Jonah 1:1-17
1 Joʹnah* the son of A·mitʹtai receive message from Jehovah say:
2 “Get up, go Ninʹe·veh the great city, and tell the people about the judgment wey them go face, because I don see the wicked things wey them de do.”
3 But Joʹnah get up so that e go run from Jehovah go Tarʹshish; e go down to Jopʹpa and see one ship wey de go Tarʹshish. So e pay the transport money and enter the ship to follow them go Tarʹshish, to run from Jehovah.
4 Then Jehovah make one strong breeze to blow for the sea, and the kind strong wave wey dey the sea nearly scatter the ship.
5 And the people wey de control the ship fear sotey each of them start to call im god for help. And them start to troway the things wey dey the ship for inside the sea to make-am light. But Joʹnah be don go down for the inside-inside part of the ship,* na there e lie down and sleep don carry-am go far.
6 The captain for the ship come meet-am and tell-am say: “Why you de sleep? Get up, call your god! Maybe the true God go show say e care about us and we no go die.”
7 Then, them tell each other say: “Come, make we cast lots to know who cause this trouble.” So them cast lots, and the lot fall for Joʹnah.
8 Them tell-am say: “Abeg tell us, who cause this trouble wey we dey inside? Which work you de do, and where you come from? Which country you come from, and who be your people?”
9 E answer say: “I be Hebrew person, and I de fear* Jehovah the God of the heavens, the Person wey make the sea and the dry land.”
10 This one come even make the men de fear more-more, and them ask-am say: “Wetin you do?” (The men come know say e de run from Jehovah, because e tell them.)
11 So them ask-am say: “Wetin we go do you so that the sea go calm down for us?” Because the wave for the sea de strong more-more.
12 E answer say: “Make una carry me and throw me inside the sea, and the sea go calm down for una; because I know say na because of me this strong breeze de blow against una.”
13 But, the men try hard to paddle* the ship so that them go move-am go back to dry land, but them no fit, because the wave for the sea around them de strong more-more.
14 Then, them call Jehovah and talk say: “Ah, Jehovah, abeg, make we no die because of this man!* No hold us for the blood of innocent person, since you don do wetin you want do, O Jehovah.”
15 Then, them carry Joʹnah go up and throw-am inside the sea; and the strong wave for the sea stop.
16 Then the men come de really fear Jehovah and them do sacrifice to Jehovah, and make promise them.
17 Jehovah come send big fish to swallow Joʹnah, so Joʹnah come dey inside the belle of the fish for three days and three nights.
