1. Hao nao gogo blo Jonah, and wat nao feeling blo hem abaotem datfala ples wea hem travel for kasem?

 JONAH gohed tingting taem hem wakabaot go for Nineveh, wea hem samting olsem 800 kilometer and wea maet tekem wan month or winim for kasem lo there. Hem need for disaedem which road for followim wea bae kwiktaem for kasem lo there and road wea sef. And then, hem isisi wakabaot thru lo olketa valley and staka maunten. Luk olsem, hem mas go raonem big desert blo Syria and akrosim bigfala river blo Euphrates. Hem mas lukaotem tu ples for stap midolwan olketa foreigner lo olketa taon and vilij lo Syria, Mesopotamia, and Assyria. Taem hem gohed for wakabaot hem ting abaotem Nineveh, datfala taon wea hem fraetem tumas. Luk olsem hem klosap for kasem nao datfala taon.

 2. Hao nao Jonah luksavve hem no fit for ranawe from assignment blo hem?

² Wanfala samting wea Jonah sure lo hem nao, hard for hem ranawe from assignment blo hem. Hem trae for duim datwan bifor. Olsem iumi lukim lo chapter bifor diswan, Jehovah patient for teachim Jonah taem hem sendem big wind lo sea and iusim wanfala big fish for rescuem hem. Thri-fala day bihaen, datfala big fish hem vomitim Jonah lo beach. Evri samting hia teachim Jonah for obey and hambol.—Jonah, chapter. 1, 2.

 3. Wat kaen fasin nao Jehovah showim lo Jonah, and wanem kwestin nao kamap?

³ Taem Jehovah talem Jonah for go lo Nineveh mek-tu taem, datfala profet obey and startim datfala longfala gogo for travel go lo east. (Readim Jonah 3:1-3.)  Nomata olsem, hao, discipline wea Jehovah givim changem hem? For example, Jehovah showim hem mercy, sevem hem for no draon, no panisim hem from wei wea hem bighed, and givim hem nara chance moa for duim assignment blo hem. Bihaen evri samting hia, hao, Jonah lane for showimaot mercy lo olketa narawan? Hem no isi for olketa man wea no perfect for showimaot mercy. Bae iumi storyim wat iumi savve lanem from hao Jonah faendem hem no isi for duim datwan.

4, 5. Why nao Jehovah ting lo Nineveh olsem wanfala “big taon,” and wat nao datwan teachim iumi abaotem hem?

⁴ Tingting blo Jonah abaotem Nineveh hem difren from tingting blo Jehovah. Bible sei: “Nineveh hem wanfala barava big taon lo eye blo God.” (Jonah 3:3, ftn.) Thrifala taem nao Jonah sei, Jehovah kolem Nineveh “datfala big taon.” (Jonah 1:2; 3:2; 4:11) Why nao disfala taon hem important lo Jehovah?

 ⁵ Nineveh hem barava old taon, hem wanfala lo olketa first taon wea Nimrod buildim bihaen lo Flood. Hem barava big area wea garem tu-thri taon insaed, and man mas wakabaot thrifala day for kasem narasaed. (Gen. 10:11; Jonah 3:3) Nineveh hem barava luk naes, garem olketa big temple, big wall stap raonem, and hem garem staka nara samting wea decoratem. Bat hem no olketa samting hia nao mekem datfala taon for important lo Jehovah God. Samting wea important lo hem nao, hem olketa pipol. Nineveh garem big population lo datfala taem. Nomata wei blo pipol hia nogud tumas, Jehovah tingim olketa. Hem tinghae lo laef blo olketa man and hao each wan garem chance for repent and lane for duim samting wea stret.

 6. (a) Why nao Jonah maet fraet for go lo Nineveh? (Lukim tu footnote.) (b) Wat nao iumi lanem abaotem Jonah from preaching waka wea hem duim?

⁶ Taem Jonah arrive lo Nineveh, maet wanfala samting wea mekem hem fraet for preach, hem population blo datfala taon wea winim 120,000. a Jonah wakabaot full day for go insaed datfala taon, maet hem lukaotem wanfala gud ples for start for talemaot message blo hem. Hao nao bae hem kasem heart blo olketa pipol hia? Hao, hem lanem finis languis blo olketa lo Assyria? Or hao, Jehovah mekem wanfala mirakol for hem savve lo datfala languis? Iumi no savve. Maet Jonah story lo languis blo Hebrew and iusim wanfala interpreter for talem datfala message for olketa lo Nineveh. Nomata olsem, message blo hem simpol nomoa and staka maet no laek for herem bikos hem sei: “Foti days nomoa stap then Nineveh bae distroe.” (Jonah 3:4) Hem no fraet and hem gohed for talemaot datfala message. Datwan hem nambawan example for iumi olketa Christian distaem tu, for iumi mas no fraet and garem faith.

7, 8. (a) Wat nao pipol lo Nineveh duim taem olketa herem message blo Jonah? (b) Wat nao king blo Nineveh duim taem hem herem message wea Jonah talemaot?

⁷ Message wea Jonah talemaot hem affectim pipol lo Nineveh. Hem expectim olketa for kros lo hem and killim hem. Bat samting wea hem no expectim nao happen. Pipol hia barava lisin! Kwiktaem nomoa pipol story abaotem hem nao. No longtaem nomoa,  full taon savve abaotem profesi blo Jonah dat Nineveh bae distroe. (Readim Jonah 3:5.) Nomata man wea rich or poor, strong or wik, young or old, evriwan laek for repent. Olketa no kaikai. Gogo king herem tu nius abaotem wanem hem gohed.

⁸ Taem king herem toktok blo Jonah, hem tu repent. Hem fraet lo God, so hem getap from throne blo hem, aotem evri naes kaleko blo hem and werem kaleko blo sorre wea pipol blo hem tu werem and “sidaon lo asis.” Hem witim “olketa bigman blo hem,” raetem wanfala announcement for talem dat evriwan mas fasting. Hem komandim evriwan for werem kaleko blo sorre, and nomata olketa animal tu. b Hem hambol and luksavve pipol blo hem duim staka nogud samting and olketa raf tumas. Hem hope God bae sorre lo olketa taem hem lukim olketa repent, and hem sei: “Nogud nao datfala tru God ting raonem moa wanem hem plan for duim and lusim kros blo hem, mekem iumi no dae!”—Jonah 3:6-9.

 9. Wat nao samfala daot wea pipol garem abaotem olketa lo Nineveh, bat hao nao iumi savve dat wat olketa tingim hem no stret?

⁹ Samfala pipol daotem hao olketa lo Nineveh kwiktaem tumas for repent. Bat, olketa Bible scholar sei kaen situation olsem savve happen, bikos olketa pipol lo bifor wea garem kastom olsem, savve isi tumas for bilivim samting and wei blo olketa savve change kwiktaem. And tu, iumi savve tingting blo pipol wea daotem diswan hem no stret, bikos Jesus Christ tu talem hao olketa lo Nineveh repent. (Readim Matthew 12:41.) Jesus savve lo diswan bikos hem stap lo heven lo datfala taem and hem lukim olketa samting hia happen. (John 8:57, 58) Tru samting nao, iumi mas no tingse hem hard for pipol repent nomata wei blo olketa luk olsem olketa raf tumas. Only Jehovah nomoa lukim wat hem stap lo heart blo man.

10, 11. (a) Wat nao Jehovah duim taem olketa lo Nineveh repent? (b) Why nao iumi savve sure dat judgment blo Jehovah hem stret?

¹⁰ Wat nao Jehovah duim taem olketa lo Nineveh repent? Jonah  sei: “Taem datfala tru God lukim wanem olketa duim, hao olketa lusim olketa wicked wei blo olketa, hem ting raonem moa bigfala trabol wea hem sei bae hem mekem for kasem olketa, and hem no distroem olketa nao.”—Jonah 3:10.

¹¹ Hao, datwan minim judgment wea Jehovah talem firstaem hem rong? Nomoa. Bible storyim dat justice blo Jehovah hem perfect. (Readim Deuteronomy 32:4.) Kros blo Jehovah againstim olketa lo Nineveh hem finis bikos hem lukim olketa pipol hia change. So hem disaedem dat panisment wea hem talem lo firstaem bae nomoa nao. Hem laek for showimaot mercy lo olketa.

12, 13. (a) Hao nao Jehovah showimaot hem willing for change and showimaot mercy? (b) Why nao profesi blo Jonah hem no wanfala laea profesi?

¹² Jehovah hem no wanfala God wea no kea and panisim pipol olsem wat olketa bigman lo religion talem. Bat, hem wanfala God wea willing for change and showimaot mercy. Taem hem disaed for panisim olketa wea wicked, hem bae iusim olketa wea representim hem lo earth for talemaot warning firstaem, bikos hem barava laekem olketa wea wicked olsem olketa lo Nineveh for repent and changem wei blo olketa. (Ezek. 33:11) Jehovah talem lo profet Jeremiah: “Taem mi sei dat bae mi pullimaot and daonem and distroem wanfala nation or wanfala kingdom, and nation hia lusim wicked samting wea olketa duim wea mi sei mi les lo hem, bae mi changem tingting blo mi abaotem nogud samting wea mi plan for panisim lo olketa.”—Jer. 18:7, 8.

¹³ Waswe, profesi blo Jonah hem no tru? Nomoa. Datfala profesi hem wanfala warning. Datfala warning hem kamap bikos lo nogud wei blo olketa lo Nineveh, wea olketa lusim. Bat sapos olketa lo Nineveh duim moa olketa nogud wei hia, God bae mekem sem judgment for kasem olketa. And datwan nao wanem hem happen bihaen.—Zeph. 2:13-15.

14. Wat nao feeling blo Jonah taem Jehovah showimaot mercy lo Nineveh?

¹⁴ Wat nao Jonah duim taem Nineveh no distroe lo taem wea hem expectim? Bible sei: “Jonah hem nating hapi lo diswan and hem barava kros.” (Jonah 4:1) Jonah even talem tu wanfala prea wea here olsem hem laek stretem Olmaeti! Jonah sei hem shud stap kam lo hom blo hem nomoa. Hem talem tu dat hem savve finis hard for Jehovah distroem Nineveh, hem even iusim datwan olsem excuse for why hem ranawe go lo Tarshish firstaem. Then hem ask for dae nomoa, hem sei for dae hem gud winim for hem laef.—Readim Jonah 4:2, 3.

15. (a) Wat nao maet mekem Jonah for feel nogud and kros? (b) Hao nao Jehovah deal witim profet blo hem wea feel nogud tumas?

 ¹⁵ Why nao Jonah hem feel olsem? Iumi no savve lo evri samting wea hem tingim, bat iumi savve dat Jonah talemaot front lo staka pipol hao Nineveh bae distroe, and olketa bilivim hem. Bat then, datwan no happen. Waswe, hem feel olketa hia bae mekfani lo hem and sei dat hem wanfala laea profet nomoa? Maet olsem. Bat samting wea iumi savve nao, hem no hapi taem pipol hia repent and hem no hapi lo hao Jehovah showimaot mercy. Bat hem start for garem olketa negative tingting for feel nogud, self-pity, and feel kros. Nomata olsem, God blo Jonah gohed showimaot mercy from hem luksavve Jonah garem olketa gudfala wei. So winim wei for panisim Jonah from hem no showimaot respect, Jehovah tok isi lo hem and askem disfala kwestin: “Hao, hem stret for iu kros tumas olsem?” (Jonah 4:4) Hao, Jonah hem ansa? Bible no talem datwan.

16. Lo olketa wanem wei nao maet samfala no agree witim God, and wanem leson nao iumi lanem from example blo Jonah?

¹⁶ Hem isi for judgem Jonah bikos lo wat hem duim, bat hem gud for iumi tingim hao staka taem iumi man wea sin maet no agree witim God. Samfala maet ting Jehovah shud no letem wanfala trabol for happen or hem shud kwiktaem panisim olketa wicked or hem shud finisim nao disfala nogud world. Example blo Jonah remindim iumi dat taem iumi no agree witim God, iumi nao need for stretem tingting blo iumi and no Jehovah.

17, 18. (a) Wat nao Jonah duim bihaen hem lusim Nineveh? (b) Hao nao mirakol wea Jehovah duim for mekem wanfala botol-gourd plant grow, hem affectim Jonah?

¹⁷ Datfala profet wea feel nogud lusim Nineveh, bat hem no wakabaot go bak lo hom, hem wakabaot go east lo olketa maunten wea hae and iu savve luk kam bak lo datfala ples. Hem wakem wanfala smol shelter and sidaon for weit and watchim Nineveh. Maet hem still tingse Nineveh bae distroe. Hao nao Jehovah teachim disfala man wea no laek changem tingting blo hem for showimaot mercy?

¹⁸ Lo naet, Jehovah mekem wanfala botol-gourd plant for grow. Taem Jonah wekap lo morning, hem lukim disfala plant garem staka leaf and hem mekem shade for kavarem shelter wea hem sidaon insaed. Jonah start for feel gud nao. “Jonah hapi tumas lo datfala botol-gourd plant.” Maet hem tingse datfala mirakol showimaot God hem hapi lo hem and blessim hem. Bat, Jehovah no laek for  givim shade lo Jonah or katem daon kros blo Jonah. Hem laek for kasem heart blo Jonah. So God mekem olketa nara mirakol moa. Hem sendem wanfala worm for attakim and killim dae datfala plant. Then hem mekem wanfala “east wind wea hot fogud” for blow kam lo Jonah gogo hem “klosap for faint” bikos hem hot tumas. Jonah feel nogud moa, and sei moa lo God dat hem laek for dae nomoa.—Jonah 4:6-8.

19, 20. Hao nao Jehovah iusim datfala botol-gourd plant for teachim Jonah?

¹⁹ Then Jehovah askem Jonah if hem stret for Jonah feel kros abaotem dae blo datfala botol-gourd plant. Jonah hem no repent bat hem defendim hemseleva and sei: “Ia, hem stret for mi kros. Mi kros fogud gogo mi laek for dae nomoa.” Taem olsem, Jehovah garem chance nao for teachim hem wanfala leson.—Jonah 4:9.

²⁰ Taem God story witim Jonah, hem sei dat Jonah feel sorre lo dae blo wanfala plant wea grow nomoa lo naet, and Jonah no even plantim datwan tu. Then God hem sei: “So hao, hem no stret tu for mi sorre lo Nineveh, datfala big taon, wea winim 120,000 man stap  insaed, wea olketa no savve lo wanem hem stret and wanem hem no stret, witim staka animal blo olketa tu?”—Jonah 4:10, 11. c

21. (a) Hao nao Jehovah iusim disfala illustration for teachim Jonah? (b) Hao nao maet story blo Jonah helpem iumi for lukluk gud lo iumiseleva?

²¹ Waswe, iu lukim leson wea Jehovah teachim from datfala illustration? Jonah nating duim eni samting for lukaftarem datfala plant. Bat Jehovah, hem nao man wea givim laef for olketa lo Nineveh and hem lukaftarem olketa lo sem wei wea hem lukaftarem evri nara samting lo earth. Why nao Jonah tinghae lo wanfala plant winim for tinghae lo 120,000 human being and olketa animal blo olketa? Waswe, hem no bikos Jonah start for kamap selfish? Reason why hem feel sorre for datfala plant, hem bikos hem kasem gud samting from datwan. Luk olsem, why hem kros abaotem situation lo Nineveh hem bikos hem selfish. Hem tingim nomoa hao pipol maet mekfani lo hem and hem laekem wat hem talem for mas happen. Story blo Jonah helpem iumi for lukluk gud lo iumiseleva. Hu lo iumi nao no savve selfish? Iumi barava tinghae dat Jehovah patient for teachim iumi for no selfish, for sorre lo narawan, and for showimaot mercy olsem hem!

22. (a) Hao nao instruction blo Jehovah abaotem mercy kwiktaem affectim Jonah? (b) Wanem leson nao iumi evriwan need for lanem?

²² So point nao hem olsem, waswe, Jonah lane from datfala leson? Datfala story lo Bible buk blo Jonah hem end witim datfala kwestin. Samfala pipol maet ting dat Jonah nating ansarem datfala kwestin. Bat really, ansa hem showaot klia. Datfala buk nao pruvim datwan. From Jonah nao raetem datfala buk, datwan showimaot hem lanem datfala leson. Just imaginim datfala profet, hem go bak lo hom blo hem and raetem disfala story. Iumi savve imaginim maet wei blo hem kamap mature, wise, and hambol. Tingim taem hem sidaon for raet maet hem sekem hed blo hem taem hem raet abaotem olketa mistek blo hemseleva, wei wea hem no obey, and hao hem no laek for showim mercy. Hem klia, Jonah hem lanem wanfala important leson from wise instruction blo Jehovah. Hem lane for showimaot mercy. Waswe, bae iumi olsem tu?—Readim Matthew 5:7.