< Yona 4 >

1 Yona bo annwo koraa, na ne bo fuiɛ.
And Jonah was afflicted with a great affliction, and he was angry.
2 Ɔbɔɔ Awurade mpaeɛ sɛ, “Ao Awurade, ɛberɛ a na mewɔ fie no, ɛnyɛ sei na mekaeɛ? Yei enti na meperee sɛ medwane akɔ Tarsis no, ɛfiri sɛ na menim sɛ, woyɛ ɔdomfoɔ ne mmɔborɔhunu Onyankopɔn a wo bo kyɛre fu, na wodɔ boro so. Woyɛ Onyankopɔn a ɔtwentwɛnee ne nan ase wɔ bɔne amanehunu ho.
And he prayed to the Lord, and he said, “I beg you, Lord, was this not my word, when I was still in my own land? Because of this, I knew beforehand to flee into Tarshish. For I know that you are a lenient and merciful God, patient and great in compassion, and forgiving despite ill will.
3 Enti Ao Awurade! Gye me nkwa firi me nsɛm. Ɛyɛ ma me sɛ mɛwu sene sɛ mɛtena ase.”
And now, Lord, I ask you to take my life from me. For it is better for me to die than to live.”
4 Na Awurade buaa sɛ, “Ɛyɛ sɛ wo bo fu saa asɛm yi ho anaa?”
And the Lord said, “Do you really think you are right to be angry?”
5 Na Yona kɔɔ kuropɔn no apueeɛ fam baabi kɔtenaa hɔ. Ɔbɔɔ apata tenaa ne nwunu no mu, twenee deɛ ɛbɛba kuropɔn no so.
And Jonah went out of the city, and he sat opposite the east of the city. And he made himself a shelter there, and he was sitting under it in the shadow, until he might see what would befall the city.
6 Na Awurade Onyankopɔn maa bobe dua bi nyinii ntɛm ntɛm wɔ nʼatifi na ɛmaa Yona nyaa ahomeka, na nʼani gyee dua no ho.
And the Lord God prepared an ivy, and it ascended over the head of Jonah so as to be a shadow over his head, and to protect him (for he had labored hard). And Jonah rejoiced because of the ivy, with great rejoicing.
7 Nanso ahemadakye no, Onyankopɔn maa ɔsa bɛwee bobe dua maa nhahan no poeɛ.
And God prepared a worm, when dawn approached on the next day, and it struck the ivy, and it dried up.
8 Awia pueeɛ no, Onyankopɔn ma apueeɛ mframa bi a emu yɛ hyeɛ bɔeɛ na awia hyee Yona apampam ma ɔtɔɔ bira. Ɔpɛɛ sɛ ɔwu, na ɔkaa sɛ, “Ɛyɛ ma me sɛ mewu sene sɛ metena ase.”
And when the sun had risen, the Lord ordered a hot and burning wind. And the sun beat down on the head of Jonah, and he burned. And he petitioned for his soul that he might die, and he said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”
9 Onyankopɔn bisaa Yona sɛ, “Ɛyɛ sɛ wofa abufuo wɔ dua no ho anaa?” Yona buaa sɛ, “Aane, me bo afu, na sɛ mɛwu a anka mepa.”
And the Lord said to Jonah, “Do you really think that you are right to be angry because of the ivy?” And he said, “I am right to be angry even unto death.”
10 Na Awurade kaa sɛ, “Dua yi ho asɛm aha wo, nanso woanni ho dwuma biara, na ɛnyɛ wo na woma ɛnyiniiɛ. Ɛfifirii ntɛm ntɛm na ɛwuu ntɛm ntɛm.
And the Lord said, “You grieve for the ivy, for which you have not labored and which you did not cause to grow, though it had been born during one night, and during one night perished.
11 Nanso nnipa mpem ɔha ne aduonu wɔ Ninewe a wɔnnim wɔn benkum ne wɔn nifa. Na mmoa bebree nso wɔ hɔ. Ɛnsɛ sɛ mema Ninewe kuropɔn kɛseɛ yi ho asɛm ha me anaa?”
And shall I not spare Nineveh, the great city, in which there are more than one hundred and twenty thousand men, who do not know the difference between their right and their left, and many beasts?”

< Yona 4 >