Jonah 4
1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.
Kodwa kwaba kubi kakhulukazi kuJona, wathukuthela yena.
2 He prayed to the LORD, and said, “Please, LORD, wasn’t this what I said when I was still in my own country? Therefore I hurried to flee to Tarshish, for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and you relent of doing harm.
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, LORD, take, I beg you, 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 The LORD said, “Is it right for you to be 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 himself a booth and sat under it in the shade, until 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 The LORD God prepared a vine and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head to deliver him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the vine.
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 at dawn the next day, and it chewed on the vine so that it withered.
Kodwa uNkulunkulu wamisa impehlane ekuveleni kokusa kusisa, yatshaya umhlafutho, waze wabuna.
8 When the sun arose, God prepared a sultry east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he was faint and requested for himself that he might die. He 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 God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the vine?” He said, “I am right 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 The LORD said, “You have been concerned for the vine, for which you have 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 Shouldn’t I be concerned for Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred twenty thousand persons who can’t discern between their right hand and their left hand, and also many animals?”
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?
