約拿書 3
1 上主的話再次傳給約納說：
The LORD’s word came to Jonah the second 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, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I give you.”
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 Jonah arose, and went to Nineveh, according to the LORD’s word. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey across.
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。」
Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried out, and said, “In forty days, Nineveh will be overthrown!”
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。
The people of Nineveh believed God; and they proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, from their greatest even to their least.
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；
The news reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, took off his royal robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat 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。
He made a proclamation and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, “Let neither man nor animal, herd nor flock, taste anything; let them not feed, nor drink 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 them be covered with sackcloth, both man and animal, and let them cry mightily to God. Yes, let them turn everyone from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands.
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 knows whether God will not turn and relent, and turn away from his fierce anger, so that we might not perish?”
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。
God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way. God relented of the disaster which he said he would do to them, and he didn’t do it.
