< Yona 4 >

1 Lakini hili lilimchukiza Yona naye akakasirika.
But this displeased Jonah and he became very angry.
2 Basi Yona akamwomba Bwana akasema, “Ee, Bwana, hiya sio yale niliyosema wakati niliporudi katika nchi yangu? Ndiyo maana nilifanya haraka na kujaribu kukimbia Tarshishi-kwa sababu nilijua kuwa wewe ni Mungu mwenye neema, mwenye huruma, si meingi wa hasira, mwingi kwa uaminifu, na hughairi maafa.
So Jonah prayed to Yahweh and said, “Ah, Yahweh, is this not just what I said when I was back in my own country? That is why I acted first and tried to flee to Tarshish—because I knew that you are a gracious God, compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in covenant faithfulness, and you hold back from sending disaster.
3 Kwa hiyo sasa, Bwana, nakuomba, uniondoe uhai wangu, kwa maana ni bora kwangu kufa kuliko kuishi.”
Therefore now, Yahweh, I beg you, take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
4 Bwana akasema, Je, ni vema kwamba umekasirika?”
Yahweh said, “Is it good that you are so angry?”
5 Kisha Yona akaondoka mjini akaketi upande wa mashariki wa jiji. Huko alifanya makao na akaketi chini yake katika kivuli ili aweze kuona mji utakuwaje.
Then Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city. There he made a shelter and sat under it in the shade so that he could see what might become of the city.
6 Bwana Mungu aliandaa mmea na kuukuza juu ya Yona ili uwe kivuli juu ya kichwa chake ili kupunguza dhiki yake. Yona alikuwa na furaha kubwa kwa sababu ya mmea.
Yahweh God prepared a plant and made it grow up over Jonah so that it might be a shade over his head to relieve his distress. Jonah was very glad because of the plant.
7 Lakini Mungu aliandaa mdudu kulipopambazuka asubuhi iliyofuata. Alishambulia mmea na mmea ukapooza.
But God prepared a worm at sunrise the next morning. It attacked the plant and the plant withered.
8 Ikawa wakati jua lilipochomoza asubuhi, Mungu aliandaa upepo mkali wa mashariki. Pia, jua lilipiga kichwa cha Yona na akaanguka. Kisha Yona alitamani kufa. Akajiambia, “Ni bora kwangu kufa kuliko kuishi.”
It came about that when the sun rose the next morning, God prepared a hot east wind. Also, the sun beat down on Jonah's head and he became faint. Then Jonah wished that he might die. He said to himself, “It is better for me to die than to live.”
9 Kisha Mungu akamwambia Yona, “Je, ni vema wewe kuwa na hasira juu ya mmea?” Yona akasema, Ni vyema kuwa nimekasirika hata kufa.
Then God said to Jonah, “Is it good that you are so angry about the plant?” Then Jonah said, “It is good that I am angry, even to death.”
10 Bwana akasema, Umeuhurumia mmea, ambao haukuufanyia kazi wala haukukua. Uliomea katika usiku na kufa usiku.
Yahweh said, “You have had compassion for the plant, for which you have not labored, nor did you make it grow. It grew up in a night and died in a night.
11 Kwa hiyo mimi, haikunipassa kuuhurumia Ninawi, mji mkuu, ambalo kuna watu zaidi ya mia na ishirini elfu ambao hawajui tofauti kati ya mkono wao wa kulia na mkono wao wa kushoto, na pia ng'ombe wengi?
So as for me, should I not have compassion for Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than one hundred and twenty thousand people who do not know the difference between their right hand and their left hand, and also many cattle?”

< Yona 4 >