1But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. 2And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil. 3Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.
4¶ Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry?4.4 Doest…: or, Art thou greatly angry?
5So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city. 6And the LORD God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd.4.6 gourd: or, palmcrist: Heb. Kikajon4.6 was…: Heb. rejoiced with great joy 7But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered. 8And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.4.8 vehement: or, silent 9And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death.4.9 Doest…: or, Art thou greatly angry?4.9 I do well…: or, I am greatly angry 10Then said the LORD, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night:4.10 had pity: or, spared4.10 came…: Heb. was the son of the night 11And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?
Mkwiyo wa Yona ndi Chifundo cha Yehova
1Koma Yona anakhumudwa kwambiri ndipo anakwiya. 2Iye anapemphera kwa Yehova kuti, “Inu Yehova, kodi izi si zimene ndinanena ndikanali kwathu? Nʼchifukwa chaketu ine ndinafulumira kuthawa kupita ku Tarisisi. Ine ndinadziwa kuti ndinu Mulungu wokoma mtima ndi wachifundo, wosakwiya msanga ndi wa chikondi chopanda malire, Mulungu amene mumaleka kubweretsa tsoka. 3Ndipo tsopano, Inu Yehova, ingondiphani basi, pakuti ndi bwino kuti ndife kupambana nʼkukhala ndi moyo.”
4Koma Yehova anayankha kuti, “Kodi nʼkoyenera kuti iwe ukwiye?”
5Yona anatuluka mu mzindamo nakakhala pansi cha kummawa kwa mzindawo. Kumeneko anadzimangira chithando nakhala mʼmenemo mu mthunzi, kudikira kuti aone zimene zichitikire mzindawo. 6Tsono Yehova Mulungu anameretsa msatsi ndi kuyikulitsa kuti ipereke mthunzi kwa Yona kuchotsa mavuto ake; ndipo Yona anasangalala kwambiri chifukwa cha msatsiyo. 7Koma tsiku linalo mmawa, Mulungu anabweretsa mbozi imene inadya msatsiyo ndipo inafota. 8Dzuwa litatuluka, Yehova anabweretsa mphepo yotentha yochokera kummawa, ndipo dzuwa linatentha pamutu pa Yona kotero analenguka nalo. Iye anangofuna atafa, ndipo anati, “Ndi bwino kuti ndife kupambana nʼkukhala ndi moyo.”
9Koma Mulungu anati kwa Yona, “Kodi nʼkoyenera kuti iwe ukwiye chifukwa cha msatsi?”
Iye anayankha kuti, “Inde nʼkoyenera. Kukwiya kwanga nʼkofuna kufa nako.”
10Koma Yehova anati, “Iwe ukumvera chisoni msatsiwo, ngakhale kuti sunawugwirire ntchito kapena kuwukulitsa. Inamera pa usiku umodzi ndipo inafanso pa usiku umodzi. 11Koma mu Ninive muli anthu opitirira 120,000 amene sadziwa kusiyanitsa kuti chabwino nʼchiti ndipo choyipa nʼchiti, mulinso ziweto zochuluka. Kodi sindiyenera kumvera chisoni mzinda waukulu ngati uwu?”
