Add parallel Print Page Options

約拿遵命

耶和華的話再次臨到約拿,說: “起來!到尼尼微大城去,向其中的居民宣告我所吩咐你的話。” 約拿就動身,照耶和華的話往尼尼微去了,這尼尼微是一座極大的城(“是一座極大的城”或譯:“在 神面前是一座大城”),要三天才能走完。

尼尼微人悔改得救

約拿進城,走了一天,就宣告說:“再過四十天,尼尼微就要毀滅了。”

尼尼微人信了(“信了”或譯:“信服”) 神,就宣告禁食,從大到小,都穿上麻衣。 這事傳到尼尼微王那裡,他就起來,離開寶座,脫去王袍,披上麻衣,坐在爐灰中。 他又傳諭全尼尼微,說:“王和大臣有令:‘人、畜、牛、羊,都不准嘗甚麼,不准吃,也不准喝。 不論人畜,都要披上麻衣;各人要懇切呼求 神,悔改,離開惡行,摒棄手中的強暴。 或者 神回心轉意,不發烈怒,使我們不致滅亡。’”

10  神看見他們所作的,就是悔改離開惡行, 神就轉意,不把所說的災禍降在他們身上了。

耶和华第二次对约拿说: “你起身前往尼尼微大城,向那里的居民宣告我先前吩咐你的话。” 约拿便照耶和华的吩咐前往尼尼微城。尼尼微城很大,要三天才能走遍。 约拿进城走了一天,宣告说:“再过四十天尼尼微就要毁灭了!” 尼尼微城的人相信了上帝的话,便宣告禁食,所有的人,无论大小贵贱都换上麻衣。 尼尼微王听到这消息后,便走下宝座,脱下王袍,披上麻衣,坐在炉灰中。 王又向全城颁布命令,说:“王和大臣有令,所有的人都必须禁食,牛羊牲畜都不许吃草也不许喝水。 人和牲畜都必须披上麻衣,众人要向上帝恳切呼求,改邪归正,停止作恶。 上帝或许会施怜悯,收回烈怒,使我们不致灭亡,也未可知。” 10 上帝看见他们改邪归正,不再作恶,就怜悯他们,没有像所说的那样毁灭他们。

Jonah Preaches at Nineveh

Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.” So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, [a]a three-day journey in extent. And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day’s walk. Then (A)he cried out and said, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”

The People of Nineveh Believe

So the (B)people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth (C)and sat in ashes. (D)And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his [b]nobles, saying,

Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water. But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, (E)let every one turn from his evil way and from (F)the violence that is in his hands. (G)Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish?

10 (H)Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.

Footnotes

  1. Jonah 3:3 Exact meaning unknown
  2. Jonah 3:7 Lit. great ones

Jonah Goes to Nineveh

Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah(A) a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”

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. Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming,(B) “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.(C)

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) 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) 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) 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)