Jonah

Jonah Tries to Run from the LORD

1:1The LORD said1 to Jonah son of Amittai,2 1:2 "Go immediately3 to Nineveh,4 that5 large capital6 city,7 and announce judgment against8 its people9 because their wickedness10 has come to my attention."11 1:3 Instead Jonah immediately12 headed off to a distant seaport13 to escape14 from the commission of the LORD.15 He traveled16 to Joppa17 and found a merchant ship heading18 to a distant seaport.19 So he paid the fare20 and went aboard21 it to go with them22 to a distant seaport23 far away from the LORD.24 1:4 But25 the LORD hurled26 a powerful27 wind on the sea. Such a violent28 tempest arose on the sea that29 the ship threatened to break up!30 1:5 The sailors were so afraid that each cried out31 to his own god32 and they flung33 the ship's cargo34 overboard35 to make the ship lighter.36 Jonah, meanwhile,37 had gone down38 into the hold39 below deck,40 had lain down, and was sound asleep.41 1:6 The captain of the crew approached him and said, "What are you doing asleep? 42 Get up! Cry out43 to your god! Perhaps your god44 might take notice us45 so that we might not die!" 1:7 The sailors said to one another,46 "Come on, let's cast lots47 so that we might find out48 whose fault it is that this disaster has fallen upon us.49" So they cast lots, and Jonah was singled out.50 1:8 They said to him, "Tell us, whose fault is it that this disaster has fallen upon us?51 What's your occupation? From where do you come? What's your country? And who are your people?"52 1:9 He said to them, "I am a Hebrew! And I worship53 the LORD,54 the God of heaven,55 who made the sea and the dry land." 1:10 Hearing this,56 the men became even more afraid57 and said to him, "What have you done?" The men said this because they knew that he was trying to escape58 from the LORD59 because he had previously told them.60 1:11 Because the storm was growing worse and worse,61 they said to him, "What should we do to you so that62 the sea might calm down63 for us?" 1:12 He said to them, "Pick me up and throw me into the sea to make the sea quiet down,64 because I know it's my fault you are in this severe storm." 1:13 Instead, they tried to row65 back to land,66 but they were not able to do it67 because the storm was growing even worse and worse.68 1:14 So they cried out to the LORD, "Oh, please, LORD, don't let us die on account of this man! Don't hold us guilty of shedding innocent blood.69 After all, you, LORD, have done just as you pleased."70 1:15 So they picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea, and the sea stopped raging. 1:16 The men greatly feared71 the LORD,72 and earnestly vowed73 to offer lavish sacrifices74 to the LORD.75

Jonah Prays

1:171 The LORD sent2 a huge3 fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights. 2:1 Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the stomach of the fish 2:2 and said,

2:10 Then the LORD commanded46 the fish and it disgorged Jonah on dry land.

The People of Nineveh Respond to Jonah's Warning

3:1 The LORD said to Jonah1 a second time, 3:2 "Go immediately2 to Nineveh, that large city,3 and proclaim to4 it the message that I tell you." 3:3 So Jonah went immediately to Nineveh, as the LORD had said. (Now Nineveh was an enormous city5--it required three days to walk throughout it!)6 3:4 When Jonah began to enter the city one day's walk, he announced, "At the end of forty days, 7 Nineveh will be overthrown!"8

3:5 The people9 of Nineveh believed in God,10 and they declared a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them.11 3:6 When the news12 reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robe, put on sackcloth, and sat on ashes. 3:7 He issued a proclamation and said,13 "In Nineveh, by the decree of the king and his nobles--Let neither human nor animal, cattle nor sheep, taste anything; let them not eat and let them not drink water. 3:8 Let every person and animal put on sackcloth and let them cry earnestly14 to God, and let every one15 turn from their16 evil way of living17 and from the violence that they do.18 3:9 Who knows?19 Perhaps God might be willing to change his mind and relent20 and turn from his fierce anger21 so that we might not die."22 3:10 When God saw their actions--they turned23 from their evil way of living!24--God relented concerning the judgment25 he had threatened them with26 and he did not destroy them.27

Jonah Responds to God's Kindness

4:1 This terribly displeased1 Jonah and he became very angry.2 4:2 He prayed to the LORD and said, "Oh, LORD, this is just what I thought3 would happen4 when I was in my own country.5 This is what I tried to prevent6 by trying to escape to Tarshish!7--because I knew8 that you are gracious and compassionate, slow to anger9 and abounding10 in mercy, and one who relents concerning threatened judgment.11 4:3 So now, LORD, kill me instead,12 because I would rather die than live!"13 4:4 The LORD said, "Are you really so very14 angry?"15

4:5 Jonah left the city, sat down east16 of the city, made a shelter for himself there, and sat down under it in the shade to see what would happen to the city.17 4:6 The LORD God appointed18 a little plant19 and caused it to grow up over Jonah to be a shade over his head to rescue20 him from his misery.21 Now Jonah was very delighted22 about the little plant.

4:7 So God sent23 a worm at dawn the next day, and it attacked the little plant so that it dried up. 4:8 When the sun began to shine, God sent24 a hot25 east wind. So the sun beat down26 on Jonah's head, and he grew faint. So he despaired of life,27 and said, " I would rather die than live!"28 4:9 God said to Jonah, "Are you really so very angry29 about the little plant?" And he said, " I am as angry30 as I could possibly be!"31 4:10 The LORD said, "You were upset32 about this little33 plant, something for which you have not worked nor did you do anything to make it grow. It grew up overnight and died the next day.34 4:11 Should I35 not be even more36 concerned37 about Nineveh this enormous city?38 There are more than one hundred twenty thousand people in it who do not know right from wrong,39 as well as many animals!"40