Jonah 3:3-4:11

Jonah Goes to Nineveh

3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now l Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, 1 three days' journey in breadth. 2 4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's journey. And he called out, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" 5 m And the people of Nineveh believed God. n They called for a fast and o put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.

The People of Nineveh Repent

6 The word reached 3 the king of Nineveh, and p he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, q and sat in ashes. 7 And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, r "By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor s beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, 8 but let man and s beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. t Let everyone turn from his evil way and from u the violence that is in his hands. 9 v Who knows? God may turn and relent w and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish."

10 When God saw what they did, x how they turned from their evil way, x God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.

Jonah 4

Jonah's Anger and the Lord's Compassion

1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, 4 and y he was angry. 2 And he prayed to the Lord and said, "O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? z That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and a relenting from disaster. 3 b Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, c for it is better for me to die than to live." 4 And the Lord said, d "Do you do well to be angry?"

5 Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and e made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city. 6 Now the Lord God appointed a plant 5 and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. 6 So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. 7 But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching f east wind, g and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he h was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, c "It is better for me to die than to live." 9 But God said to Jonah, i "Do you do well to be angry for the plant?" And he said, "Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die." 10 And the Lord said, "You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. 11 And should not I pity j Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much k cattle?"

  1. Cross References
    Jonah 3:2
    "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you."
  2. Cross References
    Matthew 12:41
    The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.
    Luke 11:32
    The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.
  3. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 20:3
    Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
  4. Cross References
    2 Samuel 3:31
    Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, "Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth and mourn before Abner." And King David followed the bier.
  5. Cross References
    Job 1:20
    Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped.
    Ezekiel 26:16
    Then all the princes of the sea will step down from their thrones and remove their robes and strip off their embroidered garments. They will clothe themselves with trembling; they will sit on the ground and tremble every moment and be appalled at you.
  6. Cross References
    Job 2:8
    And he took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself while he sat in the ashes.
  7. Cross References
    Daniel 6:26
    I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God, enduring forever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end.
  8. Cross References
    Jonah 4:11
    And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?
    Psalms 36:6
    Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O Lord.
    Joel 1:18
    How the beasts groan! The herds of cattle are perplexed because there is no pasture for them; even the flocks of sheep suffer.
    Joel 1:20
    Even the beasts of the field pant for you because the water brooks are dried up, and fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness.
  9. Cross References
    Jonah 3:7
    And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, "By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water.
  10. Cross References
    Jeremiah 18:11
    Now, therefore, say to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: 'Thus says the Lord, Behold, I am shaping disaster against you and devising a plan against you. Return, every one from his evil way, and amend your ways and your deeds.
    Jeremiah 36:3
    It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the disaster that I intend to do to them, so that every one may turn from his evil way, and that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.
  11. Cross References
    Isaiah 59:6
    Their webs will not serve as clothing; men will not cover themselves with what they make. Their works are works of iniquity, and deeds of violence are in their hands.
  12. Cross References
    2 Samuel 12:22
    He said, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, 'Who knows whether the Lord will be gracious to me, that the child may live?
    Joel 2:14
    Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the Lord your God?
  13. Cross References
    Psalms 85:3
    You withdrew all your wrath; you turned from your hot anger.
  14. Cross References
    Jeremiah 18:8
    And if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it.
  15. Cross References
    Jeremiah 18:8
    And if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it.
  16. Cross References
    Jonah 4:4
    And the Lord said, "Do you do well to be angry?
    Jonah 4:9
    But God said to Jonah, "Do you do well to be angry for the plant?" And he said, "Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.
  17. Cross References
    Jonah 1:3
    But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.
  18. Cross References
    Joel 2:13
    And rend your hearts and not your garments." Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.
  19. Cross References
    Joel 2:13
    And rend your hearts and not your garments." Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.
  20. Cross References
    1 Kings 19:4
    But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, "It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.
  21. Cross References
    Ecclesiastes 7:1
    A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of birth.
  22. Cross References
    Jonah 4:1
    But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.
    Jonah 4:9
    But God said to Jonah, "Do you do well to be angry for the plant?" And he said, "Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.
  23. Cross References
    Nehemiah 8:15
    And that they should proclaim it and publish it in all their towns and in Jerusalem, "Go out to the hills and bring branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make booths, as it is written.
  24. Cross References
    Jeremiah 18:17
    Like the east wind I will scatter them before the enemy. I will show them my back, not my face, in the day of their calamity.
  25. Cross References
    Psalms 121:6
    The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
  26. Cross References
    Amos 8:13
    In that day the lovely virgins and the young men shall faint for thirst.
  27. Cross References
    Jonah 4:3
    Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.
  28. Cross References
    Jonah 4:1
    But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.
    Jonah 4:4
    And the Lord said, "Do you do well to be angry?
  29. Cross References
    Jonah 1:2
    "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me."
  30. Cross References
    Jonah 3:7
    And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, "By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.