< Jonah 1 >

1 And there is a word of Jehovah unto Jonah son of Amittai, saying:
Ilizwi leNkosi laselifika kuJona indodana kaAmithayi, lisithi:
2 'Rise, go unto Nineveh, the great city, and proclaim against it that their wickedness hath come up before Me.'
Sukuma, uye eNineve, umuzi omkhulu, umemeze umelene lawo; ngoba ububi babo benyukele phambi kwami.
3 And Jonah riseth to flee to Tarshish from the face of Jehovah, and goeth down [to] Joppa, and findeth a ship going [to] Tarshish, and he giveth its fare, and goeth down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the face of Jehovah.
Kodwa uJona wasukuma ukuze abalekele eTarshishi esuka ebusweni beNkosi, wehlela eJopha, wathola umkhumbi oya eTarshishi, wanika imali yawo, wehlela kuwo, ukuze ahambe labo eTarshishi, asuke ebusweni beNkosi.
4 And Jehovah hath cast a great wind on the sea, and there is a great tempest in the sea, and the ship hath reckoned to be broken;
Kodwa iNkosi yaphosa umoya omkhulu elwandle; kwasekusiba lesiphepho esikhulu elwandle, okungangokuthi umkhumbi wacatshangelwa ukwephuka.
5 and the mariners are afraid, and cry each unto his god, and cast the goods that [are] in the ship into the sea, to make [it] light of them; and Jonah hath gone down unto the sides of the vessel, and he lieth down, and is fast asleep.
Abatshayeli bomkhumbi basebesesaba, bakhala, ngulowo lalowo kunkulunkulu wakhe, baphosela olwandle izimpahla ezazisemkhunjini, ukuwenza ube lula kuzo. Kodwa uJona wayehlele emaceleni omkhumbi, walala, waba lobuthongo obukhulu.
6 And the chief of the company draweth near to him, and saith to him, 'What — to thee, O sleeper? rise, call unto thy God, it may be God doth bethink himself of us, and we do not perish.'
Ngakho induna yomkhumbi yasondela kuye, yathi kuye: Ulani wena olobuthongo obukhulu? Vuka, ubize kuNkulunkulu wakho; mhlawumbe lowoNkulunkulu angasikhumbula, ukuze singabhubhi.
7 And they say each unto his neighbour, 'Come, and we cast lots, and we know on whose account this evil [is] on us.' And they cast lots, and the lot falleth on Jonah.
Basebesithi, ngulowo kumngane wakhe: Wozani senze inkatho yokuphosa, ukuze sazi ukuthi kungenxa kabani lobububi buphezu kwethu. Basebesenza inkatho yokuphosa; inkatho yasiwela phezu kukaJona.
8 And they say unto him, 'Declare to us, we pray thee, on what account this evil [is] on us? what [is] thine occupation, and whence comest thou? what [is] thy country, seeing thou art not of this people?'
Basebesithi kuye: Akusitshele ukuthi kungenxa kabani lobububi buphezu kwethu. Umsebenzi wakho uyini? Njalo uvela ngaphi? Yiliphi ilizwe lakini? Njalo ungowasiphi isizwe?
9 And he saith unto them, 'A Hebrew I [am], and Jehovah, God of the heavens, I am reverencing, who made the sea and the dry land.'
Wasesithi kubo: NgingumHebheru, ngiyayesaba iNkosi, uNkulunkulu wamazulu, owenza ulwandle lomhlabathi owomileyo.
10 And the men fear a great fear, and say unto him, 'What [is] this thou hast done!' for the men have known that from the face of Jehovah he is fleeing, for he hath told them.
Amadoda asesesaba ngokwesaba okukhulu, athi kuye: Ukwenzeleni lokhu? Ngoba amadoda akwazi ukuthi ubalekile ebusweni beNkosi, ngoba wayesewatshelile.
11 And they say unto him, 'What do we do to thee that the sea may cease from us, for the sea is more and more tempestuous?'
Asesithi kuye: Senzeni kuwe ukuze ulwandle luthule kithi? Ngoba ulwandle lwaqhubeka lwaba lesiphepho esikhulu.
12 And he saith unto them, 'Lift me up, and cast me into the sea, and the sea doth cease from you; for I know that on my account this great tempest [is] upon you.'
Wasesithi kiwo: Ngiphakamisani, lingiphosele olwandle; ngalokho ulwandle luzalithulela; ngoba ngiyazi ukuthi lesisiphepho esikhulu siphezu kwenu ngenxa yami.
13 And the men row to turn back unto the dry land, and are not able, for the sea is more and more tempestuous against them.
Kodwa amadoda agwedla ngamandla ukuze awubuyisele umkhumbi emhlabathini owomileyo, kodwa ehluleka, ngoba ulwandle lwaqhubeka lwaba lesiphepho lumelene lawo.
14 And they cry unto Jehovah, and say, 'We pray Thee, O Jehovah, let us not, we pray Thee, perish for this man's life, and do not lay on us innocent blood, for Thou, Jehovah, as Thou hast pleased, Thou hast done.'
Ngakho akhala eNkosini, athi: Siyakuncenga, Nkosi, kasingabhubhi ngenxa yempilo yalumuntu, ungabeki phezu kwethu igazi elingelacala; ngoba wena, Nkosi, wenzile njengokukuthokozisayo.
15 And they lift up Jonah, and cast him into the sea, and the sea ceaseth from its raging;
Asephakamisa uJona, amphosela elwandle; ulwandle lwaselusima ekuvubekeni kwalo.
16 and the men fear Jehovah — a great fear, and sacrifice a sacrifice to Jehovah, and vow vows.
Amadoda aseyesaba iNkosi ngokwesaba okukhulu, anikela umhlatshelo eNkosini, afunga izifungo.
17 And Jehovah appointeth a great fish to swallow up Jonah, and Jonah is in the bowels of the fish three days and three nights.
Njalo iNkosi yayimise inhlanzi enkulu ukuze imginye uJona; njalo uJona waba semathunjini enhlanzi insuku ezintathu lobusuku obuthathu.

< Jonah 1 >