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Jonah 3-4
GOD’S WORD Translation
Jonah 3-4
GOD’S WORD Translation
Nineveh Turns from Its Wicked Ways
3 Then the Lord 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 the Lord 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 God. 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 God for help. Turn from your wicked ways and your acts of violence. 9 Who knows? God may reconsider his plans and turn from his burning anger so that we won’t die.”
10 God saw what they did. He saw that they turned from their wicked ways. So God reconsidered his threat to destroy them, and he didn’t do it.
The Lord Has to Remind Jonah about His Mercy
4 Jonah was very upset about this, and he became angry. 2 So he prayed to the Lord, “Lord, isn’t this what I said would happen when I was still in my own country? That’s why I tried to run to Tarshish in the first place. I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, patient, and always ready to forgive and to reconsider your threats of destruction. 3 So now, Lord, take my life. I’d rather be dead than alive.”
4 The Lord asked, “What right do you have to be angry?”
5 Jonah left the city and sat down east of it. He made himself a shelter there. He sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. 6 The Lord God made a plant grow up beside Jonah to give him shade and make him more comfortable. Jonah was very happy with the plant.
7 At dawn the next day, God sent a worm to attack the plant so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God made a hot east wind blow. The sun beat down on Jonah’s head so that he was about to faint. He wanted to die. So he said, “I’d rather be dead than alive.”
9 Then God asked Jonah, “What right do you have to be angry over this plant?”
Jonah answered, “I have every right to be angry—so angry that I want to die.”
10 The Lord replied, “This plant grew up overnight and died overnight. You didn’t plant it or make it grow. Yet, you feel sorry for this plant. 11 Shouldn’t I feel sorry for this important city, Nineveh? It has more than 120,000 people in it as well as many animals. These people couldn’t tell their right hand from their left.”
Footnotes
- 3:3 Or “around.”
Jonah 3-4
New International Version
Jonah 3-4
New International Version
Jonah Goes to Nineveh
3 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah(A) a second time: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”
3 Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it. 4 Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming,(B) “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” 5 The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.(C)
6 When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust.(D) 7 This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh:
“By the decree of the king and his nobles:
Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink.(E) 8 But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call(F) urgently on God. Let them give up(G) their evil ways(H) and their violence.(I) 9 Who knows?(J) God may yet relent(K) and with compassion turn(L) from his fierce anger(M) so that we will not perish.”
10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented(N) and did not bring on them the destruction(O) he had threatened.(P)
Jonah’s Anger at the Lord’s Compassion
4 But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry.(Q) 2 He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew(R) that you are a gracious(S) and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love,(T) a God who relents(U) from sending calamity.(V) 3 Now, Lord, take away my life,(W) for it is better for me to die(X) than to live.”(Y)
4 But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?”(Z)
5 Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. 6 Then the Lord God provided(AA) a leafy plant[a] and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. 7 But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered.(AB) 8 When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die,(AC) and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.”
9 But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”(AD)
“It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.”
10 But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 11 And should I not have concern(AE) for the great city of Nineveh,(AF) in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”
Footnotes
- Jonah 4:6 The precise identification of this plant is uncertain; also in verses 7, 9 and 10.
GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)
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