Jehova Yii-Lɔɔni Joona Ya

In the Assyrian city of Nineveh, the people wor wicked. So Jehovah tell his prophet Jonah to go to Nineveh and warn the people to change their ways. But Jonah run away to go different place. He get on the ship that wor going to Tarshish.

When the ship wor over the sea, heavy breeze start blowing. And the people that wor in the ship with Jonah wor scare. They pray to their gods and ask him: ‘Why this thing happening?’ Finally, Jonah tell them say: ‘That me yor must blame. I running away from the thing Jehovah tell me to do. So yor throw me in the sea, then the heavy breeze will stop.’ The people never wanted to throw Jonah in the water. But he still tell them to do it. When they throw him in the sea, the heavy breeze stop.

Jonah wor thinking that he wor coming die. The more he wor going way under the sea, he pray to Jehovah. Then Jehovah send one big fish. It swallow Jonah but it not kill him. When Jonah wor inside the fish stomach, he pray to Jehovah and tell him say: ‘I promise that I will always obey you.’ Jehovah keep Jonah save in the fish stomach for three days. Then he made the fish to vomit Jonah on dry land.

Since Jehovah save Jonah, you think it mean he will not go to Nineveh again? No. Jehovah still tell him to go there. This time now, Jonah obey. He go there and tell the wicked people in Nineveh say: ‘In 40 days, Nineveh will be destroy.’ But something happen that he wor not expecting. The people listen and change their ways. The king for Nineveh tell his people say: ‘Yor let pray to God and repent. Maybe he will not destroy us.’ When Jehovah see that the people repent, he not destroy Nineveh.

Jonah wor vex because Jehovah not destroy the city. Just think about it: Jehovah wor patient and show mercy to Jonah, but Jonah not show mercy to the people in Nineveh. Instead, he move from in the city and go sit down under the bottle-gourd plant for shade. Then the plant die. Jonah wor vex. Then Jehovah tell him say: ‘You care about the plant more than the people in Nineveh. I show them mercy, and they survive.’ What Jehovah wor teaching Jonah? The people in Nineveh wor important more than any plant.