Yona 3
1 Awo ekigambo kya Mukama ne kijjira Yona omulundi ogwokubiri, n’amugamba nti,
Then Yahweh said to Jonah again,
2 “Genda mu kibuga ekinene Nineeve obalabule n’obubaka buno bwe nkuwa.”
“Go to that great city of Nineveh, and tell them the message that I gave you [previously].”
3 Awo Yona n’agondera Mukama n’agenda e Nineeve. Nineeve kyali kibuga kya kitiibwa nnyo era nga kitwala ennaku ssatu okukibuna kyonna.
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 Ku lunaku olwasooka Yona yatambula olunaku lwonna ng’agenda alangirira nti, “Bwe waliyitawo ennaku amakumi ana, Nineeve kirizikirira.”
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 Abantu b’omu Nineeve ne bakkiriza Katonda, ne balangirira okusiiba ne beesiba ebibukutu, bonna okuva ku asinga ekitiibwa okutuuka ku asembayo okuba owa wansi.
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 Amawulire gano bwe gaatuuka ku kabaka w’e Nineeve, n’ayimuka ku ntebe ye ey’obwakabaka, ne yeeyambulamu ekyambalo kye, ne yeesiba ekibukutu, n’atuula mu nfuufu.
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 Kabaka teyakoma awo, wabula n’ayisa n’etteeka n’alibunya Nineeve yonna nga ligamba nti, Olw’ekiragiro kya kabaka n’abakungu be: “Tewaba muntu yenna, wadde ensolo oba eggana n’ekisibo, okukomba ku mmere wadde amazzi;
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 naye buli muntu n’ekisibo bibikkibwe n’ebibukutu, era bikaabirire nnyo Katonda, era birekeraawo okwonoona n’okukola eby’obukambwe.
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 Ani amanyi? Oboolyawo Katonda anaakyusa ku kibonerezo kye, kye yatusalira n’akkakkanya obusungu bwe n’atatuzikiriza.”
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 Awo Katonda bwe yalaba kye bakoze, ne baleka n’ebibi byabwe, n’abasonyiwa n’atabatuusaako kibonerezo, kye yali agambye okubatuusaako.
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.
