< Yona 4 >

1 Naye Yona n’anyiiga nnyo.
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 N’alyoka yeemulugunyiza Katonda n’amugamba nti, “Kino ddala kye nalowooza, Mukama, bwe nnali mu nsi ye waffe, lwe wasooka okuŋŋamba okujja eno. Kye kyanzirusa n’okunzirusa okugenda e Talusiisi; kubanga namanya nti ggwe oli Katonda ajjudde obulungi, alwawo okusunguwala, alina ekisa ekingi, era namanya nti ojja kwanguwa okukyusa entegeka zo ez’okuzikiriza abantu bano.
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 Kale nno nkwegayiridde Mukama nzita; okufa kisinga okuba omulamu.”
[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 Awo Mukama n’agamba nti, “Olina ekituufu kw’osinziira okunyiiga?”
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 Awo Yona n’afuluma ebweru w’ekibuga n’abeera ku luuyi lwakyo olw’ebuvanjuba, era ne yeekolerawo akasiisira mu makoola, n’alinda alabe ekinatuuka ku kibuga.
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 Ebikoola by’akasiisira bwe by’awotoka olw’omusana, Mukama Katonda n’ategeka ekiryo ne kimera mangu amakoola gaakyo ne gabikka ku mutwe gwa Yona ne gakendeeza ku musana. Yona n’asanyuka nnyo olw’ekiryo.
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 Naye ate enkeera Katonda n’aleeta ekiwuka, ne kirya ekiryo ne kikala ne kifa.
But before dawn the next day, God sent a worm that chewed the vine, with the result that the vine withered.
8 Ng’enjuba yeewanise, Katonda n’alyoka alagira embuyaga ey’Ebuvanjuba ey’olubugumu okufuuwa Yona, omusana ne gumwokya nnyo mu mutwe okutuusa lwe yazirika. N’ayagala afe. N’ayogera nti, “Okufa kusinga okuba omulamu.”
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 Mukama n’alyoka amubuuza nti, “Olina ekituufu kw’osinziira okunyiiga olw’ekiryo ekikaze ne kifa?” Yona n’addamu nti, “Yee, kituufu nze okunyiiga ennyo n’okwegomba okufa.”
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 Mukama n’amugamba nti, “Osaalirwa olw’ekibikka kyo ekyonoonese songa si ggwe wakimeza, ate nga kyo kyali kya kiseera buseera.
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 Kale lwaki nange sandisaasidde Nineeve, ekibuga ekyo ekinene n’abantu baamu emitwalo ekkumi n’ebiri n’okusingawo, n’ente zaakyo ennyingi bwe zityo, abantu abatasobola kwawula kirungi na kibi?”
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]”

< Yona 4 >