| 約納 |
Jonah |
| 1上主的話再次傳給約納說： |
1The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: |
| 2「你起身往尼尼微大城去，向他們宣告我曉諭你的事。」 |
2"Set out for the great city of Nineveh, and announce to it the message that I will tell you." |
| 3約納便依從上主的話，起身去了尼尼微。尼尼微在天主前是一座大城，需要三天的行程。 |
3So Jonah made ready and went to Nineveh, according to the LORD'S bidding. Now Nineveh was an enormously large city; it took three days to go through it. |
| 4約納開始進城，行了一天的路程，宣佈說：「還有四十天，尼尼微就要毀滅了。」 |
4 Jonah began his journey through the city, and had gone but a single day's walk announcing, "Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed," |
| 5尼尼微人便信仰了天主，立即宣佈禁食，從大到小，都身披苦衣。 |
5when the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth. |
| 6當這消息傳到尼尼微王那裏，他便起來，離開自己的寶座，脫去長服，披上苦衣，坐在灰土中； |
6When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in the ashes. |
| 7然後命人以君王的諭令和其大臣的名義，在尼尼微宣佈說：「人、牲畜、牛羊，都不可吃什麼；不可牧放，也不可喝水。 |
7Then he had this proclaimed throughout Nineveh, by decree of the king and his nobles: "Neither man nor beast, neither cattle nor sheep, shall taste anything; they shall not eat, nor shall they drink water. |
| 8人和牲畜，都應身披苦衣，人要懇切呼求天主，更要轉離自己的邪路，放棄手中的暴行。 |
8 Man and beast shall be covered with sackcloth and call loudly to God; every man shall turn from his evil way and from the violence he has in hand. |
| 9誰知道天主也許會轉意憐憫，收回自己的烈怒，使我們不致滅亡。」 |
9Who knows, God may relent and forgive, and withhold his blazing wrath, so that we shall not perish." |
| 10天主看到他們所行的事，看到他們離開了自己的邪路，遂憐憫他們，不將已宣佈的災禍，降在他們身上。 |
10When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way, he repented of the evil that he had threatened to do to them; he did not carry it out. |
