
YAHWEH SENDS JONAH TO 
NINEVEH{/}

{1}1{/}

{I}1_{/}The word of 
Yahweh came to Jonah, son 
of Amittai, {I}2_{/}"Go 
to Nineveh, the great 
city, and preach against 
it, because I have known 
its wickedness." 
{I}3_{/}But Jonah decided 
to flee from Yahweh and 
go to Tarshish. He went 
down to Joppa, found a 
ship bound for Tarshish, 
and paid the fare. Then 
he boarded it and went 
into the hold of the 
ship, journeying with 
them to Tarshish, far 
away from Yahweh.
{I}4_{/}Yahweh stirred up 
a storm wind on the sea, 
so there was a sea 
tempest, which threatened 
to destroy the ship. 
{I}5_{/}The sailors took 
fright, and each cried 
out to his own god. To 
lighten the ship, they 
threw its cargo into the 
sea.
{I}6_{/}Meanwhile Jonah 
had gone into the hold of 
the ship, where he lay 
fast asleep. The captain 
came upon him and said, 
"How can you sleep? Get 
up and call on your god. 
Perhaps he will be 
mindful of us and will 
not allow us to die 
here."
{I}7_{/}The sailors said 
to each other, "Let us 
cast lots to find out who 
is responsible for this 
disaster." So they did, 
and the lot fell on 
Jonah.
{I}8_{/}They questioned 
him, "So you are 
responsible for this evil 
that has come upon us? 
Tell us where you are 
from. What is your 
country, your 
nationality?" {I}9_{/}And 
Jonah told them his 
story, "I am a Hebrew and 
I worship Yahweh, God of 
heaven who made the sea 
and the land...."
{I}10_{/}As they knew 
that he was fleeing from 
Yahweh, the sailors were 
seized with great fear 
and said to him, "What a 
terrible thing have you 
done!" {I}11_{/}"What 
shall we do with you now 
to make the sea calm 
down?" The sea was 
growing more and more 
agitated.
{I}12_{/}He said to them, 
"Pick me up and throw me 
into the sea. It will 
quiet down, for I know it 
is because of me that 
this storm has come."
{I}13_{/}The sailors, 
however, still did their 
best to row back to land. 
But they could not, for 
the sea had grown much 
rougher than before. 
{I}14_{/}Then they called 
on Yahweh, "O Yahweh, do 
not let us perish for 
taking this man's life. 
Do not hold us guilty of 
shedding innocent blood. 
For you, Yahweh, have 
done this as you have 
thought right." 
{I}15_{/}They took Jonah 
and threw him overboard, 
and the raging sea grew 
calm again. {I}16_{/}At 
this the men were seized 
with great fear of 
Yahweh. They offered a 
sacrifice to Yahweh and 
made vows to him.
JONAH IN THE BELLY OF THE 
FISH{/}

{1}2{/}

{I}1_{/}Yahweh provided a 
large fish which 
swallowed Jonah. He 
remained in the belly of 
the fish for three days 
and three nights.
{I}2_{/}From the belly of 
the fish Jonah prayed to 
Yahweh, his God:
{I}3{/}"In my distress I 
cried to Yahweh,
and he answered me;
from the belly of the 
netherworld
you heard my voice when I 
called.
{I}4_{/}You cast me into 
the abyss,
into the very heart of 
the sea,
and the currents swirled 
about me;
all your breakers and 
your billows
passed over engulfing me.
{I}5_{/}Then I thought:
I have been cast out from 
your presence,
but I keep on looking to 
your holy Temple.
{I}6_{/}The waters 
engulfed me up to my 
throat;
all around me was the 
abyss;
wrapped about my head 
were seaweeds.
{I}7_{/}I went down to 
the roots of the 
mountains,
the bars of the 
netherworld closed upon 
me,
but you brought my life 
up from the pit,
Yahweh, my God.
{I}8_{/}When my soul was 
fainting within me,
I remembered Yahweh,
and before you rose my 
prayer
up to your holy Temple.
{I}9_{/}Those who worship 
worthless idols
lose your grace
{I}10_{/}but I, with 
songs of praise,
will offer to you 
sacrifices.
What I have vowed, I will 
make good -
deliverance comes from 
Yahweh, my God."
{I}11_{/}Then Yahweh gave 
his command to the fish, 
and it belched out Jonah 
onto dry land.
THE CONVERSION OF 
NINEVEH{/}

{1}3{/}

{I}1_{/}The word of 
Yahweh came to Jonah a 
second time: {I}2_{/}"Go 
to Nineveh, the great 
city, and announce to 
them the message I give 
you."
{I}3_{/}In obedience to 
the word of Yahweh, Jonah 
went to Nineveh. It was a 
very large city, and it 
took three days just to 
cross it. {I}4_{/}So 
Jonah walked a single 
day's journey and began 
proclaiming, "Forty days 
more and Nineveh will be 
destroyed."
{I}5_{/}The people of the 
city believed God. They 
declared a fast, and all 
of them, from the 
greatest to the least, 
put on sackcloth.
{I}6_{/}Upon hearing the 
news, the king of Nineveh 
got up from his throne, 
took off his royal robe, 
put on sackcloth and sat 
down in ashes. {I}7_{/}He 
issued a proclamation 
throughout Nineveh:
"By the decree of the 
king and his nobles, no 
people or beasts, herd or 
flock, will taste 
anything; neither will 
they eat nor drink. 
{I}8_{/}But let people 
and beasts be covered 
with sackcloth. Let 
everyone call aloud to 
God, turn from his evil 
ways and violence. 
{I}9_{/}Who knows? God 
may yet relent, turn from 
his fierce anger and 
spare us."
{I}10_{/}When God saw 
what they did and how 
they turned from their 
evil ways, he had 
compassion and did not 
carry out the destruction 
he had threatened upon 
them. 
GOD LOVES EVERYONE{/}

{1}4{/}

{I}1_{/}But Jonah was 
greatly displeased at 
this, and he was 
indignant. {I}2_{/}He 
prayed to Yahweh and 
said, "O Yahweh, is this 
not what I said when I 
was yet in my own 
country? This is why I 
fled to Tarshish. I knew 
that you are a gracious 
and merciful God, slow to 
anger and full of love, 
and you relent from 
imposing terrible 
punishment. {I}3_{/}I 
beseech you now, Yahweh, 
to take my life, for now 
it is better for me to 
die than to live." 
{I}4_{/}But Yahweh 
replied, "What right have 
you to be angry?"
{I}5_{/}Jonah then left 
the city. He went to a 
place east of it, built 
himself a shelter and sat 
under its shade to wait 
and see what would happen 
to Nineveh. {I}6_{/}Then 
Yahweh God provided a 
castor-oil plant and made 
it grow up over Jonah to 
give shade over his head 
and to ease his 
discomfort. Jonah was 
very happy about the 
plant.
{I}7_{/}But the next day, 
at dawn, God sent a worm 
which attacked the plant 
and made it wither. 
{I}8_{/}When the sun 
rose, God sent a 
scorching east wind; the 
sun blazed down upon 
Jonah's head, and he grew 
faint. His death wish 
returned and he said, "It 
is better for me to die 
than to live."
{I}9_{/}Then God asked 
Jonah, "Do you have a 
right to be angry about 
the castor-oil plant?" 
Jonah answered, "I am 
right to be angry enough 
to wish to die."
{I}10_{/}Yahweh said, 
"You are concerned about 
a plant which cost you no 
labor to make it grow. 
Overnight it sprang up, 
and overnight it 
perished. {I}11_{/}But 
Nineveh has more than a 
hundred and twenty 
thousand people who 
cannot distinguish right 
from left and they have 
many cattle as well. 
Should I not be concerned 
for such a great city?"

