\NormalFont\ShortTitle{UJona}

{\MT UJona



\par }\ChapOne{1}{\SH UJona Ubalekela
{\ND{UThixo}}
\par }
{\PP \VerseOne{1}Ilizwi
{\ND{likaThixo}} lafika kuJona indodana ka-Amithayi lathi:

\VS{2}“Hamba uye edolobheni elikhulu laseNiniva utshumayele ngokulisola kakhulu, ngoba ububi balo sebufinyelele kimi.”


\par }{\PP \VS{3}Kodwa uJona wabalekela
{\ND{uThixo}} waqonda eThashishi. Wehla waya eJopha, lapho afica khona umkhumbi owawusiya kuleyondawo. Eseyikhuphile imali yokugada, wangena umkhumbi waqonda eThashishi yena ebalekela
{\ND{uThixo}}.


\par }{\PP \VS{4}{\ND{UThixo}} wathumela isiphepho elwandlwe, kwaphenquka isavunguzane esasingathi sizawubhidliza umkhumbi.

\VS{5}Bonke abagwedli bawo besaba, ngulowo lalowo wakhala kunkulunkulu wakhe. Baphosela imithwalo elwandle ukuze baphungule ubunzima bomkhumbi.

\par }{\PP Kodwa uJona wayehlele endlwaneni engaphansi, emkhunjini, walala khona ubuthongo bukabhuka.

\VS{6}Induna yomkhumbi yaya kuye yathi, “Ungalala njani? Vuka ubize unkulunkulu wakho! Mhlawumbe yena uzasizwa ukuze singabhubhi.”


\par }{\PP \VS{7}Abagwedli basebecebisana bathi, “Wozani, senze inkatho ukuze sibone ukuthi ngubani osibangele uhlupho lolu.” Bayenza inkatho, yadla uJona.

\VS{8}Basebembuza bathi, “Akusitshele, ngubani osibangele lonke lolu uhlupho na? Wenza msebenzi bani na? Uvela ngaphi? Ungowakuliphi ilizwe? Ungowasiphi isizwe na?”


\par }{\PP \VS{9}Waphendula wathi, “NgingumHebheru, ngikhonza
{\ND{uThixo}}, uNkulunkulu wasezulwini, owenza ulwandle kanye lomhlabathi.”


\par }{\PP \VS{10}Lokhu kwabethusa, babuza bathi, “Wenzeni pho?” (Babekwazi ukuthi ubalekela
{\ND{uThixo}} ngoba wayevele esebatshelile.)


\par }{\PP \VS{11}Ulwandle lwaselulokhu luqubuka lusiya phambili ngamandla. Ngakho basebembuza bathi, “Senzeni kuwe ukuze ulwandle luthule singalimali na?”


\par }{\PP \VS{12}Waphendula wathi, “Ngiqukulani lingiphosele elwandle, luzathula. Ngiyazi ukuthi kungumlandu wami okwenze isiphepho esikhulu kangaka sehlela phezu kwenu.”


\par }{\PP \VS{13}Kodwa amadoda azama ngamandla ukugwedlela emuva emhlabathini. Kodwa behluleka ngoba ulwandle lwaselusidla amahabula okudlula kuqala.

\VS{14}Khonapho basebekhala
{\ND{kuThixo}} bathi, “Oh,
{\ND{Thixo}}, ungasiyekeli sife ngoba sibulele indoda le. Ungasibeki umlandu wokubulala umuntu ongelacala, ngoba wena, Oh
{\ND{Thixo}}, wenzile njengokufisa kwakho.”

\VS{15}Basebethatha uJona bamphosela olwandle, ulwandle lwase luthula ukugubhaza.

\VS{16}Lokhu kwenza amadoda lawo amesabe kakhulu
{\ND{uThixo}}, asesenza umhlatshelo
{\ND{kuThixo}} enza izifungo kuye.


\par }{\SH Umkhuleko KaJona
\par }
{\PP \VS{17}Kodwa
{\ND{uThixo}} waletha inhlanzi enkulukazi yamginya uJona, uJona wahlala phakathi kwenhlanzi insuku ezintathu lobusuku obuthathu.




\Chap{2}\VerseOne{1}Ephakathi kwenhlanzi uJona wakhuleka
{\ND{kuThixo}} uNkulunkulu wakhe.

\VS{2}Wathi:

\par }{\Q “Ekuhluphekeni kwami ngambiza
{\ND{uThixo}},

\par }{\QB wangiphendula.

\par }{\Q Ngisekujuleni kwengcwaba ngacela uncedo,

\par }{\QB wena wakulalela ukukhala kwami.


\par }{\Q \VS{3}Wangiphosela ezinzikini,

\par }{\QB phakathi emathunjini enlwandle,

\par }{\QB amagagasi agubhazela emaceleni wonke;

\par }{\Q wonke amagagasi akho

\par }{\QB lezimpophoma zawo kwangisibekela.


\par }{\Q \VS{4}Ngathi, ‘Sengixotshiwe

\par }{\QB ebusweni bakho;

\par }{\Q kodwa ngizakhangela njalo

\par }{\QB ethempelini lakho elingcwele.’


\par }{\Q \VS{5}Indonga zamanzi zaziqonde ukungimbokotha,

\par }{\QB ngangihanqwe yinziki;

\par }{\QB inkunkuma yotshani bolwandle yangithandela ekhanda.


\par }{\Q \VS{6}Ngagalula ngatshona empandeni zezintaba;

\par }{\QB umhlaba ongaphansi wangivalela okwaphakade.

\par }{\Q Kodwa wena wayikhupha impilo yami egodini,

\par }{\QB wena
{\ND{Thixo}}, Nkulunkulu wami.


\par }{\BB \par }
{\Q \VS{7}Lapho impilo yami yayisincipha,

\par }{\QB ngakhumbula wena,
{\ND{Thixo}},

\par }{\Q umkhuleko wami waphakamela kuwe,

\par }{\QB ethempelini lakho elingcwele.


\par }{\BB \par }
{\Q \VS{8}Labo ababambelela ezithombeni

\par }{\QB ezingelamsebenzi balahlekelwa ngumusa ongaba ngowabo.


\par }{\Q \VS{9}Kodwa mina, ngizakuthi ngihlabela ingoma yokubonga

\par }{\QB ngenze umhlatshelo kuwe.

\par }{\Q Engikufungileyo ngizakugcwalisa.

\par }{\QB Insindiso ivela
{\ND{kuThixo.”}}


\par }{\PP \VS{10}{\ND{UThixo}} walaya inhlanzi, yona yase imhlanza uJona emhlabathini owomileyo.




\par }\Chap{3}{\SH UJona Uya ENiniva
\par }
{\PP \VerseOne{1}Ilizwi
{\ND{likaThixo}} laselifika kuJona ngokwesibili lathi:

\VS{2}“Hamba uye edolobheni elikhulu laseNiniva uyotshumayela kulo ilizwi engikunika lona.”


\par }{\PP \VS{3}UJona walilalela ilizwi
{\ND{likaThixo}}, waya eNineve. Phela iNiniva yayilidolobho elikhulu kakhulu, ukulethekela lonke kwakuthatha insuku ezintathu.

\VS{4}Ngelanga lokuqala, uJona wangena phakathi komuzi. Wamemezela wathi, “Kusele insuku ezingamatshumi amane kuphela ukuba iNiniva ichithwe.”

\VS{5}Abantu beNiniva babekholwa kuNkulunkulu. Bamemezela ukuthi kuzilwe ukudla, njalo bonke kusukela komkhulu kusiya komncinyane bavunula amasaka.


\par }{\PP \VS{6}Ilizwi selifikile enkosini yaseNiniva, yasukuma esihlalweni sayo sobukhosi, yakhumula izembatho zayo zobukhosi, yazembathisa isaka yahlala phansi ebhuqwini.

\VS{7}Yase ikhupha isimemezelo eNiniva esithi:

\par }{\PMO “Ngomthetho wenkosi lezikhulu zayo:

\par }{\PM Akungavunyelwa muntu kumbe inyamazana, imihlambi yenkomo loba eyezimvu ukuthi ithinte ulutho oludliwayo; makungavunyelwa kudle kumbe kunathe.

\VS{8}Kodwa akuthi umuntu loba yinyamazana kwembathe amasaka. Wonke umuntu kamemeze ngokukhawuleza kuNkulunkulu. Kabadele izindlela zabo zobubi lobudlwangudlwangu babo.

\VS{9}Ngubani okwaziyo na? Mhlawumbe uNkulunkulu angadeda kuthi ngesihawu sakhe aphenduke elakeni lwakhe olwesabekayo ukuze singabhubhi.”


\par }{\PP \VS{10}Kwathi uNkulunkulu esebonile abakwenzayo ukuthi baguquka ezindleleni zabo zobubi, wabazwela isihawu kazabe esabehlisela incithakalo ayesonge ngayo.




\par }\Chap{4}{\SH Ukunengwa KukaJona Ngesihawu
{\ND{SikaThixo}}
\par }
{\PP \VerseOne{1}Kodwa uJona wacaphuka kakhulu wazonda.

\VS{2}Wakhuleka
{\ND{kuThixo}} wathi, “Awu
{\ND{Thixo}}, kakusikho lokhu yini engakutshoyo ngisesekhaya? Yikho okwangenza ngaphangisa ukubalekela eThashishi. Ngangikwazi ukuthi unguNkulunkulu olomusa lesihawu, ophuza ukuthukuthela njalo ogcwele uthando, uNkulunkulu odedayo ongasoze ehlise ukuhlupheka.

\VS{3}Khathesi-ke
{\ND{Thixo}}, susa ukuphila kwami, ngoba kungcono kimi ukufa kulokuphila.”


\par }{\PP \VS{4}Kodwa
{\ND{uThixo}} waphendula wathi, “Kambe ubona ulelungelo na lokuthi uzonde?”


\par }{\PP \VS{5}UJona waphuma wayahlala endaweni ethile ngempumalanga kwedolobho. Wazenzela khonapho idunjana wahlala emthunzini walo walindela ukubona okwakuzakwenzakala edolobheni lelo.

\VS{6}Kwasekusithi
{\ND{uThixo}} uNkulunkulu wakhulisa isihlahla esilamahlamvu kuJona samenzela umthunzi ekhanda lakhe ukuze ahlaliseke. UJona wathaba kakhulu ngaleli ivini.

\VS{7}Kodwa emathathakusa ngelanga elilandelayo uNkulunkulu wathumela impehlane, eyaphehla isihlahla sacina sibuna.

\VS{8}Kwathi ilanga seliphumile uNkulunkulu wathumela umoya wempumalanga ohaqazayo, ilanga lavutha phezu kwekhanda likaJona waze waqaleka. Wafisa ukufa, wathi, “Kungcono kimi ukuthi ngife kulokuthi ngiphile.”


\par }{\PP \VS{9}Kodwa uNkulunkulu wathi kuJona, “Ulelungelo na lokuthi uzonde ngenxa yesihlahla?”

\par }{\PP UJona wathi, “Yebo. Ngizonde kakhulu, kuthi kangife.”


\par }{\PP \VS{10}Kodwa
{\ND{uThixo}} wathi, “Uyazihlupha ngesihlahla lesi loba ungazange usinakekele loba usikhulise. Lihlume ngobusuku laphinde lafa ngobusuku.

\VS{11}Kodwa iNiniva ilabantu abeqa izinkulungwane ezilikhulu elilamatshumi amabili abangehlukanisiyo isandla sabo sokudla kwesenxele, lenkomo ezinengi njalo. Bekungafanelanga yini na ukuthi ngilinqinekele idolobho elikhulu kangaka?”

\par }