Yona 4:1-11
4 Kodwa uYona zange ayithande le nto, yaye waba nomsindo.
2 Ngoko wathandaza wathi kuYehova: “Nantso ke Yehova, yile nto kanye endandiyicinga ngokuya ndandisekwilizwe lakuthi. Yiloo nto ndazama ukubalekela eTarshishe+ kwasekuqaleni, kuba ndandisazi ukuba unguThixo onosizi nenceba, ongacaphuki msinya, ophuphuma uthando olungagungqiyo+ nokhathazwa kakhulu yintlekele.
3 Owu Yehova, ndicela ubuthathe ubomi bam, kuba kungcono ndife kunokuba ndiphile.”+
4 UYehova wambuza: “Unaso na isizathu esibambekayo sokucaphuka kangaka?”
5 UYona waphuma ke esixekweni, wahlala phantsi kwimpuma yesixeko. Wazenzela umthunzi, waza wahlala kuwo ukuze abone ukuba kwakuza kwenzeka ntoni esixekweni.+
6 Emva koko uYehova uThixo wamkhulisela umhlavuthwa uYona ukuze ube ngumthunzi phezu kwentloko yakhe, uze umsindise kwintlungu yakhe. UYona wawuvuyela kakhulu umhlavuthwa.
7 Kodwa uThixo wokwenene wathumela umbungu ngexesha lokuthi qheke kokusa ngemini elandelayo, ibe wawutya umhlavuthwa, waza wabuna.
8 Kwathi xa kuphuma ilanga, uThixo wathumela nolophu lwasempuma, yaye ilanga lamgqatsa entloko uYona, waphelelwa ngamandla. Waqhubeka ecela ukufa,* emane esithi: “Kungcono ndife kunokuba ndiphile.”+
9 UThixo wambuza uYona: “Unaso na isizathu esibambekayo sokucaphuka kangaka ngenxa yomhlavuthwa?”+
Yena wathi: “Ndinalo ilungelo lokucaphuka, kangangokuba ndifuna ukufa.”
10 Kodwa uYehova wathi: “Wena uye wanosizi ngomhlavuthwa ongakhange uwusebenzele, nongakhange uwukhulise, okhule ngobusuku obunye waza watshabalala ngobusuku obunye.
11 Mna ke, andifanele na ndibe nosizi ngesixeko esikhulu iNineve,+ ekukho kuyo abantu abangaphezu kwe-120 000 abangakwazi nokwahlula okulungileyo kokubi,* nangezilwanyana zabo ezininzi?”+
Umbhalo osemazantsi
^ Okanye “ukuba umphefumlo wakhe ufe.”
^ Okanye “abangakwaziyo ukwahlula isandla sabo sasekunene kwesasekhohlo.”
