In the Assyrian city of Nineveh, the people were wicked. Jehovah told his prophet Jonah to go to Nineveh and warn them that they should change their ways. But Jonah ran away in the opposite direction. He got on a ship bound for Tarshish and sailed away.

While the ship was at sea, a violent storm came up, and the sailors were terrified. They prayed to their gods and asked: ‘Why is this happening?’ Finally, Jonah told them: ‘I am to blame. I am running away from what Jehovah told me to do. Throw me into the sea, and the storm will stop.’ The sailors didn’t want to throw Jonah overboard, but he insisted. When they did throw him into the sea, the storm stopped.

Jonah thought he was going to die. As he sank deeper and deeper into the sea, he prayed to Jehovah. Then Jehovah sent a huge fish. It swallowed Jonah, but that didn’t kill him. From inside the fish, Jonah prayed: ‘I promise to obey you always.’ Jehovah kept Jonah safe inside the fish for three days and then made the fish spit Jonah out onto dry land.

Since Jehovah had saved Jonah, did this mean that he didn’t have to go to Nineveh after all? No. Jehovah again told  Jonah to go there. This time, Jonah obeyed. He went there and told those wicked people: ‘In 40 days, Nineveh will be destroyed.’ Then something unexpected happened​—the Ninevites listened and changed their ways. The king of Nineveh told his people: ‘Call out to God, and repent. Perhaps he will not destroy us.’ When Jehovah saw that the people repented, he did not destroy Nineveh.

Jonah was angry that the city was not destroyed. Just think: Jehovah had been patient and merciful with Jonah, but Jonah was not merciful with the people of Nineveh. Instead, he sat outside the city in the shade of a bottle-gourd plant and pouted. Then the plant died, and Jonah got angry. So Jehovah told him: ‘You care more about this plant than you do about the Ninevites. I showed them mercy, and they survived.’ What was the point? The people of Nineveh were more important than any plant.

Emwa dan ẹre ọ wa gha rre ẹvbo e Nenivẹ nọ rre Asiria. E Jehova keghi tama akhasẹ e Jona nọ gha rrie Nenivẹ, ne ọ ya ye obọ sekhae ma iran wẹẹ, ne iran fi uyinmwẹ iran werriẹ. Sokpan e Jona keghi mu uhunmwu daa ẹvbo ọvbehe ne ọ mieke na lẹẹ fua. Ọ na la okọ nọ rrie Tasis.

Vbe iran ghi rre uwu ẹzẹ, ogbigbi ẹhoho keghi suẹn, ohan na gha mu emwa hia. Iran na suẹn gha na erhunmwu gie dọmwadẹ ẹbọ ne iran ga, iran na gha nọ wẹẹ: ‘Vbe ena ya de?’ Vbe okiekie, e Jona keghi tama iran wẹẹ: ‘Mẹ ẹre ọ si ẹre. Te I lẹẹ re ne uhunmwu ne Jehova gie mwẹ re. Uwa fi mwẹ fi uwu ẹzẹ, ne ogbigbi ẹhoho na, mieke na dobọ yi.’ Iran ma te hoo ne iran fi ẹre fi uwu ẹzẹ, sokpan ọ na ye gha tama iran ne iran ru vberriọ. Vbe iran ghi gele fi ẹre fi uwu ẹzẹ, ehe hia na ye hii.

Emwi ọkpa nọ ghaa rre Jona orhiọn ọre wẹẹ, uwu ẹre irẹn ghi wa miẹn na. Vbene ọ ya gha dinmwi khian vbuwe ẹzẹ nii, erriọ ẹre ọ ya gha na erhunmwu gie Jehova. E Jehova na ghi gie ehẹn nọkhua rre. Ọ keghi mi e Jona re, sokpan ọ ma wu. E Jona na gha na erhunmwu vbuwe ẹko ehẹn, ọ na tama e Jehova wẹẹ: ‘Ẹghẹ hia, ẹre I khian ghi ya gha họn ẹmwẹ nuẹ.’ E Jehova keghi gbaroghe Jona vbuwe ẹko ehẹn vbe ọwara ikpẹdẹ eha, iyeke ọni, e Jehova keghi ruẹ ne ehẹn nii ya kpa e Jona ye otọ nọ kae.

Ugbẹnvbe Jehova ghi miẹn e Jona fan nẹ, ọni ghi rhiema wẹẹ, ẹi khian ghi yo e Nenivẹ ra? Hiehie. E Jehova keghi werriegbe tama e Jona nọ gha  rrie evba. Ẹre Jona na gha khian. Ọ ghi sẹ evba, ọ na gha tama emwa dan ni rre ẹvbo nii wẹẹ: ‘Ikpẹdẹ 40 kẹkan ẹre ọ ghi dekẹ na guọghọ e Nenivẹ rua.’ Sokpan, Ivbi e Nenivẹ keghi fiwerriẹ, agharhemiẹn wẹẹ e Jona ma te roro ẹre wẹẹ, ọ gha de vberriọ. Ọba ọghe Nenivẹ keghi tama emwa rẹn wẹẹ: ‘Wa gi ima fiwerriẹ, ne ima rinmwia Osanobua nọ yabọ ima. Egbọre, ọ gha tohan ima.’ Vbe Jehova ghi bẹghe ẹre wẹẹ Ivbi e Nenivẹ fiwerriẹ, ọ ma ghi guọghọ iran rua.

Ohu na gha mu e Jona rhunmwuda ne Osanobua ma na ghi guọghọ ẹvbo nii rua. Muẹn roro: E Jona ma hoo ne ọ mwẹ itohan ghee Ivbi e Nenivẹ, vbene ọ na mianmian wẹẹ e Jehova ka mwẹ itohan ghee irẹn. Ọ na ya tota ye irhu ọghe ọmọ erhan ọkpa, vbene ọ na suku aro ye uhunmwu. Vbe ọmọ erhan nii ghi giẹn, ohu na gha mu e Jona. Ẹre Jehova na tama rẹn wẹẹ: ‘U ma bẹghe vbe ohu muẹn ye ọmọ erhan nọ giẹnrẹn, inu ghi nọ ne Ivbi e Nenivẹ? Mẹ ẹre ọ mwẹ itohan ghee iran, ẹre ọ zẹe ne iran na miẹn fan.’ Te Jehova ru ọna, ne ọ ya gi e Jona rẹn wẹẹ, Ivbi e Nenivẹ ẹre ọ ru ekpataki sẹ emwi okọ nọ rhirhi gha khin.