Jonah's Prayer
1 From deep inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God:
2 “In my distress, O Lord, I called to you,
and you answered me.
From deep in the world of the dead
I cried for help, and you heard me.
3 You threw me down into the depths,
to the very bottom of the sea,
where the waters were all around me,
and all your mighty waves rolled over me.
4 I thought I had been banished from your presence
and would never see your holy Temple again.
5 The water came over me and choked me;
the sea covered me completely,
and seaweed wrapped around my head.
6 I went down to the very roots of the mountains,
into the land whose gates lock shut forever.
But you, O Lord my God,
brought me back from the depths alive.
7 When I felt my life slipping away,
then, O Lord, I prayed to you,
and in your holy Temple you heard me.
8 Those who worship worthless idols
have abandoned their loyalty to you.
9 But I will sing praises to you;
I will offer you a sacrifice
and do what I have promised.
Salvation comes from the Lord!”
10 Then the Lord ordered the fish to spit Jonah up on the beach, and it did.
Ongumbiro ya Jona nokuyamwa kwe
1 Jona wa kumba ku Muhona Ndjambi we mezumo rohi na tja:
2 “Mombamisiro yandje, Muhona,
ami mba kumba kove,
nove we ndji zuvira.
Okuza mourekoto wotjovakoke
ami mba ningira ombatero kove,
nove wa zira ongumbiro yandje.
3 Ove we ndji yumba mourekoto
kehi yomeva kokuvare;
omeva ku ye ndji kovera,
nozongazona zoye ozonamasa
ku zeri varangere ongondoroka na ami.
4 Ami mba tjangovasi mba imbirahiwa komurungu woye,
nu himee kamuna ondjuwo yoye ondjapuke rukwao.
5 Omeva ye ya kombanda yandje
naye ndji pamisa omuinyo.
Okuvare kwe ndji kovera okumana;
nomahozu wokuvare ye rimanga motjiuru tjandje.
6 Ami mba punda nga kehi komuze wozondundu,
nomivero vyehi vye ndji patera
moukoto nga aruhe.
Nungwari ove, Muhona, Ndjambi wandje,
we ndji pitisa omunamuinyo mourekoto.
7 Omuinyo wandje tji wa yaraara,
e rizemburuka na ove Muhona;
nove oo ziri ongumbiro yandje
mondjuwo yoye ondjapuke.
8 Imba mbe rikotamena koomukuru wovisenginina
va isa ingwi ngwatja rira ombwiro yawo.
9 Nungwari ami me ku imburire ondangero,
nu me ku punguhire ombunguhiro;
me yenenisa ihi tji mba kwizika.
Ondjamo i za ku Muhona!”
10 Tjazumba Muhona otja rakiza indji ohi kutja i kungire Jona komukuro, noyo ya tjita nao.
