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Jonah 1 1 But this was greatly displeasing to Jonah, and he became angry. 约纳因此很不高兴，遂发起怒来。 2＂I beseech you, LORD,＂ he prayed,＂is not this what I said while I was still in my own country? This is why I fled at first to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger, rich in clemency, loathe to punish. 他恳求天主说：＂上主，当我还在故乡时，我岂不是已想到这事？所以我预先要逃往塔尔史士去，因为我知道你是慈悲的，宽仁的天主；是缓于发怒，富于慈爱，怜悯而不愿降灾祸的天主。 3 And now, LORD, please take my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.＂ 上主，现在，求你从我身上收去我的性命，因为，我死了比活着还好！＂ 4 But the LORD asked,＂Have you reason to be angry?＂ 上主说：＂你的愤怒合理吗？＂ 5 Jonah then left the city for a place to the east of it, where he built himself a hut and waited under it in the shade, to see what would happen to the city. 约纳出了城，坐在城东，在那里为自己搭了一个棚，坐在棚荫下，要看看那城究竟要发生什么事。 6 2 And when the LORD God provided a gourd plant, that grew up over Jonah's head, giving shade that relieved him of any discomfort, Jonah was very happy over the plant. 上主天主安排了一株篦麻，使它长得高过约纳，为他的头遮荫，消除他的烦恼。约纳很喜爱这株篦麻。 7 But the next morning at dawn God sent a worm which attacked the plant, so that it withered. 但第二天曙光升起时，天主安排了一个虫子咬死了篦麻，篦麻便枯萎了。 8 And when the sun arose, God sent a burning east wind; and the sun beat upon Jonah's head till he became faint. Then he asked for death, saying,＂I would be better off dead than alive.＂ 当太阳升起时，天主又安排了灸热的东风，太阳射在约纳头上，使他无法忍受，遂要求死去，说：＂我死了比活着还好！＂ 9 But God said to Jonah,＂Have you reason to be angry over the plant?＂＂I have reason to be angry,＂ Jonah answered,＂angry enough to die.＂ 天主向约纳说：＂你为这株篦麻发怒合理吗？＂他回答说：＂我发怒以致于死，是合理的！＂ 10 3 Then the LORD said,＂You are concerned over the plant which cost you no labor and which you did not raise; it came up in one night and in one night it perished. 上主说：＂你为这株篦麻，并没有劳过力，也没有使它生长，还怜惜它：它不过是一夜生出，一夜死去的植物； 11 And should I not be concerned over Nineveh, the great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot distinguish their right hand from their left, not to mention the many cattle?＂ 对尼尼微这座大城，其中有十二万多不能分辨自己左右手的人，且有许多牲畜，我就不该怜惜他们么？＂ Footnotes(注解) 1 [1] He became angry: because of his narrowly nationalistic vindictiveness, Jonah did not wish the Lord to forgive the Ninevites. 2 [6] Gourd plant: the Hebrew word, kikayon means here a wide-leafed plant of the cucumber or castor-bean variety. 3 [10-11] Jonah is selfish in bemoaning his personal loss of a shady gourd plant without any concern over the threat of loss of life to the Ninevites through the destruction of their city. If God in his kindness provided the plant for his prophet without the latter's effort or merit, how much more is he disposed to show love and mercy toward all men, Jew and Gentile, when they repent of their sins and implore his pardon! God's providence is also shown here to extend even to animals. |
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