< Yona 4 >

1 Nanso na eyi yɛ mfomso kɛse ma Yona, na ne bo fuwii.
But this displeased Jonah and he became very angry.
2 Ɔbɔɔ Awurade mpae se, “Awurade, bere a na mewɔ fie no, ɛnyɛ sɛɛ na mekae? Eyi nti na meperee sɛ miguan akɔ Tarsis no, efisɛ na minim sɛ, woyɛ ɔdomfo ne mmɔborɔhunu Nyankopɔn a wo bo kyɛ fuw, na wo dɔ boro so. Woyɛ Onyankopɔn a ɔtwentwɛn nʼanan ase wɔ bɔne amanehunu ho.
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 Afei, Awurade! Gye me nkwa fi me nsɛm. Eye ma me sɛ mewu sen sɛ mɛtena ase.”
Therefore now, Yahweh, I beg you, take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
4 Na Awurade buae se, “Eye sɛ wo bo fuw wɔ saa asɛm yi ho ana?”
Yahweh said, “Is it good that you are so angry?”
5 Na Yona kɔɔ kuropɔn no apuei fam baabi kɔtenaa hɔ. Ɔbɔɔ pata tenaa ne nwini no mu, twɛn nea ɛbɛba kuropɔn no so.
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 Na Awurade Nyankopɔn maa dua bi a ɛwɔ nhaban pii nyin ntɛmntɛm wɔ nʼatifi na ɛmaa Yona nyaa ahotɔ, na nʼani gyee dua no ho.
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 Nanso ahemadakye no, Onyankopɔn maa ɔsa bɛwee dua no maa nhaban no poe.
But God prepared a worm at sunrise the next morning. It attacked the plant and the plant withered.
8 Owia puei no, Onyankopɔn maa apuei mframa bi a mu yɛ hyew bɔe, na owia hyee Yona apampam ma ɔtɔɔ beraw. Ɔpɛɛ sɛ owu, na ɔkae se, “Eye ma me sɛ miwu sen sɛ metena ase.”
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 Onyankopɔn bisaa Yona se, “Eye sɛ wofa abufuw wɔ dua no ho ana?” Yona buae se, “Yiw, me bo afuw, na sɛ miwu a anka mepɛ.”
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 Na Awurade kae se, “Dua yi ho asɛm ahaw wo, nanso woanni ho dwuma biara, na ɛnyɛ wo na woma enyinii. Efifii ntɛmntɛm na ewuu ntɛmntɛm.
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 Nanso nnipa mpem ɔha ne aduonu wɔ Ninewe a wonnim wɔn benkum ne wɔn nifa. Na mmoa bebree nso wɔ hɔ. Ɛnsɛ sɛ mema Ninewe kuropɔn yi ho asɛm haw me ana?”
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 >