Yona 4
1 Yona asepelaki na yango ata moke te, asilikaki makasi.
But Jonah was very distressed [that God had not destroyed Nineveh]. He became very angry. [The people of Nineveh were non-Jews, and Jonah did not think that God should act mercifully toward anyone who was not a Jew].
2 Asambelaki Yawe: — Oh Yawe! Ezali te makambo ya boye nde nazalaki komilobela tango nazalaki epai na ngai? Yango wana nasalaki na ngai mobembo na Tarsisi mpo na koluka kokima, pamba te nayebaki malamu ete ozali Nzambe ya ngolu mpe ya mawa, osilikaka noki te mpe otonda na bolingo, obongolaka makanisi na Yo ya kosala bato mabe.
He prayed to Yahweh, “O Yahweh, what you have done is what I thought that you would do, before I left home [RHQ]. That is why I [decided] immediately to run away, and go to Tarshish [city], because I knew that you, O God, act very kindly and compassionately [toward all people]. You do not quickly become angry with people who do evil things. You love people very much, and you change your mind about punishing [people who sin].
3 Sik’oyo, oh Yawe, kamata na Yo bomoi na ngai; pamba te eleki malamu ete nakufa na ngai, kasi nazala na bomoi te!
[So] now, O Yahweh, [since you will not destroy Nineveh city as you said you would], allow me to die, because it would be better for me to die than to [continue to] live.”
4 Kasi Yawe azongiselaki ye: — Boni, okanisi ete ozali kosala malamu ndenge ozali kosilika?
Yahweh replied, “(Why is it right for you to be angry [about my not destroying the city]?/It is not right for you to be angry [about my not destroying the city]!) [RHQ]”
5 Yona abimaki na libanda ya engumba mpe akendeki kovanda na este na yango. Kuna, amitongelaki ndako moko ya matiti mpe avandaki na se ya pio na yango mpo na kozela makambo oyo ekokweyela engumba Ninive.
Jonah [did not reply]. He went out of the city to the east [side of it]. He made a small shelter in order that he could sit under it and be protected from the sun. He sat under the shelter and waited to see what would happen to the city.
6 Yawe Nzambe abimisaki nzete moko mpe akolisaki yango mpo na kopesa pio na moto ya Yona mpe kokitisa ye motema. Nzete yango esepelisaki Yona makasi.
Then Yahweh God caused a vine to grow up [immediately] to shade Jonah’s head from the sun and make him [feel] more comfortable. Jonah was very happy about [having] the vine [over his head].
7 Kasi na tongo-tongo ya mokolo oyo elandaki, Nzambe abimisaki mwa nyama moko oyo eliaka banzete; bongo eliaki nzete yango, mpe nzete yango ekawukaki.
But before dawn the next day, God sent a worm that chewed the vine, with the result that the vine withered.
8 Tango moyi ebimaki makasi, Nzambe atindaki mopepe ya este oyo epesaki molunge makasi. Moyi ebetaki moto ya Yona makasi. Yona alembaki nzoto, asengaki kokufa; alobaki: — Eleki malamu ete nakufa na ngai, kasi nazala na bomoi te!
Then, when the sun rose [high in the sky], God sent a very hot wind from the east, and the sun shone very strongly on Jonah’s head, with the result that he felt faint. He wanted to die, and he said, “It would be better for me to die than to [continue to] live!”
9 Nzambe alobaki na Yona: — Okanisi ete ozali kosala malamu ndenge ozali kosilika mpo na nzete oyo? Yona azongisaki: — Ezali se bongo. Nazali kosala malamu ndenge nazali kosilika kino kosenga kufa na ngai.
But God asked Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about [what happened to] the vine?” Jonah replied, “[Yes], it is right! [Now] I am very angry and I want to die!”
10 Yawe alobaki: — Oyoki pasi na motema mpo na nzete oyo omoneli ata pasi te mpe okolisi te, oyo ekoli kaka na butu moko mpe ekawuki na butu oyo elandi! Oyokeli yango mpe mawa!
But Yahweh said [to him], “You have been concerned about my [causing] that vine [to wither], even though you did not take care of it, and you did not make it grow. It just grew up during one night, and it completely withered [at the end of] the next night.
11 Bongo ndenge nini Ngai nayoka motema pasi te mpo na Ninive, engumba monene, oyo ezali na bato koleka nkoto nkama moko na tuku mibale oyo bayebi te kokesenisa makambo mabe mpe makambo malamu, mpe ezali na ebele ya bibwele?
But there are more than 120,000 people in Nineveh who [are very young, and because of that], they cannot tell which is their right hand and which is their left hand, and there are also many cattle, [and none of these have done anything to displease me]. So (is it not right for me to be concerned about the people of that huge city, [and not want to destroy them]?/it is certainly right for me to be concerned about the people of that huge city [and not want to destroy them]!) [RHQ]”
