約拿書4:1-4

4:1 這事約拿大大不悅，且甚發怒，

4:2 就禱告耶和華說：「耶和華啊，我在本國的時候豈不是這樣說嗎？我知道你是有恩典、有憐憫的上帝，不輕易發怒，有豐盛的慈愛，並且後悔不降所說的災，所以我急速逃往他施去。

4:3 耶和華啊，現在求你取我的命吧！因為我死了比活著還好。」

4:4 耶和華說：「你這樣發怒合乎理嗎？」

But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.  And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.  Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”  And the Lord said, “Do you do well to be angry?”

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    在這裡看見，約拿為耶和華不降災給尼尼微城的百姓，心中非常的不悅，還向上帝發怒！

    可是上帝也回答得很可愛：「你這樣發怒合乎理嗎？」

    的確，有許多時候我們自以為有理，發一些自己都覺得好笑的怒氣，以至於自己受虧損！

    所以，我們要常常記得上帝這樣的提醒：「你這樣發怒合乎理嗎？」

約拿書3:4-10

3:4 約拿進城走了一日，宣告說：「再等四十日，尼尼微必傾覆了！」

3:5 尼尼微人信服上帝，便宣告禁食，從最大的到至小的都穿麻衣（或譯：披上麻布）。

3:6 這信息傳到尼尼微王的耳中，他就下了寶座，脫下朝服，披上麻布，坐在灰中。

3:7 他又使人遍告尼尼微通城，說：「王和大臣有令，人不可嘗甚麼，牲畜、牛羊不可吃草，也不可喝水。

3:8 人與牲畜都當披上麻布；人要切切求告上帝。各人回頭離開所行的惡道，丟棄手中的強暴。

3:9 或者上帝轉意後悔，不發烈怒，使我們不致滅亡，也未可知。」

3:10 於是上帝察看他們的行為，見他們離開惡道，他就後悔，不把所說的災禍降與他們了。

Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”  And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them. The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.  And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water,  but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands.  Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.”

  When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.

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    在這裡看見悔改的力量，因著約拿悔改順服上帝，所以尼尼微城的大大小小都悔改，甚至連人養的牲畜也一同悔改！

    這是一幅令上帝喜悅的圖像，因為這樣上帝就不發怒，不叫他們遭受大災難，使他們獲得平安！

    可見上帝喜悅人悔改歸向祂並離棄罪惡，這也是上帝在基督裡設立救恩的目的。

約拿書3章

     約拿書3章1-10節  ,

     約拿書3:1-3 ,

     約拿書3:4-10   ,

約拿書3:1-3

3:1 耶和華的話二次臨到約拿說：

3:2 「你起來！往尼尼微大城去，向其中的居民宣告我所吩咐你的話。」

3:3 約拿便照耶和華的話起來，往尼尼微去。這尼尼微是極大的城，有三日的路程。

Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying,  “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.”  So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days' journey in breadth.

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    約拿這次真的順服上帝的話，花了三天的路程，來到尼尼微大城去傳講上帝的話！

    這是約拿悔改的見證，他不再堅持己意，願意順服上帝，完成上帝的交託。

約拿書2章

      約拿書2:1-10  , 約拿書2章1-10節  ,

      約拿書2:2   ,

      約拿書2:4  ,  約拿書2:4 ,

      約拿書2章5-9節 ,

      約拿書 2:5-9  ,    約拿書2:7  ,

約拿書2:1-10

2:1 約拿在魚腹中禱告耶和華─他的上帝，

2:2 說：我遭遇患難求告耶和華，你就應允我；從陰間的深處呼求，你就俯聽我的聲音。

2:3 你將我投下深淵，就是海的深處；大水環繞我，你的波浪洪濤都漫過我身。

2:4 我說：我從你眼前雖被驅逐，我仍要仰望你的聖殿。

2:5 諸水環繞我，幾乎淹沒我；深淵圍住我；海草纏繞我的頭。

2:6 我下到山根，地的門將我永遠關住。耶和華─我的上帝啊，你卻將我的性命從坑中救出來。

2:7 我心在我裡面發昏的時候，我就想念耶和華。我的禱告進入你的聖殿，達到你的面前。

2:8 那信奉虛無之神的人，離棄憐愛他們的主；

2:9 但我必用感謝的聲音獻祭與你。我所許的願，我必償還。救恩出於耶和華。

2:10 耶和華吩咐魚，魚就把約拿吐在旱地上。

Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish,  saying,      

“I called out to the Lord, out of my distress,

and he answered me;

out of the belly of Sheol I cried,

and you heard my voice.

  For you cast me into the deep,

into the heart of the seas,

and the flood surrounded me;

all your waves and your billows

passed over me.

  Then I said, ‘I am driven away

from your sight;

yet I shall again look

upon your holy temple.’

The waters closed in over me to take my life;

the deep surrounded me;

weeds were wrapped about my head

  at the roots of the mountains.

I went down to the land

whose bars closed upon me forever;

yet you brought up my life from the pit,

O Lord my God.

  When my life was fainting away,

I remembered the Lord,

and my prayer came to you,

into your holy temple.

  Those who pay regard to vain idols

forsake their hope of steadfast love.

  But I with the voice of thanksgiving

will sacrifice to you;

what I have vowed I will pay.

Salvation belongs to the Lord!”

  And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.

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    這是約拿在魚腹中的禱告，是一首讚美的詩歌，讚美上帝的憐憫和恩典。