Nineveh Repents
1 Now the word of the Lordcame to Jonah the second time, saying,
2 “Go to Nineveh the great city and declare to it the message which I am going to tell you.”
3 So Jonah went to Nineveh in accordance with the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, athree days’ walk [about sixty miles in circumference].
4 Then on the first day’s walk, Jonahbegan to go through the city, and he called out and said, “Forty days more [remain] and [then] Nineveh will be overthrown!”
5 The people of Nineveh believedandtrusted in God; and they proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth [in penitent mourning], from the greatest even to the least of them.
6 When word reached the king of Nineveh [of Jonah’s message from God], he rose from his throne, took off his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in the dust [in repentance].
7 He issued a proclamation and it said, “In Nineveh, by the decree of the king and his nobles: No man, animal, herd, or flock is to taste anything. They are not to eat or drink water.
8 But both man and animal must be covered with sackcloth; and every one is to call on God earnestlyandforcefully that each may turn from his wicked way and from the violence that is in his hands.
9 Who knows, God may turn [in compassion] and relent and withdraw His burning anger (judgment) so that we will not perish.”
10 When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God [had compassion and] relented concerning the disaster which He had declared that He would bring upon them. And He did not do it.