Jonah 1:17-3:10

Jonah’s Prayer 17Now the LORD provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

1In Hebrew texts 2:1 is numbered 1:17, and 2:1-10 is numbered 2:2-11. From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the LORD his God.

2He said: “In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me. From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to my cry.

3You hurled me into the depths, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me.

4I said, ‘I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple.’

5The engulfing waters threatened me, Or waters were at my throat the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head.

6To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you, LORD my God, brought my life up from the pit.

7“When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, LORD, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple.

8“Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them.

9But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the LORD .’ ” 10And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

Jonah Goes to Nineveh 1Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time:

2“Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.” 3Jonah 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. 4Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.”

5The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. 6When 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.

7This 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. 8But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence.

9Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.” 10When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.