Ondjahi yaJona nesilohenda lyaKalunga
1 Jona okwa yematele shika nokwa geye. 2 Okwa galikana ngeyi: “Omuwa, inandi shi popya nale nani, manga inaandi za paandjetu, kutya oto ningi shino? Omolwashika onda li nda hala okuya ontuku kuSpania. Onda li ndi shi shi kutya ongoye Kalunga kohole nokesilohenda, aluhe omutalanteni, aluhe omunambili nowi ilongekidha aluhe okwiigaluluka noito geye. 3 Ngashingeyi, Omuwa, etha ndi se. Okusa oku vulile ndje okukala nomwenyo.”
4 Omuwa okwa yamukula: “Okugeya kwoye oku li tuu mondjila?”
5 Jona okwa piti mo a yi kuuzilo woshilando e ta kuutumba. Okwi idhikile etsali e ta gondjo momuzile gwalyo a tegelela, a mone Ninive sho tashi ningwa. 6 Nena Omuwa Kalunga okwa menitha olumono lwa koko edhelele nolwa siikile Jona, opo a kale u uvite hwepo momuzile gwalwo. Jona okwa li a nyanyukilwa olumono nokunyanyukililwa. 7 Ihe pokutenda kweluwa esiku lya landula ko Kalunga okwa tula ko epuka li thekeke po olumono nolwa si. 8 Etango sho lya piti, Kalunga okwa pepitha ombepo ompyuumpyuu yokuuzilo. Jona okwa li a lulilwa kuupyu woonte dhetango, sho dhe mu yaha momutse. Okwi ihalele okusa. Okwa ti: “Eso oli vulile ndje omwenyo.”
9 Kalunga okwa ti kuye: “Oshi li tuu mondjila okugeya omolwolumono?”
Jona okwa yamukula: “Eeno, oshi li mondjila, ndi kale nda geya nokwiihalela eso.”
10 Omuwa okwa ti kuye: “Olumono nduka olwa koko muusiku umwe nolwa si po muukwawo wa landula ko. 11 Ngoye ino lu kuna noino lu kokitha, ndele ngame ote kala ngiini, ndaa uvitile Ninive, oshilando oshinene, olukeno? Oshi na aanona ye vule 120 000, osho wo iimuna oyindji.”
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!”
