Jonah 3–4

3RD CHAPTER

Nineveh Turns from Its Wicked Ways

¹Then the Lord spoke his word to Jonah a second time. He said, ²“Leave at once for the important city, Nineveh. Announce to the people the message I have given you.” 

³Jonah immediately went to Nineveh as the Lord told him. Nineveh was a very large city. It took three days to walk through^ait. ⁴Jonah entered the city and walked for about a day. Then he said, “In forty days Nineveh will be destroyed.” 

⁵The people of Nineveh believed God. They decided to fast, and everyone, from the most important to the least important, dressed in sackcloth. 

⁶When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, took off his robe, put on sackcloth, and sat in ashes. ⁷Then he made this announcement and sent it throughout the city: 

“This is an order from the king and his nobles: No one is to eat or drink anything. This includes all people, animals, cattle, and sheep. ⁸Every person and animal must put on sackcloth. Cry loudly to God for help. Turn from your wicked ways and your acts of violence. ⁹Who knows? God may reconsider his plans and turn from his burning anger so that we won’t die.” 

¹⁰God saw what they did. He saw that they turned from their wicked ways. So God reconsidered his threat to destroy them, and he didn’t do it. 

4TH CHAPTER

The Lord Has to Remind Jonah About His Mercy

¹Jonah was very upset about this, and he became angry. ²So he prayed to the Lord, “Lord, isn’t this what I said would happen when I was still in my own country? That’s why I tried to run to Tarshish in the first place. I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, patient, and always ready to forgive and to reconsider your threats of destruction. ³So now, Lord, take my life. I’d rather be dead than alive.” 

⁴The Lord asked, “What right do you have to be angry?” 

⁵Jonah left the city and sat down east of it. He made himself a shelter there. He sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. ⁶The Lord God made a plant grow up beside Jonah to give him shade and make him more comfortable. Jonah was very happy with the plant. 

⁷At dawn the next day, God sent a worm to attack the plant so that it withered. ⁸When the sun rose, God 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.” 

⁹Then God 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.” 

¹⁰The Lord replied, “This plant grew up overnight and died overnight. You didn’t plant it or make it grow. Yet, you feel sorry for this plant. ¹¹Shouldn’t I feel sorry for this important city, Nineveh? It has more than 120,000 people in it as well as many animals. These people couldn’t tell their right hand from their left.”