Jonah 3
1 The word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying,
Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time:
2 "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I give you."
“Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message that I give you.”
3 So Jonah arose, and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days' journey across.
This time Jonah got up and went to Nineveh, in accordance with the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, requiring a three-day journey.
4 Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried out, and said, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown."
On the first day of his journey, Jonah set out into the city and proclaimed, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned!”
5 The people of Nineveh believed God; and they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.
And the Ninevites believed God. They proclaimed a fast and dressed in sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least.
6 The news reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and took off his royal robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
When word reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, took off his royal robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
7 He made a proclamation and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, "Let neither man nor animal, herd nor flock, taste anything; let them not feed, nor drink water;
Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let no man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything at all. They must not eat or drink.
8 but let them be covered with sackcloth, both man and animal, and let them cry mightily to God. Yes, let them turn everyone from his evil way, and from the violence that is in his hands.
Furthermore, let both man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and have everyone call out earnestly to God. Let each one turn from his evil ways and from the violence in his hands.
9 Who knows whether God will not turn and relent, and turn away from his fierce anger, so that we might not perish?"
Who knows? God may turn and relent; He may turn from His fierce anger, so that we will not perish.”
10 God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way. God relented of the disaster which he said he would do to them, and he did not do it.
When God saw their actions—that they had turned from their evil ways—He relented from the disaster He had threatened to bring upon them.
