Jonas 1

1 Et: la parole de l'Éternel fut adressée à Jonas, fils d'Amitthaï, en ces mots:

[One day] Yahweh said to [the prophet] Jonah, the son of Amittai,

2 Lève-toi, va à Ninive la grande ville, et prêche-lui, car sa méchanceté est parvenue jusqu'à moi.

“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].”

3 Mais Jonas se leva pour s'enfuir à Tarsis de devant la face de l'Éternel. Et il descendit à Joppe, et il trouva un navire partant pour Tarsis, et il paya son naulage, et s'embarqua pour aller avec eux à Tarsis, loin de la face de l'Éternel.

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].

4 Mais l'Éternel envoya un grand vent sur la mer, et il s'éleva une grande tempête sur la mer, et le navire risquait de naufrager.

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.

5 Alors les mariniers eurent peur, et ils invoquèrent chacun leur dieu, et ils jetèrent l'attirail qui était sur le vaisseau à la mer, pour l'alléger. Mais Jonas était descendu dans l'intérieur du vaisseau, et s'étant couché il s'était endormi

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].

6 Alors le maître du vaisseau s'approcha, de lui et lui dit: Que fais-tu de dormir? lève-toi! invoque ton Dieu! peut-être Dieu se ressouviendra de nous, et nous ne périrons pas.

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].

7 Et ils se dirent l'un à l'autre: Venez et tirons au sort pour connaître lequel nous attire ce malheur! Et ils tirèrent au sort, et le sort désigna Jonas.

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].

8 Alors ils lui dirent: Dis-nous qui nous attire ce malheur? Quelles sont tes affaires et d'où viens-tu? quel est ton pays et de quelle nation es-tu?

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?”

9 Et il leur dit: Je suis hébreu, et c'est l'Éternel, le Dieu des Cieux, que j'adore, Celui qui a fait la mer et la terre ferme.

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].”

10 Et ces hommes furent saisis d'une grande crainte, et ils lui dirent: Pourquoi as-tu fait cela? Car ces hommes savaient qu'il fuyait de devant la face de l'Éternel, parce qu'il le leur avait avoué.

After the sailors heard that, they were terrified. So they asked him, “Do you realize what [trouble] you have caused?”

11 Et ils lui dirent: Que te ferons-nous pour que la mer se calme envers nous? Car la mer devenait toujours plus orageuse.

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?”

12 Et il leur dit: Prenez-moi, et jetez-moi à la mer, et la mer se calmera envers vous; car je sais que c'est moi qui vous attire cette grande tempête.

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].”

13 Et ces hommes ramèrent pour revenir à terre; mais ils ne pouvaient, car la mer allait s'agitant toujours plus contre eux.

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.

14 Alors ils invoquèrent l'Éternel et dirent: Éternel, oh! ne nous fais pas: périr à cause de l'âme de cet homme, et ne nous charge pas du sang innocent; car tu es l'Éternel; ce que tu trouves bon, tu le fais.

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!”

15 Et ils prirent Jonas et le jetèrent à la mer, et la mer cessa d'être furieuse.

Then they picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea. Then the sea became calm.

16 Et ces hommes furent saisis d'une grande crainte envers l'Éternel, et ils sacrifièrent à l'Éternel des victimes, et ils vouèrent des vœux.

[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].

17 Et l'Éternel envoya un grand poisson pour engloutir Jonas, et Jonas fut dans le corps du poisson trois jours et trois nuits.

[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.