ヨナ書 3
1 時に主の言葉は再びヨナに臨んで言った、
The LORD’s word came to Jonah the second time, saying,
2 「立って、あの大きな町ニネベに行き、あなたに命じる言葉をこれに伝えよ」。
“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I give you.”
3 そこでヨナは主の言葉に従い、立って、ニネベに行った。ニネベは非常に大きな町であって、これを行きめぐるには、三日を要するほどであった。
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 ヨナはその町にはいり、初め一日路を行きめぐって呼ばわり、「四十日を経たらニネベは滅びる」と言った。
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 そこでニネベの人々は神を信じ、断食をふれ、大きい者から小さい者まで荒布を着た。
The people of Nineveh believed God; and they proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, from their greatest even to their least.
6 このうわさがニネベの王に達すると、彼はその王座から立ち上がり、朝服を脱ぎ、荒布をまとい、灰の中に座した。
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 また王とその大臣の布告をもって、ニネベ中にふれさせて言った、「人も獣も牛も羊もみな、何をも味わってはならない。物を食い、水を飲んではならない。
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 人も獣も荒布をまとい、ひたすら神に呼ばわり、おのおのその悪い道およびその手にある強暴を離れよ。
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 あるいは神はみ心をかえ、その激しい怒りをやめて、われわれを滅ぼされないかもしれない。だれがそれを知るだろう」。
Who knows whether God will not turn and relent, and turn away from his fierce anger, so that we might not perish?”
10 神は彼らのなすところ、その悪い道を離れたのを見られ、彼らの上に下そうと言われた災を思いかえして、これをおやめになった。
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 did not do it.
