God Calls and Jonah Runs

1 The ·Lord spoke his word [^Lword of the Lord came] to Jonah son of Amittai: ² “Get up, go to the great city of Nineveh [^Cthe capital of Assyria; Gen. 10:11, 12; 2 Kin. 19:36], and ·preach [cry out] against it, because ·I see the evil things they do [its wickedness has come to my attention/^Lup before me].”

³ But Jonah got up to run away from the Lord by going to Tarshish [^Cprobably Tartessos in southwest Spain, the opposite direction from Nineveh]. He went to the city of Joppa, where he found a ship that was going to the city of Tarshish. Jonah paid for the trip and went aboard, planning to go to Tarshish to run away from the Lord.

2 While Jonah was ·inside [^Lin the belly/innards of] the fish, he prayed to the Lord his God and said,

God Calls and Jonah Obeys

3 The ·Lord spoke his word [^Lword of the Lord came] to Jonah ·again [a second time] and said, ² “Get up, go to the great city Nineveh [1:2], and ·preach [cry out] to it what I tell you to say.”

³ So Jonah obeyed the Lord and got up and went to Nineveh. It was a very large city; just to walk ·across it [or through it all] took a person three days.

God’s Mercy Makes Jonah Angry

4 But this made Jonah very unhappy, and he became angry. ² He prayed to the Lord, “When I was still in my own country ·this is [^Lisn’t this…?] what I said would happen, and that is why I quickly ran away to Tarshish [1:3]. I knew that you are a God who is ·kind [gracious] and ·shows mercy [compassionate]. ·You don’t become angry quickly […slow to anger], and you ·have great love [abound in lovingkindness/mercy; Ex. 34:6–7]. I knew you would ·choose not to cause [relent from doing] harm. ³ So now I ask you, Lord, please ·kill me [take my life]. It is better for me to die than to live.”