Siona 4

1 Ka naʻe mamahi ʻaupito ai ʻa Siona, pea lahi ʻaupito ʻa ʻene ʻita.

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 Pea naʻa ne lotu kia Sihova, ʻo ne pehē, “ʻE Sihova ʻoku ou kole kiate koe, ʻikai naʻaku pehē, ʻe pehē pe, ʻi heʻeku kei ʻi hoku fonua? Ko ia ia naʻaku hola leva ai ki Tasisi; he naʻaku ʻilo ko e ʻOtua angaʻofa koe, pea faʻa ʻaloʻofa, ʻo tuai ki he houhau, pea angalelei ʻaupito, mo ke faʻa liliu mei he kovi.

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 Ko ia ko eni, ʻe Sihova ʻoku ou kole kiate koe toʻo ʻa ʻeku moʻui meiate au, he ʻoku lelei lahi kiate au ke u mate ʻi heʻeku moʻui.”

[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 Pea naʻe toki folofola ʻa Sihova, “ʻOku lelei koā ʻa hoʻo ʻita?”

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 Ko ia naʻe mahuʻi atu ʻa Siona mei he kolo, pea ne nofo ki he potu fakahahake ʻoe kolo, pea naʻa ne ngaohi ʻi ai! ʻae fale louʻakau, pea ne nofo ia ʻi lalo ʻi hono malumalu, ko ʻene tatali kaeʻoua ke ne mamata pe ko e hā ʻe hoko ki he kolo.

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 Pea naʻe teuteu ʻe Sihova ko e ʻOtua, ʻae ʻakau, mo ne ngaohi ia ke tupu hake ʻo fakamalumalu ʻa Siona, koeʻuhi ke malu ai hono ʻulu, ke ʻoua naʻa ne mamahi. Ko ia naʻe fiefia ʻaupito ʻa Siona koeʻuhi ko e ʻakau.

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 Ka ʻi he hoko ki he pongipongi ʻoe ʻaho ʻe taha, naʻe teuteu ʻe he ʻOtua ʻae kelemutu, pea ne maumauʻi ʻae ʻakau, pea mae ai ia.

But before dawn the next day, God sent a worm that chewed the vine, with the result that the vine withered.

8 Pea naʻe hoko ʻo pehē, ʻi heʻene hopo hake ʻae laʻā, naʻe teuteu ʻe he ʻOtua ʻae matangi vela mei he potu hahake; pea ne vela hifo ʻae laʻā ki he ʻulu ʻo Siona, ko ia ne pongia ai ia, pea naʻa ne holi ʻi hono loto ke ne mate, ʻo ne pehē, “ʻOku lelei hake ʻeku mate ʻi heʻeku moʻui.”

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 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe he ʻOtua kia Siona, “ʻOku lelei koā ʻa hoʻo ʻita koeʻuhi ko e ʻakau?” Pea naʻa ne pehē, “ʻOku ou tonuhia ʻi heʻeku ʻita, ʻo aʻu ki he mate.”

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 Pea naʻe toki pehē ʻe Sihova, “Kuo ke ʻofa mamahi ki he ʻakau, ʻaia naʻe ʻikai te ke ngāue ki ai pe te ke fakatupu; ʻaia ne tupu hake ʻi he pō ʻe taha, pea mate ʻi he pō ʻe taha:

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 Pea ʻoku ʻikai totonu koā ʻa ʻeku fakamoʻui ʻa Ninive, ʻae kolo lahi ko ia, ʻaia ʻoku nofo ai ʻae kakai tokolahi hake ʻi he toko ono mano, ʻoku ʻikai faʻa ʻilo honau nima toʻomataʻu mei honau nima toʻohema; pea ʻi ai mo e fanga manu lahi ʻaupito?”

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]”