Hona 1

1 Na i puta mai te kupu a Ihowa ki a Hona, tama a Amitai, i mea,

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

2 Whakatika, haere ki Ninewe, ki taua pa nui, karangatia he he mona; kua tae ake hoki to ratou kino ki toku aroaro.

“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 Ko Hona ia i whakatika, he rere ki Tarahihi i te aroaro o Ihowa; haere ana ia ki raro, ki Hopa, a ka kitea e ia tetahi kaipuke e rere ana ki Tarahihi: ka hoatu e ia te utu mo te ekenga ki runga, kia haere atu ai ia i roto i a ratou ki Tarahihi i te aroaro o Ihowa.

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 Na ka tukua e Ihowa he hau nui ki te moana, a he nui te awha i te moana, no ka kiia ka pakaru te kaipuke.

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 Na ka wehi nga kaiwhakatere, ka karanga ki tona atua, ki tona atua; a akiritia ana e ratou nga taonga o runga o te kaipuke ki te moana kia mama ai ki a ratou. Ko Hona ia kua riro ki roto rawa i te kaipuke, a ka takoto ia, ka moe, au rawa.

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 Na ko te haerenga atu o te rangatira o te kaipuke, ka mea ki a ia, He aha tau, e te tangata e moe na? maranga, karanga ki tou Atua, me kahore te Atua e whakaaro ki a tatou, kei ngaro tatou.

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 Na ka mea ratou ki tona hoa, ki tona hoa, Haere mai, kia makamaka rota tatou, kia mohio ai ko wai te take o tenei he ki a tatou. Na kei te makamaka rota ratou, a ka tau te rota ki a Hona.

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 Katahi ratou ka mea ki a ia, Tena ra, whakaaturia ki a matou ko wai te take o tenei he ki a tatou? he mahi aha tau? i haere mai koe i hea? Ko hea tou whenua? no tehea iwi koe?

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 Ano ra ko ia ki a ratou, He Hiperu ahau; e wehi ana hoki ahu i a Ihowa, i te Atua o nga rangi, nana nei i hanga te moana me te whenua maroke.

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 Na nui atu te wehi i wehi ai aua tangata, ka mea ratou ki a ia, He aha tenei i meatia nei e koe? I mohio hoki aua tangata e rere ana ia i te aroaro o Ihowa, nana hoki i whakaatu ki a ratou.

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

11 Na ka mea ratou ki a ia, Me aha matou ki a koe, kia marino ai te moana ki a tatou? e nui haere ana hoki te ngaru o te moana.

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 A ka mea ia ki a ratou, Hapainga ake ahau, maka ki te moana; katahi ka marino te moana ki a koutou; e mohio ana hoki ahau he whakaaro ki ahau i puta mai ai tenei paroro ki a koutou.

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 Heoi hoe tonu aua tangata kia u ai ratou ki uta; otiia kihai i taea: e nui haere ana hoki te ngaru o te moana hei arai i a ratou.

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 Katahi aua tangata ka karanga ki a Ihowa, ka mea, Aue, e Ihowa, kaua ra matou e whakangaromia hei utu mo te matenga o tenei tangata: kaua ano e utaina he toto harakore ki runga ki a matou: kua mahia na hoki e koe, e Ihowa, tau i pai ai.

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 Na hapainga ana a Hona e ratou, maka ana ki te moana: a mutu ake te riri o te moana.

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

16 Na he nui te wehi i wehi ai aua tangata i a Ihowa; patua iho e ratou he patunga tapu ki a Ihowa, puaki ana a ratou kupu taurangi.

[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 Na kua rite mai i a Ihowa tetahi ika nui hei horo i a Hona. A e toru nga ra, e toru nga po o Hona i roto i te kopu o te ika.

[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.