¹Zvino shoko raJehovha rakasvika kuna Jona mwanakomana waAmitai, richiti,

¹Now the word of Yahweh “Yahweh” is God’s proper Name, sometimes rendered “LORD” (all caps) in other translations. came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,

²Simuka, uende Ninivhe, riya guta guru, undoriparidzira, nekuti kuipa kwavo kwakwira pamberi pangu.

²“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach against it, for their wickedness has come up before me.”

³Asi Jona akasimuka achida kutizira Tashishi abve pamberi paJehovha; akaburukira Jopa, akawana chikepe chakanga choenda Tashishi, akabudisa mari yacho yokufamba, ndokupinda mukati macho, kuti aende navo Tashishi abve pamberi paJehovha.

³But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid its fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh.

⁴Asi Jehovha akatuma mhepo inopenga pagungwa, dutu guru rikamuka pagungwa, chikepe chikashumba kuputsika.

⁴But Yahweh sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty storm on the sea, so that the ship was likely to break up.

⁵Ipapo vafambisi vechikepe vakatya, mumwe nomumwe akadana kuna mwari wake, vakarashira mugungwa nhumbi dzakanga dziri muchikepe, kuti dzichirerusire. Asi Jona akanga aburukira mukatikati mechikepe, akavata pasi, nokubatwa nehope chaidzo.

⁵Then the mariners were afraid, and every man cried to his god. They threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone down into the innermost parts of the ship, and he was laying down, and was fast asleep.

⁶Ipapo mwene wechikepe akauya kwaari, akati kwaari, Nhai, iwe muvati, wakaita seiko? Simuka, dana kuna Mwari wako, zvimwe Mwari angatirangarira, tikasaparara.

⁶So the shipmaster came to him, and said to him, “What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God or, gods ! Maybe your God or, gods will notice us, so that we won’t perish.”

⁷Zvino mumwe nomumwe wakati kushamwari yake, Uyai tikande mijenya, tizive kuti njodzi iyi yatiwira nokuda kwaani. Ipapo vakakanda mijenya, mujenya ukabata Jona.

⁷They all said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know who is responsible for this evil that is on us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.

⁸Zvino vakati kwaari, Chitiudza hako, kuti njodzi iyi yatiwira nokuda kwaani; basa rako ndereiko? Wabvepiko? Nyika yako ndeipi? Uri worudzi rupi?

⁸Then they asked him, “Tell us, please, for whose cause this evil is on us. What is your occupation? Where do you come from? What is your country? Of what people are you?”

⁹Iye akati kwavari, Ndiri muHebheru, ndinotya Mwari wokudenga, akaita gungwa nenyika yakaoma.

⁹He said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear Yahweh, the God The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “Elohim.” of heaven, who has made the sea and the dry land.”

¹⁰Ipapo varume vakatya kwazvo-kwazvo, vakati kwaari, Chinyiko ichi chawaita? nekuti varume vakanga vachiziva kuti anotiza pamberi paJehovha, nekuti akavaudza.

¹⁰Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said to him, “What is this that you have done?” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of Yahweh, because he had told them.

¹¹Zvino vakati kwaari, Tichakuiteiko, kuti gungwa ritinyararire? nekuti gungwa rakaramba richinyanya kupenga.

¹¹Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may be calm to us?” For the sea grew more and more stormy.

¹²Iye akati kwavari, Ndisimudzei, mundikandire mugungwa, ipapo gungwa richakunyararirai; nekuti ndinoziva kuti dutu iri guru rakakuwirai nokuda kwangu.

¹²He said to them, “Take me up, and throw me into the sea. Then the sea will be calm for you; for I know that because of me this great storm is on you.”

¹³Kunyange zvakadaro varume vakakwasva nesimba vachiidza kudzokera kunyika; asi vakakoniwa, nekuti gungwa rakaramba richinyanya kuvapengera.

¹³Nevertheless the men rowed hard to get them back to the land; but they could not, for the sea grew more and more stormy against them.

¹⁴Naizvozvo vakadana kuna Jehovha, vakati, Tinokunyengeterai, imwi Jehovha, tinokunyengeterai, kuti tirege kuparara nokuda koupenyu hwomunhu uyu, murege kutisundira mhosva yeropa risina mhaka; nekuti imwi Jehovha makaita sezvamakada henyu.

¹⁴Therefore they cried to Yahweh, and said, “We beg you, Yahweh, we beg you, don’t let us die for this man’s life, and don’t lay on us innocent blood; for you, Yahweh, have done as it pleased you.”

¹⁵Ipapo vakasimudza Jona, vakamukandira mugungwa, gungwa rikanyarara pakupenga kwaro.

¹⁵So they took up Jonah, and threw him into the sea; and the sea ceased its raging.

¹⁶Ipapo varume vakatya Jehovha kwazvo-kwazvo, vakabayira Jehovha chibayiro, nokumupikira mhiko.

¹⁶Then the men feared Yahweh exceedingly; and they offered a sacrifice to Yahweh, and made vows.

¹⁷Jehovha akatuma hove huru kundomedza Jona, Jona akava mudumbu rehove mazuva matatu novusiku vutatu.

¹⁷Yahweh prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.