Jonah Run Go Di Oda Side

Di ship dey groan. Waves dey break for di deck. Sailors dey throw load inside sea, dem dey shout to dia gods. And under di deck, for di middle of all dis wahala, one man dey sleep well-well.

Im name na Jonah, and e be prophet for Israel. One day God talk to am. “Go Nineveh, dat big city, and shout against am, because dia wickedness don reach my front.” Nineveh na city for Assyria, di empire wey people fear pass for dat time, and Israel enemy. Jonah stand up. E go down to di port of Joppa. E buy ticket. For Tarshish. Almost di farthest place for di oda direction wey ship fit carry am go.

For di middle of sea, God send one big wind. Di storm strong so tey di ship wan break. Di captain see Jonah dey sleep and e shake am. “How you fit dey sleep? Wake up and call your God!” Di sailors cast lots to find who cause di trouble, and di lot fall on Jonah. E tell dem di truth. “I dey worship di Lord, di God of heaven, wey make di sea and di dry land. Na from am I dey run. Throw me inside di sea, and e go calm.” Dem no want do am. Dem paddle hard to reach land. But di storm just dey increase. At last dem pray for mercy, lift Jonah up, and throw am inside di water. And di sea calm down.

Jonah dey sink. Sea weed wrap im head. Then something big-big rise from di deep. God don prepare one big fish, and e swallow Jonah whole. For three days and three nights e dey inside di fish belle. And there, for di darkness, Jonah pray. E remember how e cry from di deep and God hear am. E end im prayer with one promise and one shout: “Salvation na from di Lord!” Then God talk to di fish, and di fish vomit Jonah for dry land.

God talk to Jonah di second time. Di same message. Dis time Jonah go. Nineveh big well-well, e take three days to waka cross am. Jonah waka one day enter di city and e shout. “Forty more days, and Nineveh go scatter!” Na only dat. For English, na eight words. For Hebrew, na only five. And di whole city believe God. People wear sackcloth, from di big man reach di small one. Di news reach di king. E comot from im throne, cover imself with sackcloth and sit down for dust. “Everybody must turn from dia evil ways,” e command. “Who know? God fit still change im mind.” God see wetin dem do. And e get mercy. Di disaster no come again.

You go expect say Jonah go happy well-well. E vex instead. “Na exactly why I run be dis,” e tell God. “I know say you get grace and mercy, you no dey quick vex, and you full with love.” E waka comot from di city with vex and sit down to see wetin go happen. Sun dey hot well-well. So God make one plant with plenty leaf grow over Jonah to give am shade, and Jonah happy well-well for am. Di next morning, God send one worm. Di plant dry. Hot wind blow, and Jonah want die. Then God ask am, “You care about one plant wey you no plant, wey you no make grow. Abi I no suppose care about Nineveh, one city wey get more than one hundred and twenty thousand people wey no know dia right hand from dia left, and plenty animals too?” And di book end there. With God question still hanging for air.

To feel Jonah vex, e good make you know wetin Nineveh mean. E dey for di side of River Tigris, across from di city of Mosul for Iraq today. E come be di capital of Assyria, one empire wey dey conquer im neighbours with plenty wickedness. For di end, Assyria go destroy di northern kingdom of Israel, Jonah own home land. To ask am make e go warn Nineveh be like to ask am make e help enemy.

Jonah, di storm, di fish and Nineveh. You go find am for di book of Jonah, chapter 1 reach 4. Jonah happy for God mercy when e reach am, inside di fish, but e no too happy when di mercy reach people wey e no like. So see di question wey di book leave for us. Who be di person wey you no go like make God forgive pass?