Jonás obedece al Señor

La palabra del Señor vino por segunda vez a Jonás: «Levántate y ve a la gran ciudad de Nínive y proclámale el mensaje que te voy a dar».

Jonás se levantó y se encaminó a Nínive, como el Señor le ordenó. Nínive era una ciudad tan grande que se necesitaban tres días para recorrerla. Jonás entró en la ciudad y la recorrió todo un día, mientras proclamaba: «¡Dentro de cuarenta días Nínive será destruida!». Y los ninivitas creyeron a Dios, proclamaron ayuno y, desde el mayor hasta el menor, se vistieron con ropa áspera en señal de arrepentimiento.

Cuando el rey de Nínive se enteró del mensaje, se levantó de su trono, se quitó su manto real, se vistió con ropa áspera y se sentó sobre ceniza. Luego mandó que se pregonara en Nínive:

«Por decreto del rey y de su corte:

»Ninguna persona o animal, ni ovejas ni vacas, probará alimento alguno, ni tampoco pastará ni beberá agua. Personas y animales vestirán telas ásperas y clamarán a Dios con todas sus fuerzas. Ordena así mismo que cada uno se convierta de su mal camino y de sus hechos violentos. ¡Quién sabe! Tal vez Dios cambie de parecer y aplaque el ardor de su ira, y no perezcamos».

10 Al ver Dios lo que hicieron, es decir, que habían abandonado su mal camino, cambió de parecer y no llevó a cabo la destrucción que había anunciado.

Jonah Goes to Nineveh

Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah(A) a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”

Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it. Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming,(B) “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.(C)

When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust.(D) This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh:

“By the decree of the king and his nobles:

Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink.(E) But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call(F) urgently on God. Let them give up(G) their evil ways(H) and their violence.(I) Who knows?(J) God may yet relent(K) and with compassion turn(L) from his fierce anger(M) so that we will not perish.”

10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented(N) and did not bring on them the destruction(O) he had threatened.(P)

The Lord Again Calls Jonah to Go to Nineveh

This message from the Lord came to Jonah a second time: “Get up and go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you.” So Jonah got up and went to Nineveh to do what the Lord had ordered.

Now Nineveh was a very large city,[a] requiring[b] a three-day journey to cross through it.[c] As Jonah started into the city on the first day’s journey, he proclaimed the message, “40 days more and Nineveh will be overthrown!”

The City of Nineveh Repents

The people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least important. When the message reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, removed his royal garments, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat down in ashes. Then he had this proclamation published throughout Nineveh:

“By decree of the king and his nobles:

No man or animal, herd or flock, is to taste anything, graze, or drink water. Instead, let both man and animal clothe themselves with sackcloth and cry out to God forcefully. Let every person turn from his evil ways and from his tendency to do violence.[d] Who knows but that God may relent, have compassion, and turn from his fierce anger, so that we are not exterminated?”

10 God took note of what they did—that they turned from their evil ways. Because God relented concerning the trouble about which he had warned them, he did not carry it out.

Footnotes

  1. Jonah 3:3 Lit. a great city of God; i.e. a city of enormous size
  2. Jonah 3:3 The Heb. lacks requiring
  3. Jonah 3:3 The Heb. lacks to cross through it
  4. Jonah 3:8 Lit. from the violence that is in their palms

Yahweh’s word came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I give you.”

So Jonah arose, and went to Nineveh, according to Yahweh’s word. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey across. Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried out, and said, “In forty days, Nineveh will be overthrown!”

The people of Nineveh believed God; and they proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, from their greatest even to their least. The news reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, took off his royal robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. He made a proclamation and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, “Let neither man nor animal, herd nor flock, taste anything; let them not feed, nor drink water; but let them be covered with sackcloth, both man and animal, and let them cry mightily to God. Yes, let them turn everyone from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who knows whether God will not turn and relent, and turn away from his fierce anger, so that we might not perish?”

10 God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way. God relented of the disaster which he said he would do to them, and he didn’t do it.