49 – Ibali likaJona

₁Ke kaloku ilizwi *likaNdikhoyo lafikela uJona unyana ka-Amitayi, lisithi: ₂“Hamba uye kweso sixekokazi siyiNiniva, usishumayeze, kuba inkohlakalo yaso seyide yaza kufika nakum.”

₃Kambe ke yena uJona wambaleka uNdikhoyo, wasabela eTashishe. Wehla waya eJopa, apho wafumana inqanawa eya eTashishe. Akuba ke eyihlawule imali yendlela, wakhwela wasinga eTashishe, ebaleka uNdikhoyo.

₄Ke kaloku uNdikhoyo wathumela umoyakazi omkhulu apho elwandle; yaba sisaqhwithi esayitsho yasemngciphekweni wokuqhekeka inqanawa leyo. ₅Abaqhubi benqanawa leyo baphakuzela, yangulowo nalowo wakhala *kuthixo wakhe. Umthwalo wenqanawa bawuphungulela elwandle, bezama ukuba ibe khaphukhaphu.

Ke yena uJona wayesuke wehla wangena kumagumbi asezantsi, walala obentlombe. ₆Ingqwayi-ngqwayi yenqanawa leyo ke yaya kuye, yafika yathi: “Ngani ukuba ulale, thongorhandini? Vuka, ubize uThixo wakho! Mhlawumbi angasikhumbula, size singatshabalali.”

₇Ke bathi omnye komnye: “Yizani senze *amaqashiso ukuze sibhaqe lo mntu ungunobangela wale ntlekele.” Benjenjalo ke, laza iqashiso laphuma noJona. ₈Baza ke bathi kuJona: “Khawutsho! Ngubani unobangela wale ntlekele? Uzokwenza ntoni apha? Khona, uvela phi? Liphi ikowenu? Ungumni kakade?”

₉UJona waphendula wathi: “Mna ndingumHebhere. Ndinqula uNdikhoyo uThixo wamazulu, lo udale ulwandle kunye nomhlaba.”

₁₀Ke kaloku loo madoda othuka gqitha, kuba uJona wawachazela ukuba elapho nje ubaleka uNdikhoyo, aza athi kuye: “Yintoni na le uyenzileyo?” ₁₁Ke lona ulwandle lwaqhubela phambili ukulwa. Baza ke bathi kuJona: “Masenze ntoni ngawe ukuze ulwandle luzole?”

₁₂UJona waphendula wathi: “Ndifunquleni nindiphose elwandle, ukuze luzole. Kaloku ndiyaqonda ukuba ndim lo unizisele olu qhwithela.”

₁₃Kambe ke abaqhubi bazama kangangoko ukuyisa elunxwemeni inqanawa leyo. Kodwa ke nelo icebo lafadalala kuba ulwandle lwaya luthatha unyawo ngokulwa. ₁₄Badanduluka kuNdikhoyo ke bathi: “Awu, Ndikhoyo, uze ungasohlwayi ngenxa yokufa kwale ndoda. Uze ungalibizi kuthi igazi elimsulwa. Kaloku yonke le nto ikholeke kuwe, Ndikhoyo.”

₁₅Amfunqula ke uJona, amphosa elwandle, lwaza ke ulwandle olulwayo lwadamba. ₁₆Le nto ke yawatsho amhlonela uNdikhoyo loo madoda, aza amenzela idini, enza nezibhambathiso kuNdikhoyo.

₁₇Kambe ke uNdikhoyo wayalela intlanzi enkulu, yaza yamginya uJona. Wahlala apho kuyo ke iimini ezintathu nobusuku bazo.

₁Elapho embilinini waloo ntlanzi uJona wathandaza *kuNdikhoyo uThixo wakhe, ₂wathi:

₁₀Ke kaloku uNdikhoyo wayiyalela intlanzi, yaza yamhlanza uJona emhlabeni owomileyo.

₁Liphinde lafika ilizwi *likaNdikhoyo kuJona, lisithi: ₂“Hamba uye kweso sixekokazi siyiNiniva, ufike ushumayele olu daba ndikunike lona.”

₃Ke uJona walithobela ilizwi likaNdikhoyo, waya eNiniva. INiniva le ibisisixeko esikhulu gqitha. Bekumthatha umntu iintsuku ezintathu ukuphumela kuyo. ₄Ke kaloku uJona waluqala uhambo lwakhe kweso sixeko. Akuba ehambe imini yonke wadanduluka wathi: “Yoba ziintsuku ezimashumi mane kuphela, itshatyalaliswe iNiniva.” ₅Abo bantu baseNiniva balwamkela olo daba lukaThixo. Ngoko ke bamisela inzila, baza bonke abantu, kuqalela komdala kuye komncinane, bavatha ezenzila.

₆Akuyiva le nto ukumkani wakhona waphuma ebhotwe, umnweba wakhe wawuthi tya phaya, wanxiba ezenzila, wahlala eluthuthwini. ₇Waza ke wakhupha isaziso esithi: “Nasi isaziso esigunyaziswe ngukumkani namaphakathi: Makuzilwe, kungabikho mntu okanye silwanyana ongcamla nantoni na, nditsho iinkomo nempahla emfutshane. Ewe, makungatyiwa nto, kungàselwa namanzi. ₈Abantu nemfuyo mabavathe ezenzila. Bonke mabakhale kuThixo ngamandla, bahlukane neendlela zabo ezimbi nogonyamelo lwabo. ₉Mhlawumbi uThixo angayijika ingqondo yakhe, abuye nganeno ngengqumbo yakhe, size ke thina singatshabalali.”

₁₀Ke kaloku uThixo wasibona isenzo sabo nokwahlukana kwabo neendlela zabo ezimbi. Ngoko ke uThixo wayijika ingqondo yakhe, akabi sabatshabalalisa njengoko wayezimisele.

₁Ke kaloku esi sehlo samkhathaza uJona, wacaphuka gqitha. ₂Wathandaza *kuNdikhoyo esithi: “Kwowu, Ndikhoyo, le nto yileya ndayithethayo kwandisesekhaya. Kwakungenxa yayo ndakhawulezayo ukubalekela eTashishe. Bendisazi ukuba wena unguThixo onesisa nenceba, uThixo oza kade umsindo nonobubele obukhulu, uThixo oyijikayo ingqondo yakhe asiyeke isohlwayo. ₃Ngoko ke ndiyakubongoza, Ndikhoyo, buthathe ubomi bam, kuba kum ukufa kungcono kunokudla ubomi.”

₄UNdikhoyo waphendula wathi: “Unaso na isizathu sokuba uqumbe?”

₅Ke kaloku uJona waphuma waya empuma yeso sixeko, waza ke wahlala phantsi. Wazakhela iphempe, waza wahlala emthunzini walo ukuze ayibukele kakuhle loo nto yayiza kwehla apho eNiniva. ₆Ke uNdikhoyo uThixo wamisela umthi ukuba ukhule apho ecaleni kwakhe ukuze umenzele umthunzi, ukhusele intloko yakhe, iyenze ibe bhetele imeko yakhe. Ke uJona wawuvuyela gqitha loo mthi. ₇Kambe ke ekuseni ngengomso uThixo wawuthumela ngombungu loo mthi, wawugrenya watsho wabuna. ₈Lithe ke lakuphuma ilanga uThixo wathumela umoya wasempuma onolophu, laza lanqanqaza ilanga phezu kwentloko kaJona. Kwanzima kuye; phantse wayoba. Watsho wanqwenela ukufa, wathi: “Kungcono ukuba ndife kunokuba ndidle ubomi.”

₉Ke kaloku uThixo wathi kuye: “Unaso na isizathu sokuba uqumbe ngenxa yalo mthi?”

UJona wathi: “Ndifanele ukuvutha ngumsindo, nditsho onokude undise ekufeni!”

₁₀UNdikhoyo wathi kuye: “Lo mthi uwukhathalele ngani, ungakhange ubulaleke nje ngawo, futhi ungakhuliswanga nanguwe? Lo mthi ukhule ngobusuku, wabuya wafa kwangobusuku. ₁₁Ke, uthi kukangakanani kum mayela nesi sixekokazi siyiNiniva? Uthi mandingavelani naso ngoku sinabantu abangaphezu kwekhulu elinamashumi amabini lamawaka, abangekawazi umahluko phakathi kwesandla sasekunene nesasekhohlo, kwakunye ke nemfuyo eninzi?”