Jona 3
1 Ningĩ ndũmĩrĩri ya Jehova ĩgĩkinyĩra Jona hĩndĩ ya keerĩ, akĩĩrwo atĩrĩ:
Then Yahweh said to Jonah again,
2 “Ũkĩra, ũthiĩ itũũra rĩrĩa inene rĩa Nineve, na ũrĩhunjĩrie ũhoro ũrĩa ngũkwĩra.”
“Go to that great city of Nineveh, and tell them the message that I gave you [previously].”
3 Nake Jona agĩathĩkĩra ndũmĩrĩri ya Jehova, agĩthiĩ Nineve. Na rĩrĩ, Nineve rĩarĩ itũũra inene na rĩa bata mũno. Kũrĩthiũrũrũka rĩothe kũngĩaninire mĩthenya ĩtatũ.
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.
4 Mũthenya wa mbere Jona akĩambĩrĩria gũtoonya itũũra rĩu. Akĩanĩrĩra, akiuga atĩrĩ, “Gwatigia mĩthenya mĩrongo ĩna Nineve kũharaganio.”
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}!”
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 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].
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.
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].
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 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.
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.
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].
9 Nũũ ũngĩmenya kana Ngai aahota kwĩricũkwo, aigue tha atigane na marakara make mahiũ nĩgeetha tũtikaniinwo.”
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.”
10 Hĩndĩ ĩrĩa Ngai onire ũrĩa meekire, na ũrĩa maagarũrũkĩte magatiga mĩthiĩre yao mĩũru-rĩ, akĩmaiguĩra tha akĩaga kũmaniina ta ũrĩa oigĩte nĩekũmaniina.
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.
