Hona 4
1 Otiia ki ta Hona, nui atu te he, a mura ana tona riri.
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 A ka inoi ia, ki a Ihowa, ka mea, Aue, e Ihowa, he teka ianei ko taku tenei i mea ai i ahau ano i toku whenua? Na reira ahau i rere wawe ai ki Tarahihi; i mohio hoki ahau he Atua atawhai koe, he tohu tangata, he puhoi ki te riri, he nui te aroha, e puta ke ana te whakaaro mo te kino.
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 Na, tera ra, e Ihowa, kia mate ahau aianei; he pai atu hoki i te ora te mate moku.
[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 Ano ra ko Ihowa, He mea pai ranei kia riri koe?
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 Na ka puta a Hona i roto i te pa, a noho ana i te taha ki te rawhiti o te pa; kei te hanga i tetahi tihokahoka mona ki reira, noho ana i raro i te taumarumarunga iho, kia kite ra ano ka ahatia ranei te pa.
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 Na kua rite i a Ihowa tetahi hue, meinga ana e ia kia eke ki runga ki a Hona, hei whakamarumaru mo tona mahunga, hei whakaora mona i a ia i mamae ra. Na nui atu te koa o Hona ki te hue ra.
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 Na kua rite ano i te Atua he huhu i te aonga ake o te ra, a ngaua iho e tera te hue, na kua maroke.
But before dawn the next day, God sent a worm that chewed the vine, with the result that the vine withered.
8 Na i te whitinga o te ra kua rite mai ano i te Atua tetahi hau pumahu, he marangai; aki tonu mai te ra ki runga ki te mahunga o Hona, whakaruhi noa iho, a inoi ana mona kia mate ia, i mea ia, Pai atu i te ora te mate moku.
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 Na ka mea te Atua ki a Hona, He pai ranei kia riri koe ki te hue? Ano ra ko ia, He pai ano kia riri ahau a mate noa.
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 Ano ra ko Ihowa, I manawapa koe ki te hue kihai na i mahia e koe, kihai ano i whakatupuria e koe; kotahi ano te po i tupu ake ai, kotahi ano te po i kore ai,
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 A kaua ianei ahau e manawapa ki Ninewe ki taua pa nui, he tokomaha nei ona tangata i nga mano e ono tekau topu, he hunga kahore nei e mohio ki o ratou ringa matau, ki o ratou ringa maui, he maha ano hoki nga kararehe?
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]”
