1 Ngalelinye lilanga livi laSimakadze lefika kuJona, umsa wa-Amithayi, latsi:
2 “Hamba uye eNineve, lidolobha lelikhulukati, ufike umemetele kubantfu balo utsi bubi babo sebenyukele kimi.”
3 Kepha Jona wesuka wacondza eThashishi. Wehlela eJopha, lapho afike wakhokha imali yekwekhwela, wagibela umkhumbi, waya eThashishi, abalekela Simakadze.
4 Kodvwa Simakadze watfumela umoya lomkhulu elwandle, kwaba nesivunguvungu lesikhulu kangangekutsi umkhumbi wabasengotini yekwephuka.
5 Onkhe ematilosi efikelwa kwesaba lokukhulu, kwaba ngulelo nalelo lakhala kunkulunkulu walo. Batijika elwandle timphahla letatisemkhunjini, batsi betama kuwuphungula umkhumbi. Kepha Jona abewukele ngaphansi ekhatsi nemkhumbi, akulobukhulu butfongo.
6 Indvuna yemkhumbi yakhandzanisa Jona alele, yafike yatsi: “Wentani la? Uleleleni? Vuka uthandaze kuNkulunkulu wakho! Mhlawumbe yena utasivela asisindzise singabhubhi!”
7 Ematilosi emkhumbi akhuluma odvwana, atsi: “Wotani, sitekwenta inkatho sibone kutsi ngubani lona losidvonsele lomkhokha.” Ngako-ke base benta inkatho; inkatho yadla Jona.
8 Base bayambuta batsi: “Ngubani yena lona losibangele yonkhe lenhlupheko? Utekwentani la? Ungewekukleza kuphi wena? Usive sini?”
9 Wabaphendvula watsi: “NgingumHebheru; ngikhonta Simakadze, Nkulunkulu welizulu, lowadala umhlaba nelwandle.”
10 Lamadvodza esaba kakhulukati, adzimate atsi kuye: “Yini-ke lena lose uyentile?” Phela lamadvodza abesati kutsi ubalekela Nkulunkulu, ngobe Jona abesawatjelile.
11 Sivunguvungu sachubeka sahhusha ngemandla, aze lamatilosi atsi: “Sitakwenta njani-ke ngawe, kuze lesivunguvungu sibindze?”
12 Jona wabaphendvula watsi: “Ngitsatseni ningijikijele elwandle, sitawube sesiyabindza lesivunguvungu; ngobe vele ngiyati kutsi ngimi lona lonidvonsele lomkhokha wesivunguvungu.”
13 Esikhundleni saloko, lamatilosi etama kuwugwedla ngemandla awo onkhe lomkhumbi kutsi ubuyele elugwini, kodvwa ehluleka, ngobe lwandle lwachubeka lwahhusha kakhulu kunakucala.
14 Ngako base bakhala kuSimakadze, batsi: “Awu, Simakadze waJona, siyakuncenga, ungasibhubhisi ngenca yalomuntfu! Ungalibeki etikwetfu licala lengati lengenacala! Nguwe, Simakadze waJona, lowente konkhe loku!”
15 Ngako-ke base batsatsa Jona, bamjikijela elwandle, lwase luyathula lutsi nya.
16 Loko kwenta lamatilosi esabe Simakadze kakhulu kangangekutsi adzimate amentela umhlatjelo; etsembisa nekumkhonta.
17 Simakadze wahlinzeka Jona ngenhlanti lenkhulu, leyafike yammita. Jona wahlala esiswini sayo emalanga lamatsatfu nebusuku lobutsatfu.
1 Asesekhatsi esiswini senhlanti Jona wathandaza kuSimakadze longuNkulunkulu wakhe, watsi:
2 “Ekuhluphekeni kwami ngakhala kuwe, Simakadze, wangiphendvula; ngamemeta ngisematfunjini emhlaba, ngicela lusito, wena waliva livi lami.
3 Wangijikijela ekujuleni, enhlitiyweni yetilwandle, emanti angitungeleta; onkhe emagagasi nemanti endlula etikwami.
4 Ngase ngitsi: ‘Sengicoshiwe emehlweni akho; noko, ngiyawuphindze ngibuke lithempeli lakho lelingcwele.’
5 Emanti angimbonya, angihisha; kujula kwangitungeleta, tindzembuluka tangitsandzela enhloko.
6 Ngehlela emajukujukwini emhlaba, live lelimasango alo ahlala akhiyiwe kuze kube phakadze; kodvwa imphilo yami wayenyula emgodzini, Simakadze, Nkulunkulu wami.
7 Ngesikhatsi umphefumulo wami uphelelwa ngemandla ngakukhumbula wena, Simakadze. Umthandazo wami wafinyelela kuwe, ethempelini lakho lelingcwele.
8 Labo labakhonta bonkulunkulu labalite bamshiyile Nkulunkulu sibili lophatsana ngemusa.
9 Kepha mine ngiyawuhlabela kuwe ngelivi lekubonga, nginikele ngemihlatjelo; loko lengikufungele ngiyawukufeza. Insindziso ivela kuSimakadze.”
10 Simakadze wakhuluma enhlantini, yase ihlantela Jona elugwini, emhlabatsini lowomile.
1 Livi laSimakadze laphindze lefika kuJona kwesibili, latsi:
2 “Hamba, uye eNineve, kulelidolobha lelikhulu, ufike umemetele lesimemetelo lengikunike sona.”
3 Ngako-ke wahamba Jona waya eNineve, njengekusho kwelivi laSimakadze. INineve lena kwakulidolobha lelikhulukati; bekungatsatsa emalanga lamatsatfu kutsi umuntfu alihambe lonkhe.
4 Jona walingenela lelidolobha, wahamba lilanga lonkhe. Wase uyacala uyamemetela utsi: “Sekusele emalanga langemashumi lamane kutsi iNineve ibhujiswe!”
5 Bantfu baseNineve balikholwa lelivi laNkulunkulu. Ngako base bamemetela kutsi bonkhe bantfu abazile, kusukela kulomkhulu kuze kube ngukulomncane, bembatse emasaka, bakhombise kutsi baphendvukile.
6 Letindzaba tatsi natifika enkhosini yaseNineve, yasukuma esihlalweni sayo sebukhosi, yakhumula ingubo yayo yebukhosi, yatembonya ngendvwangu yemasaka, yahlala phansi emlotseni.
7 Yakhipha simemetelo kuyo yonkhe iNineve, yatsi: “Inkhosi netiphatsimandla tayo itsi: ‘Akubete lodlako nalonambitsa lutfo nome lonatsa emanti: Umuntfu nome silwane, umhlambi wetinkhomo nome timvu ungadli unganatsi.
8 Kodvwa bantfu netilwane akumbonywe ngetindvwangu temasaka kukhalwe kuNkulunkulu. Wonkhe umuntfu akaphendvuke endleleni yakhe lembi nasebudloveni lobusetandleni takhe.
9 Ngobe ngubani nje lowatiko, mhlawumbe Nkulunkulu angatisola ayiyekele lentfukutselo yakhe leyesabekako, kuze singabhubhi?’ ”
10 Watsi kube Nkulunkulu abone loko labasebakwentile, kutsi batishiye tindlela tabo letimbi, watisola ngalokubi labeshito kutsi utabehlisela kona. Akazange abajezise.
1 Kwamkhuba kakhulu loko Jona, ngako watfukutsela kakhulu.
2 Wathandaza kuSimakadze watsi: “Awu, Simakadze! Akusiko yini loku lengakusho ngiseseveni lakitsi kutsi kutakwenteka? Ngiko ngabaleka ngaya eThashishi; ngobe ngangati kutsi wena unguNkulunkulu lonemusa nesihawu, uyephuta kutfukutsela, unelutsandvo loluphuphumako, uyatisola ngekutfumela lokubi.
3 Ngako-ke Simakadze, ngiyakuncenga kutsi ukususe kuphila kwami kimi; ngobe kuncono kimi kutsi ngife kunekutsi ngiphile.”
4 Simakadze wamphendvula watsi: “Unalungelo lini lekutfukutsela?”
5 Jona waphuma kulelidolobha wayawuhlala ngasemphumalanga yalo, watentela lidlangala lapho. Wahlala emtfuntini ngaphansi kwalo, kute atewubona lokwase kutakwenteka kulelidolobha laseNineve.
6 Simakadze Nkulunkulu wamilisa umhlafutfo, wawukhulisa etikwaJona kutsi umentele umtfunti, kuze kuphele kutfukutsela kwakhe; Jona wamjabulisa lomhlafutfo.
7 Ngakusasa nakudzabuka kusa, Nkulunkulu walungisa imphehla, yawuphehla lomhlafutfo, wabuna.
8 Nakuphuma lilanga, Nkulunkulu walungisa umoya loshisako wasemphumalanga; lilanga lashaya enhloko yaJona, wadzimate waba nesiyeti, wafisa kufa; wase utsi: “Kuncono ngimane ngife kunekutsi ngiphile.”
9 Kodvwa Nkulunkulu watsi kuJona: “Unalungelo lini lekutfukutselela lomhlafutfo?” Yena-ke watsi: “Ngenta kahle kutsi ngitfukutsele; ngitfukutsele kutsi angife ngitsi saka!”
10 Simakadze watsi: “Wena uyawuhawukela umhlafutfo longakawujulukeli nome longakawukhulisi, lomile ebusuku bunye, waphindze wafa ebusuku lobulandzelako.
11 Pho, mine bengingeke ngiyihawukele yini iNineve, lelidolobha lelikhulu kangaka, lapho kukhona bantfu labangakwati kwehlukanisa sandla sabo sekudla nesancele, labati-120 000, kanye netinkhomo letinyenti kangaka?”