UJONA

UJona ubalekela eTarshishi

1Ilizwi leNkosi laselifika kuJona indodana kaAmithayi, lisithia:

2 Sukuma, uye eNinevebc, umuzi omkhulud, umemeze umelene lawo; ngoba ububi baboe benyukele phambi kwamif.

3 Kodwa uJona wasukuma ukuze abalekeleg eTarshishi esuka ebusweni beNkosih, wehlela eJopha, wathola umkhumbi oya eTarshishii, wanika imali yawo, wehlela kuwo, ukuze ahambe labo eTarshishij, asuke ebusweni beNkosik.

4 Kodwa iNkosi yaphosa umoya omkhulu elwandlel; kwasekusiba lesiphepho esikhulu elwandle, okungangokuthi umkhumbi wacatshangelwa ukwephukam.

5 Abatshayeli bomkhumbi basebesesaban, bakhala, ngulowo lalowo kunkulunkulu wakheo, baphosela olwandle izimpahla ezazisemkhunjinip, ukuwenza ube lula kuboq. Kodwa uJona wayehlele emaceleni omkhumbi, walala ubuthongo obukhulur.

6 Ngakho induna yomkhumbi yasondela kuyes, yathi kuye: Ulani wenat olobuthongo obukhuluu? Vuka, ubize kuNkulunkulu wakhov; mhlawumbe lowoNkulunkuluw angasikhumbula, ukuze singabhubhix.

7 Basebesithi, ngulowo kumngane wakhe: Wozani senze inkatho yokuphosay, ukuze sazi ukuthi kungenxa kabani lobububi buphezu kwethu. Basebesenza inkatho yokuphosa; inkatho yasiwela phezu kukaJona.

8 Basebesithi kuye: Akusitshele ukuthi kungenxa kabani lobububi buphezu kwethuz. Umsebenzi wakho uyini? Njalo uvela ngaphi? Yiliphi ilizwe lakini? Njalo ungowabaphi abantu?

9 Wasesithi kibo: NgingumHebheru, ngiyayesaba iNkosia, uNkulunkulu wamazulu, owenza ulwandle lomhlabathi owomileyob.

10 Amadoda asesesaba ngokwesaba okukhulu, athi kuye: Ukwenzeleni lokhu? Ngoba amadoda akwazi ukuthi ubalekile ebusweni beNkosi, ngoba wayesewatshelilec.

11 Asesithi kuye: Senzeni kuwe ukuze ulwandle luthule kithi? Ngoba ulwandle lwaqhubeka lwaba lesiphepho.

12 Wasesithi kiwo: Ngiphakamisani, lingiphosele olwandle; ngalokho ulwandle luzalithulela; ngoba ngiyazi ukuthi lesisiphepho esikhulu siphezu kwenu ngenxa yami.

13 Kodwa amadoda agwedla ngamandla ukuze awubuyisele umkhumbi emhlabathini owomileyo, kodwa ehluleka, ngoba ulwandle lwaqhubeka lwaba lesiphepho lumelene lawo.

14 Ngakho akhala eNkosini, athi: Siyakuncenga, Nkosid, kasingabhubhi ngenxa yempilo yalumuntu, ungabeki phezu kwethu igazi elingelacalae; ngoba wena, Nkosi, wenzile njengokukuthokozisayof.

15 Asephakamisa uJona, amphosela elwandle; ulwandle lwaselusima ekuvubekeni kwalog.

16 Amadoda aseyesaba iNkosi ngokwesaba okukhuluh, anikela umhlatshelo eNkosiniij, afunga izifungok.

17 Njalo iNkosi yayimise inhlanzi enkulu ukuze imginye uJonal; njalo uJona waba semathunjini enhlanzi insuku ezintathu lobusuku obuthathum.

Umkhuleko kaJona

2UJona wasekhuleka eNkosini uNkulunkulu wakhe esemathunjini enhlanzi,

2 wathi: Ekuhluphekeni kwami ngakhala eNkosinia, yangiphendulab; ngisesiswini sesihogo ngamemeza, wena walizwa ilizwi lamic.

3 Ngoba wangiphosela enzikini, enhliziyweni yezinlwandle, lempophoma yangihanqad; wonke amagagasi akho lamavinqo akho kwedlula phezu kwamie.

4 Ngasengisithi mina: Ngixotshiwe phambi kobuso bakhof; kanti ngizabuya ngikhangeleg ngasethempelini lakho elingcwelehi.

5 Amanzij angihanqilek kuze kube semphefumulwenil; inziki ingizingelezele; imihlanga yathandela ikhanda lamim.

6 Ngehlela ezisekelweni zezintaban; umhlaba, imigoqo yawoo yangihanqa laphakadep; kanti wenyuse impilo yamiq emgodini, Nkosi Nkulunkulu wamirs.

7 Lapho umphefumulo wami uphela amandla phakathi kwami ngakhumbula iNkosit; lomkhuleko wami wafika kuweu, ethempelini lakho elingcwelevw.

8 Labo abagcina amangax ayize batshiyay umusa waboz.

9 Kodwa mina ngizakwenza umhlatshelo kuwe ngelizwi lokubongaa, ngikhokhe lokho engikufungileyobc; usindiso ngolweNkosid.

10 INkosi yasikhuluma kuyo inhlanzi, yasimhlanza uJona emhlabathini owomileyo.

Ukuphenduka kweNineve

3Ilizwi leNkosi laselifika kuJona ngokwesibili, lisithi:

2 Sukuma, uye eNinevea, lowana umuzi omkhulu, utshumayele kuwo intshumayelo engikutshela yona.

3 UJona wasesukuma, waya eNineve, njengokwelizwi leNkosi. Phela iNineveb yayingumuzi omkhulu kakhulu, uhambo lwezinsuku ezintathu.

4 UJona waseqala ukungena emzini, uhambo losuku olulodwa. Wamemeza, wathi: Kusesezinsuku ezingamatshumi amane, khona iNineve izagenqulwa.

5 Abantu beNineve basebekholwa kuNkulunkuluc, bamemezela ukuzila kokudlad, bagqoka amasakae, kusukela komkhulu wabo kwaze kwaba komncinyane wabof.

6 Ngoba ilizwi lafinyelela enkosini yeNineve; yasisukuma esihlalweni sayo sobukhosig, yakhulula isembatho sayo kuyoh, yazimboza ngesakaij, yahlala emlothenikl.

7 Yasimemezelam yathi kuyo iNineve ngomthetho wenkosi labakhulu bayo, isithin: Kakungabi lomuntu, kumbe inyamazana, inkomo, lemvu, okuzanambitha loba yini; kakungadli, kakunganathi amanzio.

8 Kodwa kakuthi umuntu lenyamazana kwembeswe amasakap, bakhale kuNkulunkulu ngamandla, yebo, baphenduke, ngulowo lalowo endleleni yakhe embiq, lebudlwangudlwangwini obusezandleni zabor.

9 Ngubani owaziyo, uNkulunkulu angaphendukast azisoleu, aphenduke asuke kukuvutha kolaka lwakhev, ukuze singabhubhi.

10 UNkulunkulu wasebona imisebenzi yabo, ukuthi baphendukile endleleni yabo embiwx; uNkulunkulu wazisola ngobubi ayethe uzabenza kibo, akaze abenzayz.

Ukusola kukaJona lesihawu sikaNkulunkulu

4Kodwa kwaba kubi kakhulukazi kuJonaa, wathukuthela yenab.

2 Wasekhuleka eNkosini, wathi: Ngiyakuncenga, Nkosi, leli lalingesilo ilizwi lami ngiseselizweni lakithi yini? Ngenxa yalokhu ngandulela ngokubalekela eTarshishic; ngoba ngangisazi ukuthi wena unguNkulunkulu olomusad lolesihawuef, ophuza ukuthukuthelag, omkhulu ngothando, njalo ozisola ngokubih.

3 Ngakho-ke, Nkosi, susa, ngiyakuncenga, impilo yami kimii, ngoba kungcono kimi ukufa kulokuphilaj.

4 INkosi yasisithi: Wenza kuhle yini ngokuthukuthela kwakho?

5 UJona wasephuma emzini, wayahlala ngasempumalanga komuzi, wazenzela idumba khona, wahlala ngaphansi kwalo emthunzini, aze abone okuzakwenzakala emzinik.

6 INkosi uNkulunkulul yasimisa umhlafutho, yawukhulisa ngaphezu kukaJona, ukuze ube ngumthunzi phezu kwekhanda lakhe, ukumkhululam kubuhlungu bakhen. UJona wasethokoza ngenxa yomhlafutho ngentokozo enkulu.

7 Kodwa uNkulunkulu wamisa impehlane ekuveleni kokusa kusasa, yatshaya umhlafutho, waze wabunao.

8 Kwasekusithi ekuphumeni kwelanga, uNkulunkulu wamisa umoya wempumalangap otshisayoq; njalo ilanga latshaya phezu kwekhanda likaJonar, waze waphela amandla; wafisa emphefumulweni wakhe ukuthi afes, wathi: Kungcono kimi ukufa kulokuphilat.

9 UNkulunkulu wasesithi kuJona: Wenza kuhle yini ngokuthukuthela kwakho ngenxa yomhlafutho? Wasesithi: Ngenza kuhle ngokuthukuthela kwami kuze kube sekufeniu.

10 INkosi yasisithi: Wena ube lozwelo phezu komhlafutho ongawutshikatshikelanga, ongawukhulisanga; owaba khona ngobusuku bunye, wabhubha ngobusuku bunye.

11 Mina-ke ngabe kangihawukelanga yini iNinevev, umuzi omkhulu, okuthi kuwo kulabantu abedlula izinkulungwane ezilikhulu lamatshumi amabili abangaziyo ukwehlukanisa phakathi kwesandla sabo sokunene lesandla sabo sokhohlow, kanye lenkomo ezinengix?