The book of Jonah is a fictional instructional tale. The story is quite bizarre and attempts, in an ironic way, to challenge the listeners to take a stance.
Jonah receives a directive from God to proclaim judgment in the hostile city of Nineveh. However, he has no intention of fulfilling the task and sets off in the opposite direction. When the ship is about to capsize due to a storm, Jonah confesses his wrongdoing and allows himself to be thrown overboard. A large fish swallows him and brings him back to land. Reluctantly, he now carries out his mission and declares judgment upon Nineveh. In the shadow of a shrub, he wants to witness the city’s downfall. However, a worm causes the shrub to wither, making Jonah angry. Furthermore, the inhabitants of Nineveh repent. The story concludes with the rhetorical question: Jonah has compassion for the shrub he did not work for. Shouldn’t God then have compassion for the many people in Nineveh?
The book of Jonah is the first book that has been completely translated into Toki Pona!
1 toki tan sewi Jawe li kama tawa jan Jona pi jan Amita, li toki e ni: 2 o lon noka sina! o tawa ma tomo suli Ninawe, o toki wawa tawa ona, tan ni: ike ona li kama suli lon lukin mi. 3 jan Jona li open weka tawa ma Tasisa tan lukin pi sewi Jawe. ona li tawa ma Japo, li alasa e tomo telo tawa ma Tasisa. ona li pana e mani, li anpa tawa insa pi tomo telo, li weka tawa ma Tasisa lon poka ona tan sinpin pi sewi Jawe. 4 sewi Jawe li pana e kon wawa lon telo. pilin ike wawa li lon telo la, tomo telo li lon poka pakala.
lipu pi jan Jona 1,1-4
toki tan sewi [jo ale wawa esun] li kama tawa jan [jo ona:] pi(jan [a mi: tan.] li toki e ni:
lipu pi(jan [jo ona:])
zz zz o lon noka sina.
zz zz o tawa ma tomo suli [ni n awen.]
zz zz o toki wawa tawa ona tan ni:
zz zz zz zz ike ona li kama suli lon lukin mi.
jan [jo ona:] li open weka tawa ma [tan.sin.sama.] tan lukin pi(sewi [jo ale wawa esun]).
ona li tawa ma [jan a pona.] li alasa e tomo telo tawa ma [tan.sin.sama.].
ona li pana e mani li anpa tawa insa pi(tomo telo)
zz li weka tawa ma [tan.sin.sama.] lon poka ona tan sinpin pi(sewi [jo ale wawa esun]).
sewi [jo ale wawa esun] li pana e kon wawa lon telo.
pilin ike wawa li lon telo la
zz tomo telo li lon poka pakala.