Giona 1

1La parola dell’Eterno fu rivolta Giona, figliuolo di Amittai, in questi termini: 2"Lèvati, va’ a Ninive, la gran città, e predica contro di lei; perché la loro malvagità è salita nel mio cospetto". 3Ma Giona si levò per fuggirsene a Tarsis, lungi dal cospetto dell’Eterno; e scese a Giaffa, dove trovò una nave che andava a Tarsis; e, pagato il prezzo del suo passaggio, s’imbarcò per andare con quei della nave a Tarsis, lungi dal cospetto dell’Eterno. 4Ma l’Eterno scatenò un gran vento sul mare, e vi fu sul mare una forte tempesta, sì che la nave minacciava di sfasciarsi. 5I marinari ebbero paura, e ognuno gridò al suo dio e gettarono a mare le mercanzie ch’erano a bordo, per alleggerire la nave; ma Giona era sceso nel fondo della nave, s’era coricato, e dormiva profondamente. 6Il capitano gli si avvicinò, e gli disse: "Che fai tu qui a dormire? Lèvati, invoca il tuo dio! Forse Dio si darà pensiero di noi e non periremo". 7Poi dissero l’uno all’altro: "Venite, tiriamo a sorte, per sapere a cagione di chi ci capita questa disgrazia". Tirarono a sorte, e la sorte cadde su Giona. 8Allora essi gli dissero: "Dicci dunque a cagione di chi ci capita questa disgrazia! Qual è la tua occupazione? donde vieni? qual è il tuo paese? e a che popolo appartieni?" 9Egli rispose loro: "Sono Ebreo, e temo l’Eterno, l’Iddio del cielo, che ha fatto il mare e la terra ferma". 10Allora quegli uomini furon presi da grande spavento, e gli dissero: "Perché hai fatto questo?" Poiché quegli uomini sapevano ch’egli fuggiva lungi dal cospetto dell’Eterno, giacché egli avea dichiarato loro la cosa. 11E quelli gli dissero: "Che ti dobbiam fare perché il mare si calmi per noi?" Poiché il mare si faceva sempre più tempestoso. 12Egli rispose loro: "Pigliatemi e gettatemi in mare, e il mare si calmerà per voi; perché io so che questa forte tempesta vi piomba addosso per cagion mia". 13Nondimeno quegli uomini davan forte nei remi per ripigliar terra; ma non potevano, perché il mare si faceva sempre più tempestoso e minaccioso. 14Allora gridarono all’Eterno, e dissero: "Deh, o Eterno, non lasciar che periamo per risparmiar la vita di quest’uomo, e non ci mettere addosso del sangue innocente; poiché tu, o Eterno, hai fatto quel che ti è piaciuto". 15Poi presero Giona e lo gettarono in mare; e la furia del mare si calmò. 16E quegli uomini furon presi da un gran timore dell’Eterno; offrirono un sacrifizio all’Eterno, e fecero dei voti. 17(H2-1) E l’Eterno fece venire un gran pesce per inghiottir Giona; e Giona fu nel ventre del pesce tre giorni e tre notti.

1Now Yahweh’s word came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach against it, for their wickedness has come up before me.” 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. 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. 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. 6So the ship master came to him, and said to him, “What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God! Maybe your God will notice us, so that we won’t perish.” 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. 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?” 9He said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear Yahweh, the God of heaven, who has made the sea and the dry land.” 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. 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. 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.” 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. 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.” 15So they took up Jonah, and threw him into the sea; and the sea ceased its raging. 16Then the men feared Yahweh exceedingly; and they offered a sacrifice to Yahweh, and made vows. 17Yahweh prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

1En het woord des HEEREN geschiedde tot Jona, den zoon van Amitthai, zeggende: 2Maak u op, ga naar de grote stad Nineve, en predik tegen haar; want hunlieder boosheid is opgeklommen voor Mijn aangezicht. 3Maar Jona maakte zich op om te vluchten naar Tarsis, van het aangezicht des HEEREN; en hij kwam af te Jafo, en vond een schip, gaande naar Tarsis, en hij gaf de vracht daarvan, en ging neder in hetzelve, om met henlieden te gaan naar Tarsis, van het aan gezicht des HEEREN. 4Maar de HEERE wierp een groten wind op de zee; en er werd een grote storm in de zee, zodat het schip dacht te breken. 5Toen vreesden de zeelieden, en riepen een iegelijk tot zijn god, en wierpen de vaten, die in het schip waren, in de zee, om het van dezelve te verlichten; maar Jona was nedergegaan aan de zijden van het schip, en lag neder, en was met een diepen slaap bevangen. 6En de opperschipper naderde tot hem, en zeide tot hem: Wat is u, gij hardslapende? Sta op, roep tot uw God, misschien zal die God aan ons gedenken, dat wij niet vergaan. 7Voorts zeiden zij, een ieder tot zijn metgezel: Komt, en laat ons loten werpen, opdat wij mogen weten, om wiens wil ons dit kwaad overkomt. Alzo wierpen zij loten, en het lot viel op Jona. 8Toen zeiden zij tot hem: Verklaar ons nu, om wiens wil ons dit kwaad overkomt. Wat is uw werk en van waar komt gij? Welk is uw land en van welk volk zijt gij? 9En hij zeide tot hen: Ik ben een Hebreer; en ik vreze den HEERE, den God des hemels, Die de zee en het droge gemaakt heeft. 10Toen vreesden die mannen met grote vreze, en zeiden tot hem: Wat hebt gij dit gedaan? Want de mannen wisten, dat hij van des HEEREN aangezicht vlood; want hij had het hun te kennen gegeven. 11Voorts zeiden zij tot hem: Wat zullen wij u doen, opdat de zee stil worde van ons? Want de zee werd hoe langer hoe onstuimiger. 12En hij zeide tot hen: Neemt mij op, en werpt mij in de zee, zo zal de zee stil worden van ulieden; want ik weet, dat deze grote storm ulieden om mijnentwil over komt. 13Maar de mannen roeiden, om het schip weder te brengen aan het droge, doch zij konden niet; want de zee werd hoe langer hoe onstuimiger tegen hen. 14Toen riepen zij tot den HEERE, en zeiden: Och HEERE! laat ons toch niet vergaan om dezes mans ziel, en leg geen onschuldig bloed op ons; want Gij, HEERE! hebt gedaan, gelijk als het U heeft behaagd. 15En zij namen Jona op, en wierpen hem in de zee. Toen stond de zee stil van haar verbolgenheid. 16Dies vreesden de mannen den HEERE met grote vreeze; en zij slachtten den HEERE slachtoffer, en beloofden geloften. 17De HEERE nu beschikte een groten vis, om Jona in te slokken; en Jona was in het ingewand van den vis, drie dagen en drie nachten.