Nineveh Turns from Its Wicked Ways
3 Then Yahweh 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.”
3 Jonah immediately went to Nineveh as Yahweh told him. Nineveh was a very large city. It took three days to walk through[a] it. 4 Jonah entered the city and walked for about a day. Then he said, “In forty days Nineveh will be destroyed.”
5 The people of Nineveh believed Elohim. They decided to fast, and everyone, from the most important to the least important, dressed in sackcloth.
6 When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, took off his robe, put on sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 Then 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. 8 Every person and animal must put on sackcloth. Cry loudly to Elohim for help. Turn from your wicked ways and your acts of violence. 9 Who knows? Elohim may reconsider his plans and turn from his burning anger so that we won’t die.”
10 Elohim saw what they did. He saw that they turned from their wicked ways. So Elohim reconsidered his threat to destroy them, and he didn’t do it.
Footnotes
- Jonah 3:3 Or “around.”