The People of Nineveh Repent

The word reached[a] the king of Nineveh, and (A)he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, (B)and sat in ashes. And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, (C)“By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor (D)beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, but let man and (E)beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. (F)Let everyone turn from his evil way and from (G)the violence that is in his hands. (H)Who knows? God may turn and relent (I)and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.”

10 When God saw what they did, (J)how they turned from their evil way, (K)God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.

Jonah's Anger and the Lord's Compassion

But it displeased Jonah exceedingly,[b] and (L)he was angry. And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? (M)That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a (N)gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and (O)relenting from disaster.

Footnotes

  1. Jonah 3:6 Or had reached
  2. Jonah 4:1 Hebrew it was exceedingly evil to Jonah

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