Jonah 3
1 Then Yahweh said to Jonah again,
Afei, Awurade asɛm baa Yona nkyɛn ne mprenu so sɛ,
2 “Go to that great city of Nineveh, and tell them the message that I gave you [previously].”
“Kɔ Ninewe kuropɔn kɛseɛ no mu, na kɔpae mu ka asɛm a mede rema wo yi.”
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.
Yona yɛɛ ɔsetie maa Awurade asɛm no, na ɔkɔɔ Ninewe. Na Ninewe yɛ kuropɔn titire a wɔde nnansa na ɛhunu hɔ nyinaa.
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}!”
Ɛda a ɛdi ɛkan no, Yona hyɛnee kuropɔn no mu, na ɔhyɛɛ aseɛ paee mu kaa sɛ, “Aka adaduanan na wɔadane Ninewe abutu.”
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].
Ninewefoɔ gyee Onyankopɔn diiɛ. Wɔhyɛɛ sɛ wɔn nyinaa bɛdi abuada, ɛfiri ɔkɛseɛ so kɔsi ɔketewa so, na wɔafirafira ayitoma.
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].
Ɛberɛ a Ninewehene tee asɛm no, ɔsɔre firii nʼahennwa so, ɔworɔɔ nʼahenetadeɛ, Ɔfiraa ayitoma, na ɔtenaa mfuturo mu.
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.
Afei, ɔmaa wɔbɔɔ dawuro wɔ Ninewe sɛ, “Mmara a ɛfiri ɔhene ne nʼatitire hɔ nie: “Obiara, sɛ ɔyɛ onipa anaa aboa, anantwikuo anaa nnwankuo, mmfa hwee nka nʼano; mma ɔnnnidi anaa ɔnnom.
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].
Na mmom nnipa ne mmoa mfa ayitoma nkata wɔn ho. Obiara mfa anibereɛ nsu mfrɛ Onyankopɔn. Wɔn mfiri wɔn akwammɔne so, na wɔnnyae basabasayɛ.
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.”
Hwan na ɔnim? Ebia, Onyankopɔn bɛhunu yɛn mmɔbɔ, na watwe nʼabufuhyeɛ no a ɔnam so rebɛsɛe yɛn no asan.”
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.
Na Onyankopɔn hunuu sɛdeɛ wɔyɛeɛ ne sɛdeɛ wɔsane firii wɔn akwammɔne ho no, ɔhunuu wɔn mmɔbɔ, na wansɛe wɔn sɛdeɛ ɔkaeɛ no.
