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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.

Ninevites Turn from Their Evil Ways

Now the word of Yahweh came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to (A)Nineveh, the great city, and (B)call out to it this very call which I am going to speak to you.” So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of Yahweh. Now Nineveh was [a]an (C)exceedingly great city, a three days’ walk. Then Jonah began to go into the city, one day’s walk; and he (D)called out and said, “Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown.”

And the [b]people of Nineveh believed in God; and they called a (E)fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. Then the word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, laid aside his mantle from him, (F)covered himself with sackcloth, and sat on the [c]ashes. And he (G)cried out and said,

“In Nineveh by the [d]decree of the king and his nobles[e]: Do not let man, [f]animal, herd, or flock taste a thing. Do not let them eat, and do not let them drink water.

But both man and [g]animal must be covered with sackcloth; and let [h]men (H)call on God with their strength that each may (I)turn from his evil way and from the violence which is in [i]his hands.

(J)Who knows, God may turn and relent and turn away from His burning anger so that we will not perish.”

10 Then God saw their works, that they (K)turned from their evil way, so (L)God [j]relented concerning the evil which He had spoken He would [k]bring upon them. And He did not [l]bring it upon them.

Footnotes

  1. Jonah 3:3 Lit a great city to God
  2. Jonah 3:5 Lit men
  3. Jonah 3:6 Or dust
  4. Jonah 3:7 Lit taste, cf. 3:7b
  5. Jonah 3:7 Lit saying
  6. Jonah 3:7 Lit beast, cattle
  7. Jonah 3:8 Lit beast, cattle
  8. Jonah 3:8 Lit them
  9. Jonah 3:8 Lit their
  10. Jonah 3:10 Or regretted, cf. 1 Sam 15:11, 29, 35
  11. Jonah 3:10 Lit do
  12. Jonah 3:10 Lit do