Jona 4
1 Fa tsy sitrak’ i Jona indrindra izany, ka nirehitra ny fahatezerany.
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 Dia nivavaka tamin’ i Jehovah izy ka nanao hoe: Mifona aminao aho, Jehovah ô, tsy izao ihany va no efa nolazaiko fony aho mbola tany amin’ ny taniko? Fa ny andrao hisy toy izao no nandosirako ho any Tarsisy, satria fantatro fa Hianao dia Andriamanitra mamindra fo sy miantra, mahari-po sady be famindram-po ary manenina ny amin’ ny loza.
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 Koa mifona aminao aho ankehitriny, Jehovah ô, esory ny aiko; fa aleoko ho faty toy izay ho velona.
[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 Fa hoy Jehovah: Moa mety va izao firehitry ny fahatezeranao izao?
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 Dia nivoaka ny tanàna Jona ka nipetraka teo atsinanan-tanàna; ary nanao trano rantsan-kazo ho azy teo izy ka nipetraka teo ambanin’ ny alokalony ambara-pahitany izay hiafaran’ ny tanàna.
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 Ary Jehovah Andriamanitra nanomana tanantanamanga, ka nampaniriny hanalokaloka an’ i Jona izany ho alokaloky ny lohany, hanafaka ny alahelony. Ka dia nahafaly an’ i Jona indrindra ny tanantanamanga.
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 Kanjo nony ampitso maraina dia nanomana fositra koa Andriamanitra, ka namely ilay tanantanamanga iny, dia nalazo io.
But before dawn the next day, God sent a worm that chewed the vine, with the result that the vine withered.
8 Ary nony niposaka ny masoandro, Andriamanitra dia nanomana rivotra mahamay avy any atsinanana, ary dia namely ny lohan’ i Jona ny masoandro, dia ana izy ka nangataka ny ho faty, nanao hoe: Aleoko ho faty toy izay ho velona.
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 Fa hoy Andriamanitra tamin’ i Jona: Moa mety va izao firehitry ny fahatezeranao ny amin’ ny tanantanamanga izao? Ary hoy izy: Mety ny hahatezerako na dia mandra-pahafatiko aza.
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 Dia hoy Jehovah: Hianao malahelo ny tanantanamanga izay tsy nisasaranao na nampanirinao, dia ilay naniry indray alina monja ary maty indray alina koa;
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 ka moa Izaho tsy mba halahelo an’ i Ninive, ilay tanàna lehibe va, izay misy olona tsy omby roa alina sy iray hetsy, izay tsy mahafantatra ny havanany sy ny haviany, sady be biby fiompy koa?
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]”
