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!”
Gwadzamoyo kwa Jona ne ngoni dza Yahwe
1 Ngono ngwenu ikoku kukakutha Jona kwazo kwazo ngono kagwadzamoyo. 2 Ndizo katembezela Yahwe eti, “Imwi Yahwe, apa ate iko ikoku kwandakaleba nditji ku shango ya kanyi kwedu kene? Ndizo wali ndakalibilidza atizhila ku Tashishi, ngoti ndakabe ndiziba kuti mu Ndzimu una ngoni ne lubu, una moyonlefu kakale uzhele ludo, Ndzimu unoshandukila kuhwisa zogwadza. 3 Ngono ngwenu, Yahwe, tolani butjilo gwangu, ngobe koyita ha ndingafa pana kuti nditjile.”
4 Yahwe bakashandula beti, “Apa unothama zwibuyanana kugwadzamoyo kene?”
5 Ipapo Jona kabhuda mu nzi nkulu ngono kanogala ku bhezhuba kwawo. Kazwibakila nshasha ikoko kagala kusi kwawo mu ntutshi akalindila kubona tjinoshingikalila nzi. 6 Yahwe Ndzimu bakamedza denjana bakalikudza kuti Jona alonge nsholo mu ntutshi kutebamisa kugwadzamoyo kukwe. Ngono Jona kashathila denjana ilelo nge shatho hwulu kwazo. 7 Koga kwakati tjimuka mazhokuyedza Ndzimu ukazhisa gonyana likaja denjana, ngono denjana likafa. 8 Kukati zhuba libhuda Ndzimu ukazhisa phepo inopisa ye ku bhezhuba, ngono zhuba likabhaya mu nsholo wa Jona kashoko timbama. Ndizo Jona kakumbila lufu gugwe eti, “Koyita ha ndingafa pana kuti nditjile.”
9 Koga Ndzimu ukashandula Jona uti, “Apa unothama zwibuyanana kugwadzilamoyo denjana ileli kene?”
Ngono iye kati, “Ndothama zwibuyanana kugwadzamoyo kuswikila lufu.”
10 Ngono Yahwe bakati, “Iwe unohwila zogwadza denjana lausakatukutilila nenguba kuli kulikudza, ilo lakabepo mu busiku, likafa tjimuka busiku. 11 Ngono apa imi ndisihwile ngoni Ninive, nzi nkulu zwingapa una bathu bangapinda zwiwulu zwili zana lina makumi mabili (120 000) basingathubukanye bubuya ne bubi, kakale una zwithuwo zwinjinji?”