Jonah 3:8–4:2

⁸All persons and animals must wear sackcloth. Everyone must pray earnestly to God and must give up his wicked behaviour and his evil actions. ⁹Perhaps God will change his mind; perhaps he will stop being angry, and we will not die!”

¹⁰God saw what they did; he saw that they had given up their wicked behaviour. So he changed his mind and did not punish them as he had said he would.

Jonah’s Anger and God’s Mercy

4Jonah was very unhappy about this and became angry. ^2*So he prayed, “Lord, didn’t I say before I left home that this is just what you would do? That’s why I did my best to run away to Spain! I knew that you are a loving and merciful God, always patient, always kind, and always ready to change your mind and not punish.