< Jonah 4 >

1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.
Kodwa kwaba kubi kakhulukazi kuJona, wathukuthela yena.
2 And he prayed to the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD [was] not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before to Tarshish: for I knew that thou [art] a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest 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 Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry?
INkosi yasisithi: Wenza kuhle yini ngokuthukuthela kwakho?
5 So 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 shade, 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 shade over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad 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 rose that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to 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, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, [even] to death.
UNkulunkulu wasesithi kuJona: Wenza kuhle yini ngokuthukuthela kwakho ngenxa yomhlafutho? Wasesithi: Ngenza kuhle ngokuthukuthela kwami kuze kube sekufeni.
10 Then said the LORD, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for which thou hast not labored, neither made 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 spare Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand, and [also] many 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?

< Jonah 4 >