma Giona era sceso nel fondo della nave, s’era coricato, e dormiva profondamente.
6 Then the captain went [down] to where Jonah was sleeping soundly. [He awoke him] and said [to him], “(How can you sleep [during a storm like this]?/You should not be sleeping [during a storm like this]) [RHQ]! Get up and pray to your god! Perhaps he will pity us and save us, in order that we will not drown!” [But Jonah refused to do that].
Il capitano gli si avvicinò, e gli disse: “Che fai tu qui a dormire? Lèvati, invoca il tuo dio! Forse Dio si darà pensiero di noi e non periremo”.
7 Then the sailors said to each other, “We need to (cast lots/shake from a container small objects that we have all marked), to determine who has caused [all] this trouble!” So they did that, and [the object with] Jonah’s mark fell out [of the container].
Poi dissero l’uno all’altro: “Venite, tiriamo a sorte, per sapere a cagione di chi ci capita questa disgrazia”. Tirarono a sorte, e la sorte cadde su Giona.
8 So [various ones of] them asked him, “Are you the one who has caused us all this trouble?” “What work do you do?” “Where are you [coming] from?” “What country and what people-group do you belong to?”
Allora essi gli dissero: “Dicci dunque a cagione di chi ci capita questa disgrazia! Qual è la tua occupazione? donde vieni? qual è il tuo paese? e a che popolo appartieni?”
9 Jonah replied, “I am a Hebrew. I worship Yahweh God, who [lives in] heaven. He is the one who made the sea and the land. I am trying to escape from [doing what] Yahweh [told me to do].”
Egli rispose loro: “Sono Ebreo, e temo l’Eterno, l’Iddio del cielo, che ha fatto il mare e la terra ferma”.
10 After the sailors heard that, they were terrified. So they asked him, “Do you realize what [trouble] you have caused?”
Allora quegli uomini furon presi da grande spavento, e gli dissero: “Perché hai fatto questo?” Poiché quegli uomini sapevano ch’egli fuggiva lungi dal cospetto dell’Eterno, giacché egli avea dichiarato loro la cosa.
11 The [storm kept getting worse and] the waves kept getting bigger. So [one of] the sailors asked Jonah, “What should we do in order to make the sea become calm?”
E quelli gli dissero: “Che ti dobbiam fare perché il mare si calmi per noi?” Poiché il mare si faceva sempre più tempestoso.
12 He replied, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea. [If you do that], it will become calm. I know that this terrible storm is the result of my [not doing what Yahweh told me to do].”
Egli rispose loro: “Pigliatemi e gettatemi in mare, e il mare si calmerà per voi; perché io so che questa forte tempesta vi piomba addosso per cagion mia”.
13 But the sailors did [not want to do that]. [Instead], they tried hard to row the ship back to the land. But they could not [do that], because the storm continued to get worse.
Nondimeno quegli uomini davan forte nei remi per ripigliar terra; ma non potevano, perché il mare si faceva sempre più tempestoso e minaccioso.
14 Therefore they prayed to Yahweh, and [one of them] prayed, “O Yahweh, please do not let us drown because of our causing this man to die. O Yahweh, you have done what you wanted to do. [We do not know if this man has sinned. If] he has not sinned, do not consider that we are guilty of sinning when we cause him to die!”
Allora gridarono all’Eterno, e dissero: “Deh, o Eterno, non lasciar che periamo per risparmiar la vita di quest’uomo, e non ci mettere addosso del sangue innocente; poiché tu, o Eterno, hai fatto quel che ti è piaciuto”.
15 Then they picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea. Then the sea became calm.
Poi presero Giona e lo gettarono in mare; e la furia del mare si calmò.
16 [When that happened], the sailors became greatly awed at Yahweh’s [power]. So they offered a sacrifice to Yahweh, and they strongly promised [him that they would do things that would please him].
E quegli uomini furon presi da un gran timore dell’Eterno; offrirono un sacrifizio all’Eterno, e fecero dei voti.
17 [While they were doing that, ] Yahweh sent a huge fish that swallowed Jonah. Then Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights.
E l’Eterno fece venire un gran pesce per inghiottir Giona; e Giona fu nel ventre del pesce tre giorni e tre notti.
