Shanduko ye bathu be Ninive
1 Dama la Yahwe lakazha kuna Jona gwe bubili liti, 2 “Milika uyende ku Ninive nzi nkulu usinshoma, ngono usumikile kuuli sumikilo yandinokudwa.” 3 Ipapo Jona kamilika kayenda ku Ninive kuyendidzana ne dama la Yahwe. Ninive wakabe uli nzi nkulu usinshoma mu mesho e Ndzimu, kungabe gwendo gwe mazhuba matatu kuupalama. 4 Jona katangisa kungina mu nzi nkulu gwendo gwe zhuba, ngono kasumikila eti, “Mu mazhuba ali makumi manna, nzi we Ninive unowobe ukolomogwa.” 5 Ndizo bathu be Ninive bakagalamoyo mu Ndzimu, ngono bakaloba lukombo ngekwe kuzwinyima zojiwa, bakaambala jila le saka kudwa mu nkulu tjose kunoti mu ntukununu tjose.
6 Kwakati thawu dziswika kuna mambo we Ninive, kamilika pa tjigalo tjitje tje bushe, kambula tjiambalo tjitje tje bushe, ngono kazwifukidza nge jila le saka ebe enogala pa tjizhalanlota. 7 Ipapo kadusa mima ngono ikaandama nge Ninive yose eti, “Nge kulaya kwa mambo ne hadzasha dzidze, ‘Kusibe ne nthu kene ithuwo, ng'ombe kene pkhwizi zwingalabila tjimwe, kusijiwe ne vula kusing'wiwe. 8 Ngakuti nthu ne ithuwo zwifukidziwe nge jila le saka, kuliligwe ku Ndzimu nge masimba, ngono mmwe ne mmwe ashanduke mu zila dzidze dzakabipa ne mu ngwa dze maboko. 9 Ndiani unoziba, Ndzimu ungashanduka ukabe ne ngoni, ungashandukila bushongola gwawo gunotjisa kuti ndizo tisilobe.’ ”
10 Kwakati Ndzimu ubona mishingo yabo kuti bashanduka mu zila dzabo dzakabipa, Ndzimu ukabe ne ngoni ukashandukila kuhwisa zogwadza kwawakati unowobathamila iko, ngono ukasikuthame.
Jonah Obeys the Lord
1 Once again the Lord spoke to Jonah. 2 He said, “Go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to the people the message I have given you.” 3 So Jonah obeyed the Lord and went to Nineveh, a city so large that it took three days to walk through it. 4 Jonah started through the city, and after walking a whole day, he proclaimed, “In forty days Nineveh will be destroyed!”
5 The people of Nineveh believed God's message. So they decided that everyone should fast, and all the people, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth to show that they had repented.
6 When the king of Nineveh heard about it, he got up from his throne, took off his robe, put on sackcloth, and sat down in ashes. 7 He sent out a proclamation to the people of Nineveh: “This is an order from the king and his officials: No one is to eat anything; all persons, cattle, and sheep are forbidden to eat or drink. 8 All persons and animals must wear sackcloth. Everyone must pray earnestly to God and must give up their wicked behavior and their evil actions. 9 Perhaps God will change his mind; perhaps he will stop being angry, and we will not die!”
10 God saw what they did; he saw that they had given up their wicked behavior. So he changed his mind and did not punish them as he had said he would.