18, 19. Kuyini okwenzakala kuJona esekujuleni kolwandle, yisilo bani adibana laso, njalo ngubani owayebangele ukuthi konke lokhu kwenzakale? (Khangela lamabala angaphansi.)

¹⁸ Kusenjalo kwenzakala isimanga! Thutshu inkalakatha yesilo esimnyama. Sasondela kancane kancane, nanso sihahabela uJona! Savula umlomo waso omkhulu, samginya.

¹⁹ Engxenye uJona wahle wazitshela ukuthi kwasekuphelile ngaye. Kodwa wamangala ezizwa elokhu esaphefumula. Wayezizwa elokhu enguye sibili, engahlephukanga lanxa kwasekumele ukuthi ngabe seyinganekwane nje. Wasala engelankani! Akuthandabuzwa ukuthi nguJehova uNkulunkulu wakhe ‘owayelethe inhlanzi enkulukazi yamginya.’c—Jona. 1:17.

20. Umthandazo kaJona ephakathi kwenhlanzi enkulu ungasifundisani?

²⁰ Kwakumnyama tshu esiswini senhlanzi. Kwadlula imizuzu, kwadlula amahora. Elapho, uJona wathola isikhathi sokucabangisisa kanye lokukhuleka kuJehova uNkulunkulu. Umthandazo kaJona esiwuthola eBhayibhilini esahlukweni sesibili sebhuku lakhe usifundisa okunengi ngaye. Usitshengisa ukuthi wayeyazi engayiphumputhi iMibhalo ngoba okunengi okukuwo wayekuthatha kumaHubo. Umthandazo lo uphinda uveze lokuthi wayengumuntu obongayo. Wathi ewuphetha wathi: “Kodwa mina, ngizakuthi ngihlabela ingoma yokubonga ngenze umhlatshelo kuwe. Engikufungileyo ngizakugcwalisa. Insindiso ivela kuJehova.”—Jona. 2:9.

21. UJona wafundani, futhi yikuphi okuqakathekileyo okumele sihlale sikukhumbula?

²¹ ‘Ephakathi kwenhlanzi,’ uJona wafunda ukuthi uJehova angazisindisa izinceku zakhe loba nini, kungelani lokuthi zingaphi. UJehova wayibona ikhonale inceku yakhe eyayikhathazekile, waseyisindisa. (Jona. 1:17) Nguye yedwa owayengenelisa ukulondoloza umuntu ephila okwamalanga amathathu lobusuku obuthathu esiswini senkalakatha yenhlanzi. Lawe kungaba kuhle ukuthi uhlale ukhumbula ukuthi uJehova nguye “uNkulunkulu ophethe ukuphila kwakho.” (Dan. 5:23) Siyaphefumula nje nguye, njalo sikhona ngenxa yakhe. Yikho-ke kumele simlalele ngoba nxa sisenza njalo siyabe sitshengisa ukuthi siyambonga. Wena uyambonga yini?

22, 23. (a) UJona walithola yini ithuba lokutshengisa ukuthi uyabonga? Chaza. (b) Singafundani kuJona nxa kuyikuthi sesenze iphutha?

²² Kukhona yini uJona akufundayo? Wakubona ukuthi kwakumele alalele uJehova ukuze kukhanye ukuthi wayembonga. Ngemva kwamalanga amathathu lobusuku obuthathu, inhlanzi ‘yamhlanza uJona emhlabathini owomileyo.’ (Jona. 2:10) Uyabona yini ukuthi uJehova wamenzela impilo yakhe yaba lula? Kwakungasadingeki ukuthi abhukutshe esiya ekhunjini lolwandle. Lanxa kunjalo, kwakumele azibonele ukuthi wayezaqonda ngaphi esuka lapho. Ngemva kwesikhatshana, uJona wathola ithuba lokutshengisa ukuthi wayesephendukile yini sibisibili. UJona 3:1, 2 uthi: “Ilizwi likaJehova laselifika kuJona ngokwesibili lathi: ‘Hamba uye edolobheni elikhulu laseNineve uyotshumayela kulo ilizwi engikunika lona.’” Wenzani uJona?