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Jonah
A reluctant prophet, a great fish, and the conversion of Nineveh
A short narrative about the prophet Jonah, sent to preach against the Assyrian capital Nineveh. He flees, is swallowed by a great fish, eventually preaches, and is then dismayed when the city repents and is spared.
1
耶和華的話臨到亞米太的兒子約拿、說、
Now Yahweh’s word came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
2
你起來往尼尼微大城去、向其中的居民呼喊、因爲他們的惡達到我面前。
“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach against it, for their wickedness has come up before me.”
3
約拿卻起來、逃往他施去躱避耶和華．下到約帕、遇見一隻船、要往他施去。他就給了船價、上了船、要與船上的人同往他施去躱避耶和華。
But 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.
4
然而耶和華使海中起大風、海就狂風大作、甚至船幾乎破壞。
But 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.
5
水手便懼怕、各人哀求自己的神．他們將船上的貨物拋在海中、爲要使船輕些。約拿已下到底艙、躺臥沉睡。
Then 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.
6
船主到他那裏對他說、你這沉睡的人哪、爲何這樣呢。起來、求告你的神、或者神顧念我們、使我們不至滅亡。
So 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.”
7
船上的人彼此說、來罷、我們掣籤、看看這災臨到我們是因誰的緣故．於是他們掣籤、掣出約拿來。
They 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.
8
衆人對他說、請你告訴我們、這災臨到我們是因誰的緣故．你以何事爲業．你從那裏來．你是哪一國、屬那一族的人。
Then 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?”
9
他說、我是希伯來人．我敬畏耶和華、那創造滄海旱地之天上的 神。
He said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear Yahweh, the God of heaven, who has made the sea and the dry land.”
10
他們就大大懼怕、對他說、你作的是甚麼事呢．他們已經知道他躱避耶和華、因爲他告訴了他們。
Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and said to him, “What have you done?” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of Yahweh, because he had told them.
11
他們問他說、我們當向你怎樣行、使海浪平靜呢．這話是因海浪越發翻騰。
Then 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.
12
他對他們說、你們將我抬起來、拋在海中、海就平靜了．我知道你們遭這大風、是因我的緣故。
He 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.”
13
然而那些人竭力盪槳、要把船攏岸、卻是不能．因爲海浪越發向他們翻騰。
Nevertheless 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.
14
他們便求告耶和華說、耶和華阿、我們懇求你、不要因這人的性命使我們死亡．不要使流無辜血的罪歸與我們．因爲你耶和華是隨自己的意旨行事。
Therefore 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.”
15
他們遂將約拿抬起、拋在海中、海的狂浪就平息了。
So they took up Jonah, and threw him into the sea; and the sea ceased its raging.
16
那些人便大大敬畏耶和華、向耶和華獻祭、並且許願。
Then the men feared Yahweh exceedingly; and they offered a sacrifice to Yahweh, and made vows.
17
耶和華安排一條大魚吞了約拿、他在魚腹中三日三夜。
Yahweh prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
1
約拿在魚腹中禱告耶和華他的 神、
Then Jonah prayed to Yahweh, his God, out of the fish’s belly.
2
說、我遭遇患難求告耶和華、你就應允我．從陰間的深處呼求、你就俯聽我的聲音。
He said,
“I called because of my affliction to Yahweh.
He answered me.
Out of the belly of Sheol I cried.
You heard my voice.
3
你將我投下深淵、就是海的深處．大水環繞我．你的波浪洪濤、都漫過我身。
For you threw me into the depths,
in the heart of the seas.
The flood was all around me.
All your waves and your billows passed over me.
4
我說、我從你眼前雖被驅逐、我仍要仰望你的聖殿。
I said, ‘I have been banished from your sight;
yet I will look again toward your holy temple.’
5
諸水環繞我、幾乎淹沒我．深淵圍住我、海草纏繞我的頭．
The waters surrounded me,
even to the soul.
The deep was around me.
The weeds were wrapped around my head.
6
我下到山根．地的門將我永遠關住。耶和華我的 神阿、你卻將我的性命從坑中救出來。
I went down to the bottoms of the mountains.
The earth barred me in forever:
yet have you brought up my life from the pit, Yahweh my God.
7
我心在我裏面發昏的時候、我就想念耶和華。我的禱告進入你的聖殿、達到你的面前。
“When my soul fainted within me, I remembered Yahweh.
My prayer came in to you, into your holy temple.
8
那信奉虛無之神的人、離棄憐愛他們的主．
Those who regard lying vanities forsake their own mercy.
9
但我必用感謝的聲音獻祭與你．我所許的願、我必償還。救恩出於耶和華。
But I will sacrifice to you with the voice of thanksgiving.
I will pay that which I have vowed.
Salvation belongs to Yahweh.”
10
耶和華吩咐魚、魚就把約拿吐在旱地上。
Then Yahweh spoke to the fish, and it vomited out Jonah on the dry land.
1
耶和華的話、二次臨到約拿說、
Yahweh’s word came to Jonah the second time, saying,
2
你起來、往尼尼微大城去、向其中的居民宣告我所吩咐你的話。
“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I give you.”
3
約拿便照耶和華的話起來、往尼尼微去。這尼尼微是極大的城、有三日的路程。
So Jonah arose, and went to Nineveh, according to Yahweh’s word. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey across.
4
約拿進城走了一日、宣告說、再等四十日、尼尼微必傾覆了。
Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried out, and said, “In forty days, Nineveh will be overthrown!”
5
尼尼微人信服 神、便宣告禁食、從最大的到至小的都穿麻衣。〈或作披上麻布〉
The people of Nineveh believed God; and they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from their greatest even to their least.
6
這信息傳到尼尼微王的耳中、他就下了寶座、脫下朝服、披上麻布、坐在灰中。
The news reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and took off his royal robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
7
他又使人遍告尼尼微通城說、王和大臣有令、人不可嘗甚麼、牲畜、牛羊、不可喫草、也不可喝水。
He made a proclamation and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, “Let neither man nor animal, herd nor flock, taste anything; let them not feed, nor drink water;
8
人與牲畜都當披上麻布、人要切切求告 神．各人回頭離開所行的惡道、丟棄手中的強暴。
but let them be covered with sackcloth, both man and animal, and let them cry mightily to God. Yes, let them turn everyone from his evil way, and from the violence that is in his hands.
9
或者 神轉意後悔、不發烈怒、使我們不至滅亡、也未可知。
Who knows whether God will not turn and relent, and turn away from his fierce anger, so that we might not perish?”
10
於是 神察看他們的行爲、見他們離開惡道、他就後悔、不把所說的災禍降與他們了。
God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way. God relented of the disaster which he said he would do to them, and he didn’t do it.
1
這事約拿大大不悅、且甚發怒。
But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.
2
就禱告耶和華說、耶和華阿、我在本國的時候、豈不是這樣說麼．我知道你是有恩典、有憐憫的 神、不輕易發怒、有豐盛的慈愛、並且後悔不降所說的災．所以我急速逃往他施去。
He prayed to Yahweh, and said, “Please, Yahweh, wasn’t this what I said when I was still in my own country? Therefore I hurried to flee to Tarshish, for I knew that you are a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and you relent of doing harm.
3
耶和華阿、現在求你取我的命罷．因爲我死了比活着還好。
Therefore now, Yahweh, take, I beg you, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.”
4
耶和華說、你這樣發怒合乎理麼。
Yahweh said, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
5
於是約拿出城、坐在城的東邊、在那裏爲自己搭了一座棚、坐在棚的蔭下、要看看那城究竟如何。
Then Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made himself a booth, and sat under it in the shade, until he might see what would become of the city.
6
耶和華 神安排一棵蓖麻、使其發生高過約拿、影兒遮蓋他的頭、救他脫離苦楚．約拿因這棵蓖麻大大喜樂。
Yahweh God prepared a vine, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to deliver him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the vine.
7
次日黎明、 神卻安排一條蟲子、咬這蓖麻、以致枯槁。
But God prepared a worm at dawn the next day, and it chewed on the vine, so that it withered.
8
日頭出來的時候、 神安排炎熱的東風．日頭曝曬約拿的頭、使他發昏、他就爲自己求死、說、我死了比活着還好。
When the sun arose, God prepared a sultry east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he fainted, and requested for himself that he might die, and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”
9
神對約拿說、你因這棵蓖麻發怒合乎理麼．他說、我發怒以至於死、都合乎理。
God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the vine?”
He said, “I am right to be angry, even to death.”
10
耶和華說、這蓖麻不是你栽種的、也不是你培養的．一夜發生、一夜乾死你尚且愛惜．
Yahweh said, “You have been concerned for the vine, for which you have not labored, neither made it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night.
11
何況這尼尼微大城、其中不能分辨左手右手的有十二萬多人、並有許多牲畜、我豈能不愛惜呢。
Shouldn’t I be concerned for Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred twenty thousand persons who can’t discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much livestock?”