< Jonah 3 >

1 The word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying,
耶和華的話二次臨到約拿說:
2 "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I give you."
「你起來!往尼尼微大城去,向其中的居民宣告我所吩咐你的話。」
3 So Jonah arose, and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days' journey across.
約拿便照耶和華的話起來,往尼尼微去。這尼尼微是極大的城,有三日的路程。
4 Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried out, and said, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown."
約拿進城走了一日,宣告說:「再等四十日,尼尼微必傾覆了!」
5 The people of Nineveh believed God; and they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.
尼尼微人信服上帝,便宣告禁食,從最大的到至小的都穿麻衣。
6 The news reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and took off his royal robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
這信息傳到尼尼微王的耳中,他就下了寶座,脫下朝服,披上麻布,坐在灰中。
7 He made a proclamation and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, "Let neither man nor animal, herd nor flock, taste anything; let them not feed, nor drink water;
他又使人遍告尼尼微通城,說:「王和大臣有令,人不可嘗甚麼,牲畜、牛羊不可吃草,也不可喝水。
8 but let them be covered with sackcloth, both man and animal, and let them cry mightily to God. Yes, let them turn everyone from his evil way, and from the violence that is in his hands.
人與牲畜都當披上麻布;人要切切求告上帝。各人回頭離開所行的惡道,丟棄手中的強暴。
9 Who knows whether God will not turn and relent, and turn away from his fierce anger, so that we might not perish?"
或者上帝轉意後悔,不發烈怒,使我們不致滅亡,也未可知。」
10 God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way. God relented of the disaster which he said he would do to them, and he did not do it.
於是上帝察看他們的行為,見他們離開惡道,他就後悔,不把所說的災禍降與他們了。

< Jonah 3 >