Jonah Flees From the Lord

1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah^(A) son of Amittai:^{(B) 2} “Go to the great city of Nineveh^(C) and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”

³ But Jonah ran^(D) away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish^(E). He went down to Joppa,^(F) where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.^(G)

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)

¹⁰ When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented^(A) and did not bring on them the destruction^(B) he had threatened.^(C)

Jonah’s Anger at the Lord’s Compassion

4 But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry.^{(D) 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^(E) that you are a gracious^(F) and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love,^(G) a God who relents^(H) from sending calamity.^{(I) 3} Now, Lord, take away my life,^(J) for it is better for me to die^(K) than to live.”^(L)