< 約拿書 3 >
And the worde of the Lord came vnto Ionah the seconde time, saying,
2 「你起身往尼尼微大城去,向他們宣告我曉諭你的事。」
Arise, goe vnto Nineueh that great citie, and preach vnto it the preaching, which I bid thee.
3 約納便依從上主的話,起身去了尼尼微。尼尼微在天主前是一座大城,須要三天的行程。
So Ionah arose and went to Nineueh according to ye word of the Lord: now Nineueh was a great and excellent citie of three dayes iourney.
4 約納開始進城,行了一天的路程,宣佈說:「還有四十天,尼尼微就要毀滅了。」
And Ionah began to enter into the citie a dayes iourney, and he cryed, and said, Yet fourtie dayes, and Nineueh shalbe ouerthrowen.
5 尼尼微人便信仰了天主,立刻宣佈禁食,從大到小,都身披苦衣。
So the people of Nineueh beleeued God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth from ye greatest of the euen to the least of them.
6 當這傳到尼尼微王那裏,他便起來,離開自己的寶座,脫去長服,披上苦衣,坐在灰土中;
For worde came vnto the King of Nineueh, and he rose from his throne, and he layed his robe from him, and couered him with sackecloth, and sate in ashes.
7 然後命令以君王的諭令和其大臣的名義,在尼尼微宣佈說:「人、牲畜、牛羊,都可不可吃什麼;不可牧放,也不可喝水。
And he proclaimed and said through Nineueh, (by the counsell of ye king and his nobles) saying, Let neither man, nor beast, bullock nor sheep taste any thing, neither feed nor drinke water.
8 人和牲畜都應身披苦衣,人要懇切呼求天主,更要轉離自己的邪路,放棄手中的暴行。
But let man and beast put on sackecloth, and crie mightily vnto God: yea, let euery man turne from his euill way, and from the wickednesse that is in their handes.
9 誰知道天主也許會轉意憐憫,收回自己的烈怒,使我們不致滅亡。」
Who can tell if God will turne, and repent and turne away from his fierce wrath, that we perish not?
10 天主看到他們所行的事,看到他們離開自己的邪路,遂憐憫他們,不將已宣佈的災禍,降在他們身上。
And God sawe their workes that they turned from their euill wayes: and God repented of the euill that he had said that he woulde doe vnto them, and he did it not.