约拿书

约拿书第1章

拿1:1

The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai:

耶和华的话临到亚米太的儿子约拿，说：

拿1:2

"Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me."

“你起来往尼尼微大城去，向其中的居民呼喊，因为他们的恶达到我面前。”

拿1:3

But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD.

约拿却起来逃往他施去躲避耶和华。下到约帕，遇见一只船要往他施去，他就给了船价，上了船，要与船上的人同往他施去躲避耶和华。

拿1:4

Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up.

然而耶和华使海中起大风，海就狂风大作，甚至船几乎破坏。

拿1:5

All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep.

水手便惧怕，各人哀求自己的神。他们将船上的货物抛在海中，为要使船轻些。约拿已下到底舱躺卧沉睡。

拿1:6

The captain went to him and said, "How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us, and we will not perish."

船主到他那里对他说：“你这沉睡的人哪，为何这样呢？起来，求告你的　神，或者　神顾念我们，使我们不至灭亡。”

拿1:7

Then the sailors said to each other, "Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity." They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah.

船上的人彼此说：“来吧！我们掣签，看看这灾临到我们是因谁的缘故。”于是他们掣签，掣出约拿来。

拿1:8

So they asked him, "Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?"

众人对他说：“请你告诉我们，这灾临到我们是因谁的缘故？你以何事为业？你从哪里来？你是哪一国、属哪一族的人？”

拿1:9

He answered, "I am a Hebrew and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land."

他说：“我是希伯来人。我敬畏耶和华──那创造沧海旱地之天上的　神。”

拿1:10

This terrified them and they asked, "What have you done?" (They knew he was running away from the LORD, because he had already told them so.)

他们就大大惧怕，对他说：“你做的是什么事呢？”他们已经知道他躲避耶和华，因为他告诉了他们。

拿1:11

The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, "What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?"

他们问他说：“我们当向你怎样行，使海浪平静呢？”这话是因海浪越发翻腾。

拿1:12

"Pick me up and throw me into the sea," he replied, "and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you."

他对他们说：“你们将我抬起来，抛在海中，海就平静了。我知道你们遭这大风是因我的缘故。”

拿1:13

Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before.

然而那些人竭力汤桨，要把船拢岸，却是不能，因为海浪越发向他们翻腾。

拿1:14

Then they cried to the LORD, "O LORD, please do not let us die for taking this man's life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, O LORD, have done as you pleased."

他们便求告耶和华说：“耶和华啊，我们恳求你，不要因这人的性命使我们死亡，不要使流无辜血的罪归与我们，因为你耶和华是随自己的意旨行事。”

拿1:15

Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm.

他们遂将约拿抬起，抛在海中，海的狂浪就平息了。

拿1:16

At this the men greatly feared the LORD, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to him.

那些人便大大敬畏耶和华，向耶和华献祭，并且许愿。

拿1:17

But the LORD provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights.

耶和华安排一条大鱼吞了约拿，他在鱼腹中三日三夜。

约拿书第2章

拿2:1

From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the LORD his God.

约拿在鱼腹中祷告耶和华他的　神，

拿2:2

He said: "In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry.

说：“我遭遇患难求告耶和华，你就应允我；从阴间的深处呼求，你就俯听我的声音。

拿2:3

You hurled me into the deep, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me.

你将我投下深渊，就是海的深处；大水环绕我，你的波浪洪涛都漫过我身。

拿2:4

I said, 'I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple.'

我说：‘我从你眼前虽被驱逐，我仍要仰望你的圣殿。’

拿2:5

The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head.

诸水环绕我，几乎淹没我；深渊围住我，海草缠绕我的头。

拿2:6

To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you brought my life up from the pit, O LORD my God.

我下到山根，地的门将我永远关住。耶和华我的　神啊，你却将我的性命从坑中救出来。

拿2:7

"When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, LORD, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple.

我心在我里面发昏的时候，我就想念耶和华。我的祷告进入你的圣殿，达到你的面前。

拿2:8

"Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.

那信奉虚无之神的人，离弃怜爱他们的主；

拿2:9

But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the LORD."

但我必用感谢的声音献祭与你。我所许的愿，我必偿还。救恩出于耶和华。”

拿2:10

And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

耶和华吩咐鱼，鱼就把约拿吐在旱地上。

约拿书第3章

拿3:1

Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time:

耶和华的话二次临到约拿说：

拿3:2

"Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you."

“你起来！往尼尼微大城去，向其中的居民宣告我所吩咐你的话。”

拿3:3

Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very important city--a visit required three days.

约拿便照耶和华的话起来，往尼尼微去。这尼尼微是极大的城，有三日的路程。

拿3:4

On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed: "Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned."

约拿进城走了一日，宣告说：“再等四十日，尼尼微必倾覆了！”

拿3:5

The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.

尼尼微人信服　神，便宣告禁食，从最大的到至小的都穿麻衣（或作“披上麻布”）。

拿3:6

When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust.

这信息传到尼尼微王的耳中，他就下了宝座，脱下朝服，披上麻布，坐在灰中。

拿3:7

Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh: "By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let any man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink.

他又使人遍告尼尼微通城说：“王和大臣有令，人不可尝什么，牲畜、牛羊不可吃草，也不可喝水。

拿3:8

But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence.

人与牲畜都当披上麻布，人要切切求告　神。各人回头离开所行的恶道，丢弃手中的强暴。

拿3:9

Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish."

或者　神转意后悔，不发烈怒，使我们不至灭亡，也未可知。”

拿3:10

When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.

于是　神察看他们的行为，见他们离开恶道，他就后悔，不把所说的灾祸降与他们了。

约拿书第4章

拿4:1

But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry.

这事约拿大大不悦，且甚发怒，

拿4:2

He prayed to the LORD, "O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.

就祷告耶和华说：“耶和华啊，我在本国的时候岂不是这样说吗？我知道你是有恩典、有怜悯的　神，不轻易发怒，有丰盛的慈爱，并且后悔不降所说的灾，所以我急速逃往他施去。

拿4:3

Now, O LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live."

耶和华啊，现在求你取我的命吧！因为我死了比活着还好。”

拿4:4

But the LORD replied, "Have you any right to be angry?"

耶和华说：“你这样发怒合乎理吗？”

拿4:5

Jonah went out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city.

于是约拿出城，坐在城的东边，在那里为自己搭了一座棚，坐在棚的荫下，要看看那城究竟如何。

拿4:6

Then the LORD God provided a vine and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the vine.

耶和华　神安排一棵蓖麻，使其发生高过约拿，影儿遮盖他的头，救他脱离苦楚；约拿因这棵蓖麻大大喜乐。

拿4:7

But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the vine so that it withered.

次日黎明，　神却安排一条虫子咬这蓖麻，以致枯槁。

拿4:8

When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah's head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, "It would be better for me to die than to live."

日头出来的时候，　神安排炎热的东风，日头曝晒约拿的头，使他发昏，他就为自己求死说：“我死了比活着还好！”

拿4:9

But God said to Jonah, "Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?" "I do," he said. "I am angry enough to die."

神对约拿说：“你因这棵蓖麻发怒合乎理吗？”他说：“我发怒以致于死，都合乎理！”

拿4:10

But the LORD said, "You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight.

耶和华说：“这蓖麻不是你栽种的，也不是你培养的，一夜发生，一夜干死，你尚且爱惜；

拿4:11

But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?"

何况这尼尼微大城，其中不能分辨左手右手的有十二万多人，并有许多牲畜，我岂能不爱惜呢？”