UJona 4

1 Kodwa kwaba kubi kakhulukazi kuJona, wathukuthela yena.

But Jonas was very deeply grieved, and he was confounded.

2 Wasekhuleka eNkosini, wathi: Ngiyakuncenga, Nkosi, leli lalingesilo ilizwi lami ngiseselizweni lakithi yini? Ngenxa yalokhu ngandulela ngokubalekela eTarshishi; ngoba ngangisazi ukuthi wena unguNkulunkulu olomusa lolesihawu, ophuza ukuthukuthela, omkhulu ngothando, njalo ozisola ngokubi.

And he prayed to the Lord, and said, O Lord, were not these my words when I was yet in my land? therefore I made haste to flee to Tharsis; because I knew that you are merciful and compassionate, longsuffering, and abundant in kindness, and repent of evil.

3 Ngakho-ke, Nkosi, susa, ngiyakuncenga, impilo yami kimi, ngoba kungcono kimi ukufa kulokuphila.

And now, Lord God, take my life from me; for [it is] better for me to die than to live.

4 INkosi yasisithi: Wenza kuhle yini ngokuthukuthela kwakho?

And the Lord said to Jonas, Are you very much grieved?

5 UJona wasephuma emzini, wahlala ngasempumalanga komuzi, wazenzela idumba khona, wahlala ngaphansi kwalo emthunzini, aze abone okuzakwenzakala kuwo umuzi.

And Jonas went out from the city, and sat over against the city; and he made for himself there a booth, and he sat under it, until he should perceive what would become of the city.

6 INkosi uNkulunkulu yasimisa umhlafutho, yawukhulisa ngaphezu kukaJona, ukuze ube ngumthunzi phezu kwekhanda lakhe, ukumkhulula kubuhlungu bakhe. UJona wasethokoza ngenxa yomhlafutho ngentokozo enkulu.

And the Lord God commanded a gourd, and it came up over the head of Jonas, to be a shadow over his head, to shade him from his calamities: and Jonas rejoiced with great joy for the gourd.

7 Kodwa uNkulunkulu wamisa impehlane ekuveleni kokusa kusisa, yatshaya umhlafutho, waze wabuna.

And God commanded a worm the next morning, and it struck the gourd, and it withered away.

8 Kwasekusithi ekuphumeni kwelanga, uNkulunkulu wamisa umoya wempumalanga otshisayo; njalo ilanga latshaya phezu kwekhanda likaJona, waze waphela amandla; wafisa emphefumulweni wakhe ukuthi afe, wathi: Kungcono kimi ukufa kulokuphila.

And it came to pass at the rising of the sun, that God commanded a burning east wind; and the sun struck on the head of Jonas, and he fainted, and despaired of his life, and said, [It is] better for me to die than to live.

9 UNkulunkulu wasesithi kuJona: Wenza kuhle yini ngokuthukuthela kwakho ngenxa yomhlafutho? Wasesithi: Ngenza kuhle ngokuthukuthela kwami kuze kube sekufeni.

And God said to Jonas, Are you very much grieved for the gourd? And he said, I am very much grieved, even to death.

10 INkosi yasisithi: Wena ube lozwelo phezu komhlafutho ongawutshikatshikelanga, ongawukhulisanga; owaba khona ngobusuku bunye, wabhubha ngobusuku bunye.

And the Lord said, You had pity on the gourd, for which you has not suffered, neither did you rear it; which came up before night, and perished before [another] night:

11 Mina-ke ngabe kangihawukeli yini iNineve, umuzi omkhulu, okuthi kuwo kulabantu abedlula izinkulungwane ezilikhulu lamatshumi amabili abangaziyo ukwehlukanisa phakathi kwesandla sabo sokunene lesandla sabo sokhohlo, kanye lenkomo ezinengi?

and shall not I spare Nineve, the great city, in which dwell more than twelve myriads of human beings, who do not know their right hand or their left hand; and [also] much cattle?