Jonah 3

Nineveh Repents

1Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2“Arise, go to 1Nineveh the great city and 2proclaim to it the proclamation which I am going to tell you.” 3So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was 3an 4exceedingly great city, a three days’ walk. 4Then Jonah began to go through the city one day’s walk; and he 5cried out and said, “Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown.”

5Then the people of Nineveh believed in God; and they called a 6fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them. 6When the word reached the king of Nineveh, he arose from his throne, laid aside his robe from him, 7covered himself with sackcloth and sat on the 8ashes. 7He issued a 9proclamation and it said, “In Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let man, beast, herd, or flock taste a thing. Do not let them eat or drink water. 8But both man and beast must be covered with sackcloth; and let 10men 11call on God earnestly that each may 12turn from his wicked way and from the violence which is in 13his hands. 914Who knows, God may turn and relent and withdraw His burning anger so that we will not perish.”

10When God saw their deeds, that they 15turned from their wicked way, then 16God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would 17bring upon them. And He did not do it.