Yona 4
1 Yona bo annwo koraa, na ne bo fuiɛ.
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 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.
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 Enti Ao Awurade! Gye me nkwa firi me nsɛm. Ɛyɛ ma me sɛ mɛwu sene sɛ mɛtena ase.”
[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 Na Awurade buaa sɛ, “Ɛyɛ sɛ wo bo fu saa asɛm yi ho anaa?”
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 Na Yona kɔɔ kuropɔn no apueeɛ fam baabi kɔtenaa hɔ. Ɔbɔɔ apata tenaa ne nwunu no mu, twenee deɛ ɛbɛba kuropɔn no so.
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 Na Awurade Onyankopɔn maa bobe dua bi nyinii ntɛm ntɛm wɔ nʼatifi na ɛmaa Yona nyaa ahomeka, na nʼani gyee dua no ho.
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 Nanso ahemadakye no, Onyankopɔn maa ɔsa bɛwee bobe dua maa nhahan no poeɛ.
But before dawn the next day, God sent a worm that chewed the vine, with the result that the vine withered.
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.”
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 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.”
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 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.
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 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?”
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]”
