< Jonah 3 >
1 Then Yahweh said to Jonah again,
Ningĩ ndũmĩrĩri ya Jehova ĩgĩkinyĩra Jona hĩndĩ ya keerĩ, akĩĩrwo atĩrĩ:
2 “Go to that great city of Nineveh, and tell them the message that I gave you [previously].”
“Ũkĩra, ũthiĩ itũũra rĩrĩa inene rĩa Nineve, na ũrĩhunjĩrie ũhoro ũrĩa ngũkwĩra.”
3 So [this time] Jonah obeyed Yahweh, and he went to Nineveh. That city was so big that a person [had to walk] for three days to completely [go through] it.
Nake Jona agĩathĩkĩra ndũmĩrĩri ya Jehova, agĩthiĩ Nineve. Na rĩrĩ, Nineve rĩarĩ itũũra inene na rĩa bata mũno. Kũrĩthiũrũrũka rĩothe kũngĩaninire mĩthenya ĩtatũ.
4 On the first day [after] Jonah [arrived], he [began walking] through the city. He was proclaiming (OR, At the end of that day he started proclaiming) to the people, “Forty days from now, Nineveh will be destroyed {[God] will destroy Nineveh}!”
Mũthenya wa mbere Jona akĩambĩrĩria gũtoonya itũũra rĩu. Akĩanĩrĩra, akiuga atĩrĩ, “Gwatigia mĩthenya mĩrongo ĩna Nineve kũharaganio.”
5 The people of Nineveh believed God’s [message]. They [all] decided that everyone should begin (fasting/abstaining from food). So [everyone], including important people and unimportant people, [did that]. They [also] put on coarse cloth, [to show that they were sorry for having sinned].
Nao andũ a Nineve magĩĩtĩkia Ngai. Makĩanĩrĩra kũgĩe na ihinda rĩa kwĩhinga kũrĩa irio, nao othe makĩĩhumba nguo cia makũnia, kuuma ũrĩa mũnene mũno o nginya ũrĩa mũnini mũno.
6 The King of Nineveh heard [what the people were doing]. [So] he took off his royal robes, and [he also] put on coarse cloth. He left his palace, and sat down where there were [cold] ashes, [to show that he also was sorry for having sinned].
Hĩndĩ ĩrĩa mũthamaki wa kũu Nineve aakinyĩirwo nĩ ũhoro ũcio-rĩ, agĩũkĩra akiuma gĩtĩ-inĩ gĩake kĩa ũnene, akĩruta nguo ciake cia ũthamaki, akĩĩhumba nguo ya ikũnia, na agĩikara thĩ rũkũngũ-inĩ.
7 Then he sent messengers to proclaim to [the people in] Nineveh: “My advisors and I have decreed that no one may eat or drink anything. Do not even allow your animals to eat or drink.
Ningĩ akĩanĩrĩrithia ũhoro ũyũ kũu Nineve: “Kuumana na uuge wa mũthamaki na andũ ake arĩa marĩ igweta: “Mũtikareke mũndũ o wothe, kana nyamũ cia rũũru rwa ngʼombe kana rwa mbũri, irũme kĩndũ; itikarekwo irĩe kana inyue.
8 Instead, every person must put on coarse cloth. [Put coarse cloth on] your animals, [too]. Then everyone must pray fervently to God. And everyone must stop doing evil actions/things, and stop acting violently [toward others].
No rĩrĩ, andũ nĩmehumbe nguo cia makũnia o nacio nyamũ nĩihumbwo makũnia. O mũndũ nĩakaĩre Ngai narua. Andũ nĩmatige mĩthiĩre yao mĩũru na ngũĩ ciao.
9 Perhaps, [if everyone does that], God may change his mind and be merciful [to us], and stop being very angry with us, with the result that we will not die.”
Nũũ ũngĩmenya kana Ngai aahota kwĩricũkwo, aigue tha atigane na marakara make mahiũ nĩgeetha tũtikaniinwo.”
10 When they [all did that], God saw what they were doing, and he saw that they had stopped doing evil things. So [he pitied them, and] he did not get rid of them as he had threatened to do.
Hĩndĩ ĩrĩa Ngai onire ũrĩa meekire, na ũrĩa maagarũrũkĩte magatiga mĩthiĩre yao mĩũru-rĩ, akĩmaiguĩra tha akĩaga kũmaniina ta ũrĩa oigĩte nĩekũmaniina.