< Jonah 4 >
1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.
Kodwa kwaba kubi kakhulukazi kuJona, wathukuthela yena.
2 And he prayed unto the LORD, and said: 'I pray Thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in mine own country? Therefore I fled beforehand unto Tarshish; for I knew that Thou art a gracious God, and compassionate, long-suffering, and abundant in mercy, and repentest Thee of the evil.
Wasekhuleka eNkosini, wathi: Ngiyakuncenga, Nkosi, leli lalingesilo ilizwi lami ngiseselizweni lakithi yini? Ngenxa yalokhu ngandulela ngokubalekela eTarshishi; ngoba ngangisazi ukuthi wena unguNkulunkulu olomusa lolesihawu, ophuza ukuthukuthela, omkhulu ngothando, njalo ozisola ngokubi.
3 Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech Thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.'
Ngakho-ke, Nkosi, susa, ngiyakuncenga, impilo yami kimi, ngoba kungcono kimi ukufa kulokuphila.
4 And the LORD said: 'Art thou greatly angry?'
INkosi yasisithi: Wenza kuhle yini ngokuthukuthela kwakho?
5 Then Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city.
UJona wasephuma emzini, wahlala ngasempumalanga komuzi, wazenzela idumba khona, wahlala ngaphansi kwalo emthunzini, aze abone okuzakwenzakala kuwo umuzi.
6 And the LORD God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his evil. So Jonah was exceeding glad because of the gourd.
INkosi uNkulunkulu yasimisa umhlafutho, yawukhulisa ngaphezu kukaJona, ukuze ube ngumthunzi phezu kwekhanda lakhe, ukumkhulula kubuhlungu bakhe. UJona wasethokoza ngenxa yomhlafutho ngentokozo enkulu.
7 But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd, that it withered.
Kodwa uNkulunkulu wamisa impehlane ekuveleni kokusa kusisa, yatshaya umhlafutho, waze wabuna.
8 And it came to pass, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and requested for himself that he might die, and said: 'It is better for me to die than to live.'
Kwasekusithi ekuphumeni kwelanga, uNkulunkulu wamisa umoya wempumalanga otshisayo; njalo ilanga latshaya phezu kwekhanda likaJona, waze waphela amandla; wafisa emphefumulweni wakhe ukuthi afe, wathi: Kungcono kimi ukufa kulokuphila.
9 And God said to Jonah: 'Art thou greatly angry for the gourd?' And he said: 'I am greatly angry, even unto death.'
UNkulunkulu wasesithi kuJona: Wenza kuhle yini ngokuthukuthela kwakho ngenxa yomhlafutho? Wasesithi: Ngenza kuhle ngokuthukuthela kwami kuze kube sekufeni.
10 And the LORD said: 'Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow, which came up in a night, and perished in a night;
INkosi yasisithi: Wena ube lozwelo phezu komhlafutho ongawutshikatshikelanga, ongawukhulisanga; owaba khona ngobusuku bunye, wabhubha ngobusuku bunye.
11 and should not I have pity on Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand, and also much cattle?'
Mina-ke ngabe kangihawukeli yini iNineve, umuzi omkhulu, okuthi kuwo kulabantu abedlula izinkulungwane ezilikhulu lamatshumi amabili abangaziyo ukwehlukanisa phakathi kwesandla sabo sokunene lesandla sabo sokhohlo, kanye lenkomo ezinengi?