Jonás 3
Dios Habla Hoy
Nínive se arrepiente
3 El Señor se dirigió por segunda vez a Jonás, y le dijo: 2 «Anda, vete a la gran ciudad de Nínive y anuncia lo que te voy a decir.»
3-4 Jonás se puso en marcha y fue a Nínive, como el Señor se lo había ordenado. Nínive era una ciudad tan grande que para recorrerla toda había que caminar tres días. Jonás entró en la ciudad y caminó todo un día, diciendo a grandes voces: «¡Dentro de cuarenta días Nínive será destruida!»
5 Los habitantes de la ciudad, grandes y pequeños, creyeron en Dios, proclamaron ayuno y se pusieron ropas ásperas en señal de dolor. 6 Cuando la noticia llegó al rey de Nínive, también él se levantó de su trono, se quitó sus vestiduras reales, se puso ropas ásperas y se sentó en el suelo. 7 Luego, el rey y sus ministros dieron a conocer por toda la ciudad el siguiente decreto: «Que nadie tome ningún alimento. Que tampoco se dé de comer ni de beber al ganado y a los rebaños. 8 Al contrario, vístanse todos con ropas ásperas en señal de dolor, y clamen a Dios con todas sus fuerzas. Deje cada uno su mala conducta y la violencia que ha estado cometiendo hasta ahora; 9 tal vez Dios cambie de parecer y se calme su ira, y así no moriremos.»
10 Dios vio lo que hacía la gente de Nínive y cómo dejaba su mala conducta, y decidió no hacerles el daño que les había anunciado.
Jonah 3
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 3
Jonah’s Obedience and the Ninevites’ Repentance. 1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: 2 Set out for the great city of Nineveh, and announce to it the message that I will tell you. 3 So Jonah set out for Nineveh, in accord with the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an awesomely great city; it took three days to walk through it. 4 Jonah began his journey through the city, and when he had gone only a single day’s walk announcing, “Forty days more and Nineveh shall be overthrown,” 5 the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast and all of them, great and small,[a] put on sackcloth.(A)
6 When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 Then he had this proclaimed throughout Nineveh:[b] “By decree of the king and his nobles, no man or beast, no cattle or sheep, shall taste anything; they shall not eat, nor shall they drink water. 8 Man and beast alike must be covered with sackcloth and call loudly to God; they all must turn from their evil way and from the violence of their hands. 9 [c]Who knows? God may again repent and turn from his blazing wrath, so that we will not perish.”(B) 10 When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way, he repented of the evil he had threatened to do to them; he did not carry it out.
Footnotes
- 3:5 Great and small: the contrast can refer to distinctions of social class (prominent citizens and the poor).
- 3:7–8 Fasting and wearing sackcloth are signs of human repentance; here they are legislated even for the animals—a humorous touch, perhaps anticipating 4:11.
- 3:9–10 Scripture frequently presents the Lord as repenting (or, changing his mind) of the evil that he threatens; e.g., Gn 6:6–7; Jer 18:8.
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