< Jona 3 >

1 Ipapo shoko raJehovha rakasvika kuna Jona kechipiri richiti,
Then Yahweh said to Jonah again,
2 “Enda kuguta reNinevhe undoriparidzira shoko randinokupa.”
“Go to that great city of Nineveh, and tell them the message that I gave you [previously].”
3 Jona akateerera shoko raJehovha akaenda kuNinevhe. Zvino Ninevhe raiva guta guru kwazvo, rwendo rwamazuva matatu.
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 Pazuva rokutanga Jona akapinda muguta. Akaparidza achiti, “Kwasara mazuva makumi mana, mushure maizvozvo Ninevhe richaparadzwa.”
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 Vanhu veNinevhe vakatenda kuna Mwari. Vakatara nguva yokutsanya, uye vose zvavo, kubva kumukuru mukuru kusvikira kumuduku duku vakapfeka masaga.
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 Nhau idzi padzakasvika kuna mambo weNinevhe, akasimuka kubva pachigaro chake, akabvisa nguo dzake dzoumambo, akazvifukidza namasaga akagara mumadota.
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 Ipapo akazivisa chirevo muNinevhe, achiti: “Chirevo chamambo namachinda ake: “Musarega munhu kana mhuka, chipfuwo kana gwai, zvichiravira chinhu; musazvirega zvichidya kana kunwa.
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 Asi vanhu nemhuka ngavafuke masaga. Munhu wose ngaadane kuna Mwari iye zvino. Ngavasiye nzira dzavo dzakaipa nokuita kwavo nechisimba.
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 Ndiani anoziva? Zvichida Mwari angazvidemba uye netsitsi dzake akazvidzora kubva pakutsamwa kwake kunotyisa kuti tirege kuparara.”
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 Mwari akati aona zvavakaita uye kutendeuka kwavakaita kubva panzira dzavo dzakaipa, akavanzwira tsitsi akasauyisa kuparadzwa pamusoro pavo sezvaaida kuvaitira.
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.

< Jona 3 >