Omazenge wa Jona notjari tja Ndjambi
1 Jona ka ri nohange Muhona tja rundurura ondando ye, eye wa ṱomazenge tjinene. 2 Notja kumba ku Muhona a tja: “Muhona, ihi katji mba hungira tji mba ri mehi randje are? Ami opu mba za okuhenena kOtarsis, tjinga amba tjiwa kutja ove oove Ndjambi omunatjari nomunaunyaṋutima, nokutja u nomuretima nouwa ounene aruhe, nokutja u ṱondjenda nu u pengisa otjiwonga kovandu. 3 Arikana, Muhona, ṱokundjizepa, orondu okokuwa ku ami okukoka komurungu wokukara nomuinyo.”
4 Nu Muhona wa zira a tja: “Ove u nousemba wokuṱomazenge are?”
5 Jona wa pita okuyenda komukuma wokomuhuka wotjihuro na kahaama pehi. Eye we ritungira otjitara na haama momuzire watjo ama undju okumuna kutja otjihuro Ninive matji tjitwa vi. 6 Tjazumba Muhona Ndjambi otja hapisa omuti kombanda ya Jona okumupa omuzire kutja e mu yarure omutima pehi. Nu Jona wa yoroka tjinene tja muna omuti mbwi. 7 Nungwari eyuva rarwe tji pa tji, Ndjambi wa eta etiva momuti mbwi, noro re u hokora, nowo au koka. 8 Neyuva tji ra zu Ndjambi wa hinda ombepo ombyu yokomuhuka. Nu Jona a hara okuseurwa i oupyu womutenya tji mau vete motjiuru tje. Neye we rizera nonḓiro a tja: “Atja rira kokuwa ku ami okukoka komurungu wokukara nomuinyo.”
9 Nungwari Ndjambi wa tja ku ye: “Ove u nousemba okupindikira omuti are?”
Nu Jona arire tja ziri a tja: “Ii, ami mbi nousemba okupindika; okupindika tjinene nga tji mba koka.”
10 Nu Muhona wa tja nai ku ye: “Omuti mbwi wa hapa mouṱuku umwe nu ouṱuku imbwi oukwao au koka; ove ko notjiṋa tji wa tjiti ku wo, nu kau hapisirwe i ove nambano u noruhoze na wo! 11 Nu ami hi sokuṱotjari na Ninive, ihi otjihuro otjinene, tji tji novature ovehinondjiviro mbe ri komurungu womayovi esere rimwe nomirongo vivari, novinamuinyo ovingi wina are?”
Jonah's Anger and God's Mercy
1 Jonah was very unhappy about this and became angry. 2 So he prayed, “Lord, didn't I say before I left home that this is just what you would do? That's why I did my best to run away to Spain! I knew that you are a loving and merciful God, always patient, always kind, and always ready to change your mind and not punish. 3 Now then, Lord, let me die. I am better off dead than alive.”
4 The Lord answered, “What right do you have to be angry?”
5 Jonah went out east of the city and sat down. He made a shelter for himself and sat in its shade, waiting to see what would happen to Nineveh. 6 Then the Lord God made a plant grow up over Jonah to give him some shade, so that he would be more comfortable. Jonah was extremely pleased with the plant. 7 But at dawn the next day, at God's command, a worm attacked the plant, and it died. 8 After the sun had risen, God sent a hot east wind, and Jonah was about to faint from the heat of the sun beating down on his head. So he wished he were dead. “I am better off dead than alive,” he said.
9 But God said to him, “What right do you have to be angry about the plant?”
Jonah replied, “I have every right to be angry—angry enough to die!”
10 The Lord said to him, “This plant grew up in one night and disappeared the next; you didn't do anything for it and you didn't make it grow—yet you feel sorry for it! 11 How much more, then, should I have pity on Nineveh, that great city. After all, it has more than 120,000 innocent children in it, as well as many animals!”
