< Jona 3 >
1 Ningĩ ndũmĩrĩri ya Jehova ĩgĩkinyĩra Jona hĩndĩ ya keerĩ, akĩĩrwo atĩrĩ:
Then the Lord spoke to Jonah for a second time.
2 “Ũkĩra, ũthiĩ itũũra rĩrĩa inene rĩa Nineve, na ũrĩhunjĩrie ũhoro ũrĩa ngũkwĩra.”
“Go immediately to the great city of Nineveh and announce the message I'm giving you.”
3 Nake Jona agĩathĩkĩra ndũmĩrĩri ya Jehova, agĩthiĩ Nineve. Na rĩrĩ, Nineve rĩarĩ itũũra inene na rĩa bata mũno. Kũrĩthiũrũrũka rĩothe kũngĩaninire mĩthenya ĩtatũ.
Jonah did what God told him. He set out and went to Nineveh, a city that was so big it took three days to walk through it.
4 Mũthenya wa mbere Jona akĩambĩrĩria gũtoonya itũũra rĩu. Akĩanĩrĩra, akiuga atĩrĩ, “Gwatigia mĩthenya mĩrongo ĩna Nineve kũharaganio.”
Jonah went into the city, walking for one day, shouting out, “In forty days Nineveh will be destroyed!”
5 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.
The people of Nineveh believed in God. They announced a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.
6 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.
When the news of what was happening reached the king of Nineveh he came down from his throne, took off his robe, put on sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
7 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.
Then the king and the nobles issued a proclamation throughout Nineveh: “No person, no animal, no herd, and no flock, shall eat or drink anything.
8 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.
Every person and every animal is to wear sackcloth. Everyone is to pray sincerely to God, give up the evil things they do, and stop using violence.
9 Nũũ ũngĩmenya kana Ngai aahota kwĩricũkwo, aigue tha atigane na marakara make mahiũ nĩgeetha tũtikaniinwo.”
Who knows? God may change his mind and relent. He may decide not to destroy us in his fierce anger.”
10 Hĩndĩ ĩrĩa Ngai onire ũrĩa meekire, na ũrĩa maagarũrũkĩte magatiga mĩthiĩre yao mĩũru-rĩ, akĩmaiguĩra tha akĩaga kũmaniina ta ũrĩa oigĩte nĩekũmaniina.
God saw what they had done—that they had given up their evil ways—so he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened.