Jonah answered them, “I’m a Hebrew. I worship Yahweh, the God of heaven. He is the Elohim who made the sea and the land.”

Jonah’s Prayer inside the Fish

From inside the fish Jonah prayed to Yahweh his Elohim.

I sank to the foot of the mountains. I sank to the bottom, where bars held me forever. But you brought me back from the pit, O Yahweh, my Elohim.

The people of Nineveh believed Elohim. They decided to fast, and everyone, from the most important to the least important, dressed in sackcloth.

Every person and animal must put on sackcloth. Cry loudly to Elohim for help. Turn from your wicked ways and your acts of violence.

Who knows? Elohim may reconsider his plans and turn from his burning anger so that we won’t die.”

Elohim saw what they did. He saw that they turned from their wicked ways. So Elohim reconsidered his threat to destroy them, and he didn’t do it.

Yahweh Elohim made a plant grow up beside Jonah to give him shade and make him more comfortable. Jonah was very happy with the plant.

At dawn the next day, Elohim sent a worm to attack the plant so that it withered.

When the sun rose, Elohim made a hot east wind blow. The sun beat down on Jonah’s head so that he was about to faint. He wanted to die. So he said, “I’d rather be dead than alive.”

Then Elohim asked Jonah, “What right do you have to be angry over this plant?” Jonah answered, “I have every right to be angry—so angry that I want to die.”