1 Tad atklājās tā Kunga vārds Jonam, Amitaja dēlam, un tas Kungs teica:
2 „Celies un dodies uz lielo pilsētu Ninivi; norāj to un paziņo tai, ka tās ļaunie darbi jau nonākuši mana vaiga priekšā!“
3 Bet Jona cēlās, lai bēgtu no tā Kunga vaiga, gribēdams nokļūt Taršišā, un nonāca līdz Jafai. Tur viņš atrada kuģi, kas taisijās ceļā uz Taršišu, samaksāja braucamo naudu un iekāpa kuģī, kam bija viņu aizvest uz Taršišu projām no tā Kunga acīm.
4 Tad tas Kungs lika pūst uz jūras lielam vējam; drīzi sacēlās vētra, un visiem likās, ka kuģis grims.
5 Kuģa ļaudis pārņēma lielas izbailes, un viņi kliedza, piesaukdami katrs savu dievu, un sameta visu, kas bija uz kuģa, jūrā, lai atvieglotu kravas svaru. Jona bija nokāpis apakšējās dziļākās kuģa telpās, tur nolicies un gulēja dziļā miegā.
6 Tad pie viņa piegāja kuģa kapteinis un sacīja: „Kā tu vari tik cieši gulēt? Celies un piesauc savu dievu! Varbūt šis dievs atcerēsies mūs, lai mēs neaizejam bojā.“
7 Un kuģa ļaudis teica cits uz citu: „Sanāciet, metīsim kauliņus, lai izzinātu, kura dēļ mums klājas tik ļauni!“ Kauliņus metot, vaina krita uz Jonu.
8 Tad viņi teica viņam: „Saki mums, kāpēc mums ir uzbrukusi šī nelaime? Kāda tava nodarbība, un no kurienes tu nāci? Kādas tu zemes un tautas?“
9 Tad viņš tiem atbildēja: „Es esmu ebrējs un bīstos to Kungu, debesu Dievu, kaš radījis jūru un sauszemi.“
10 Tad no jauna kuģa ļaudis ārkārtīgi izbijās un jautāja viņam: „Kādēļ tu to tā izdarīji?“ —Viņi zināja, ka Jona bēga no tā Kunga, jo viņš to viņiem iepriekš bija pateicis.
11 Tad tie viņam sacīja: „Ko lai mēs ar tevi darām, lai jūra nomierinātos?“ —Jo jūra joprojām bija ārkārtīgi nemierīga.
12 Viņš atbildēja viņiem tā: „Ņemiet mani un iemetiet jūrā, tad tā kļūs rāma. Es zinu, ka manas vainas dēļ pār jums sacēlusies šī lielā vētra.“
13 Tad kuģa ļaudis, visiem spēkiem airēdami, centās pagriezt kuģi tā, lai vīni drīzāk sasniegtu krastu, bet tas viņiem neizdevās, jo jūra bija sacēlusies un bangoja vētrā pāri viņu galvām.
14 Tad viņi piesauca to Kungu un sacīja: „Ak Kungs, nepazudini mūs šā cilvēka dvēseles dēļ un nepieskaiti mums par grēku viņa nenoziedzīgās asinis! Jo Tu, Kungs, rīkojies tā, kā Tu atzini par pareizu.“
15 Tad viņi satvēra Jonu un iemeta jmā; vētras trakošana mitējās, un drīzi jūra norima pavisam.
16 Bet kuģa ļaudis pārņēma lielas bailes tā Kunga priekšā; viņi nesa tam Kungam kaujamos upurus un deva Viņam īpašus solījumus.
Jonah Disobeys the Lord
1 One day the Lord spoke to Jonah son of Amittai. 2 He said, “Go to Nineveh, that great city, and speak out against it; I am aware of how wicked its people are.” 3 Jonah, however, set out in the opposite direction in order to get away from the Lord. He went to Joppa, where he found a ship about to go to Spain. He paid his fare and went aboard with the crew to sail to Spain, where he would be away from the Lord.
4 But the Lord sent a strong wind on the sea, and the storm was so violent that the ship was in danger of breaking up. 5 The sailors were terrified and cried out for help, each one to his own god. Then, in order to lessen the danger, they threw the cargo overboard. Meanwhile, Jonah had gone below and was lying in the ship's hold, sound asleep.
6 The captain found him there and said to him, “What are you doing asleep? Get up and pray to your god for help. Maybe he will feel sorry for us and spare our lives.”
7 The sailors said to each other, “Let's draw lots and find out who is to blame for getting us into this danger.” They did so, and Jonah's name was drawn. 8 So they said to him, “Now, then, tell us! Who is to blame for this? What are you doing here? What country do you come from? What is your nationality?”
9 “I am a Hebrew,” Jonah answered. “I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made land and sea.” 10 Jonah went on to tell them that he was running away from the Lord.
The sailors were terrified, and said to him, “That was an awful thing to do!” 11 The storm was getting worse all the time, so the sailors asked him, “What should we do to you to stop the storm?”
12 Jonah answered, “Throw me into the sea, and it will calm down. I know it is my fault that you are caught in this violent storm.”
13 Instead, the sailors tried to get the ship to shore, rowing with all their might. But the storm was becoming worse and worse, and they got nowhere. 14 So they cried out to the Lord, “O Lord, we pray, don't punish us with death for taking this man's life! You, O Lord, are responsible for all this; it is your doing.” 15 Then they picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea, and it calmed down at once. 16 This made the sailors so afraid of the Lord that they offered a sacrifice and promised to serve him.
17 At the Lord's command a large fish swallowed Jonah, and he was inside the fish for three days and three nights.
