Jonah - Translation

Translation of Jonah

Richard E. Young

Chapter 1

1:1 Now the word of Yahweh came to Jonah, the son of Amittai, saying:

1:2 "Get up¹! Go² to Nineveh, the great³ city, and cry out⁴ against it because its evil⁵ has risen⁶ before my presence⁷."

1:3 And Jonah got up¹ to hurry away⁸ to Tarshish - away from the presence⁷ of Yahweh. He went down⁹ to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. He paid¹⁰ the fare for it and went down⁹ into it to sail with them to Tarshish - away from the presence⁷ of Yahweh.

1:4 Yahweh then cast¹¹ a strong³ wind¹² onto the sea and there was a powerful³ storm on the sea so that the ship thought of breaking up.

1:5 The sailors¹³ were afraid¹⁴ and each man¹⁵ called out for help¹⁶ to his own god¹⁷ and cast¹¹ things¹⁸ from the ship into the sea to lighten it. But Jonah went down⁹ into the inner recesses¹⁹ of the ship to lay down²⁰ and went into a deep sleep²¹.

1:6 So the captain²² of the sailors²³ came to him and said to him, "How is it that you are in a deep sleep²⁰?!? Get up¹! Cry out⁴ to your gods¹⁷ and perhaps the gods¹⁷ will consider²⁴ us and not let us perish²⁵."

1:7 Then each man¹⁵ said to the other, "Come on²! Let's have lots fall²⁶ and reveal²⁷ who is the cause²⁸ of this calamity⁵ that is upon us." So they let lots fall²⁶ and the lot fell²⁶ upon Jonah.

1:8 And they asked him, "Please tell us now! As the one by whom this calamity⁵ has come upon us: what is your profession? where do you come from? what land are you from? what is your ethnicity?"

1:9 He answered them, "I am a Hebrew and I fear¹⁴ Yahweh, the God¹⁷ of the heavens²⁹ who made³⁰ the sea and the dry-ground³¹."

1:10 Then the men¹⁵ feared¹⁴ with a tremendous³ fear¹⁴. So they asked him, "Why have you done³⁰ this?" for the men¹⁵ knew²⁷ that he had hurried away⁸ from the presence⁷ of Yahweh because he had told them that this is what he had done.

1:11 So they asked him, "What should we do³⁰ to you so that the sea will be calm towards us?" for the sea continued to rage even more violently³.

1:12 So he replied to them, "Lift me up³² and cast¹¹ me into he sea and it will become calm towards you because I know²⁷ that I am the cause²⁸ of this violent³ storm that has come upon you."

1:13 But the men¹⁵ dug³³ [with their oars] in order to turn away³⁴ to the dry-ground³¹ but they could not prevail because the sea continued² to rage even more violently³ against them.

1:14 Then the men¹⁵ cried out⁴ to Yahweh, "We plead, Yahweh! Please don't let us perish²⁵ through the soul³⁵ of this man¹⁵ and don't attribute¹⁰ against us innocent³⁶ blood³⁷ - for just as what has pleased³⁸ You, Yahweh, You have done³⁰."

1:15 So they lifted up³² Jonah and cast¹¹ him into the sea and the sea ceased from it's raging and became calm.

1:16 The men¹⁵ then feared¹⁴ Yahweh with a tremendous³ fear¹⁴ and they made sacrifices and vows to Yahweh.

1:17 But Yahweh had appointed³⁹ a large³ fish to swallow⁴⁰ Jonah. And it came about that Jonah was inside the guts⁴¹ of the fish for three days and three nights.

Chapter 2

2:1 And Jonah prayed to his God¹⁷, Yahweh, from the guts⁴¹ of the fish.

2:2 And he said: "I cried out⁴ in my distress⁴² to Yahweh and He attended⁴³ to me. From the womb⁴⁴ of the world of the dead⁴⁵ I called for help¹⁵ and You heard my voice.

2:3 "And You threw⁴⁶ me deep⁴⁸ into the heart⁴⁷ of the seas where the currents turned around me and the breakers and waves⁴⁹ passed over⁵⁰ upon me.

2:4 "I said that I was banished⁵¹ from before Your eyes - yet I will look again with regard towards Your holy Temple.

2:5 "The waters engulfed my soul³⁵; the abyss⁵² surrounded me; seaweed bound up my head⁵³.

2:6 "I went down⁹ to the roots⁵⁴ of the mountains where the bar of the gate⁵⁵ of the earth confined me forever⁵⁶. But You caused my life⁵⁷ to ascend up⁶ from the pit⁵⁸, Yahweh, my God¹⁷

2:7 "When my soul³⁵ was faltering⁵⁹ I remembered Yahweh and my prayer entered into Your holy Temple.

2:8 "Those that hold onto⁶⁰ the breath⁶¹ of empty speech⁶² let go⁶³ of their loving-kindness⁶⁴.

2:9 "But I, with a voice of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to You. What I vowed I will pay⁶⁵. Salvation is from Yahweh."

2:10 Yahweh then spoke to the fish and it vomited⁶⁶ Jonah onto the dry-ground³¹.

Chapter 3

3:1 Now the word of Yahweh came to Jonah a second time saying:

3:2 "Get up¹! Go² to Nineveh, the great³ city, and cry out⁴ to it the message⁴ I give you."

3:3 And Jonah got up¹ and went² to Nineveh according to the word of Yahweh. Now Nineveh, a city important³ to God¹⁷, required three days to visit it.

3:4 Jonah proceeded⁶⁷ into the city the first day and cried out⁴ to them: "In forty more days Nineveh will be overturned⁶⁸."

3:5 Now the men¹⁵ of Nineveh trusted⁶⁹ in God¹⁷ and cried out⁴ for everyone - from the most important³ to the least significant⁷⁰ - to fast and wear sackcloth.

3:6 When these words reached the king of Nineveh he arose¹ from his throne, put away⁵⁰ his robe of glory⁷¹, clothed⁷² himself with sackcloth, and sat down in the ashes⁷³.

3:7 He called out for help¹⁶ and said that by decision⁷⁴ of the king and the members of the ruling class³ that in Nineveh: "Each person is not to taste⁷⁴ or drink anything and that each beast, herd, or flock is not to feed or be watered.

3:8 "Let each man¹⁵ and beast be clothed⁷² in sackcloth and let them all vehemently⁷⁵ cry out⁴ to God¹⁷ and let all the men¹⁵ turn away³⁴ from their evil⁵ ways⁷⁶ and their violence⁷⁷ that is in their hands⁷⁸.

3:9 "Who knows²⁷? God¹⁷ may turn away³⁴ [from His intent] and relent⁷⁹ and turn away³⁴ from His furious⁸⁰ anger⁸¹ so that we will not perish²⁵."

3:10 When God¹⁷ saw from their actions³⁰ that they had turned away³⁴ from their evil⁵ ways⁷⁶ God¹⁷ relented⁷⁹ and did not bring³⁰ the devastation⁵ upon them that He had spoken of.

Chapter 4

4:1 But it displeased⁵ Jonah very much^3,5 and he became angry⁸².

4:2 So he prayed to Yahweh, "Please, Yahweh, isn't this what I said when I was still on my own soil⁸³? Therefore, anticipating⁸⁴ this I hurried away⁸ to Tarshish since I knew²⁷ that you were a gracious and merciful God¹⁷, slow to anger⁸¹, abounding in loving-kindness⁶⁴, and relenting⁷⁹ concerning the destruction⁵ [of Nineveh].

4:3 "And now, Yahweh, please take away my soul³⁵ from me! for it is better for me to die than for me to live⁵⁷."

4:4 But Yahweh answered, "Is it appropriate⁸⁵ for you to be angry⁸²?"

4:5 So Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city. He made³⁰ a crude shelter⁸⁶ for himself and sat beneath it in its shade⁸⁷ until he could see what would become of the city.

4:6 Then Yahweh God¹⁷ appointed³⁹ a plant to rise up⁶ over Jonah so that it would become a shade⁸⁷ for his head⁵³ and deliver⁸⁸ him from his displeasure⁵. And Jonah was extremely³ happy⁸⁹ because of the plant.

4:7 Then God¹⁷ appointed³⁹ a worm⁸⁹ at the rise⁶ of the dawn⁹¹ on the next day and it struck⁹² the plant so that it withered⁹³.

4:8 And it came about that when the sun rose⁹⁴ God¹⁷ appointed³⁹ a harsh-hot⁹⁵ east wind¹³ and the sun struck⁹² on Jonah's head⁵³ so that he became faint⁹⁶ and sought⁹⁷ in his soul³⁵ to die, saying, "It is better for me to die than for me to live⁵⁷."

4:9 But God¹⁷ said to Jonah, "Is it appropriate⁸⁵ for you to be angry⁸² with the plant?" And he said, "It's appropriate⁸⁵ for me to be angry⁸² - even unto death."

4:10 Then Yahweh said, "You had compassion⁹⁸ upon the plant for which you did not toil⁹⁹ nor did you cause it to grow¹⁰⁰ - it came up in a night and it perished²⁵ in a night.

4:11 "But shouldn't I have compassion⁹⁸ upon Nineveh, the great³ city, where there are within it more than 120,000 people who don't know²⁷ their right hand from their left hand and also many animals?"