< Yona 3 >
1 Yehowa ƒe nya va na Yona zi evelia be,
The LORD’s word came to Jonah the second time, saying,
2 “Yi ɖe Ninive, du gã ma me, eye nàɖe gbeƒã nya siwo megblɔ na wò la na wo.”
“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I give you.”
3 Ale Yona ɖo to Yehowa ƒe gbe azɔ, eye wòyi Ninive. Ninive nye du gã aɖe si woatsɔ ŋkeke etɔ̃ hafi azɔ ato eme.
So Jonah arose, and went to Nineveh, according to the LORD’s word. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey across.
4 Yona ge ɖe du la me hezɔ ŋkeke ɖeka nɔ gbeƒã ɖem be, “Esusɔ ŋkeke blaene ne woagbã Ninive du la!”
Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried out, and said, “In forty days, Nineveh will be overthrown!”
5 Ame siwo le Ninive dua me la xɔ Mawu dzi se; woɖe gbeƒã nutsitsidɔ, eye ame sia ame, tsitsiawo kple ɖeviwo siaa ta akpanya.
The people of Nineveh believed God; and they proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, from their greatest even to their least.
6 Esi Ninive fia se Yona ƒe mawunya la, eɖi le eƒe fiazikpui dzi, ɖe eƒe fiawuwo da ɖi, eye wòta akpanya henɔ anyi ɖe dzofi me.
The news reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, took off his royal robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
7 Fia la na woɖe gbeƒã le Ninive dua me be: “Fia kple eƒe dumegãwo de se be: “Amegbetɔ alo lã, nyi alo alẽ aɖeke maɖu nu o. Womana nuɖuɖu alo tsi wo o.
He made a proclamation and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, “Let neither man nor animal, herd nor flock, taste anything; let them not feed, nor drink water;
8 Amegbetɔwo kple lãwo siaa ata akpanya, woafa avi vevie na Mawu, woatrɔ le woƒe mɔ vɔ̃wo dzi, eye woaɖe asi le vɔ̃ɖivɔ̃ɖi ŋuti.
but let them be covered with sackcloth, both man and animal, and let them cry mightily to God. Yes, let them turn everyone from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands.
9 Ɖewohĩ, Mawu ate ŋu aɖo be míatsi agbe, eye wòaɖo asi eƒe dziku helĩhelĩ la dzi be wòagatsrɔ̃ mí o.”
Who knows whether God will not turn and relent, and turn away from his fierce anger, so that we might not perish?”
10 Ke esi Mawu kpɔ be woɖe asi le woƒe mɔ vɔ̃wo ŋuti la, eɖe asi le ɖoɖo si wòwɔ be yeatsrɔ̃ wo la ŋu, eye wòtsɔe ke wo.
God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way. God relented of the disaster which he said he would do to them, and he didn’t do it.