Jonah 3

New Life Version

Jonah Obeys the Lord

3 The Word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time, saying, ² “Get up and go to the large city of Nineveh, and tell the people there the news which I am going to tell you.” ³ So Jonah got up and went to Nineveh, as the Lord had told him. Now Nineveh was a very large city. It took three days to walk through it. ⁴ Jonah started into the city, for a day’s walk, and he cried out, “In forty days Nineveh will be destroyed!”

⁵ Then the people of Nineveh believed in God. They called for a time when no food was to be eaten. And all the people, from the greatest to the least, put on clothes made from hair. ⁶ When the news came to the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne and laid aside his beautiful clothing. Then he covered himself with cloth made from hair, and sat in ashes. ⁷ And he sent word through all of Nineveh, saying, “By the law of the king and his leaders, do not let man or animal, cattle or flock, taste anything. Do not let them eat or drink water. ⁸ Both man and animal must be covered with cloth made from hair. Everyone must pray to God with all his heart, so each person may turn from his sinful way and from the bad things he has done. ⁹ Who knows? God may change His mind and stop being angry so that we will not die.”

¹⁰ When God saw what they did, and that they turned from their sinful way, He changed His mind about the trouble He said He would bring upon them, and He did not destroy Nineveh.