About Jonah going to Nineveh

1Once again Yahweh spoke to Jonah.

2He said, “Go to Nineveh, that great city, and tell the people there the message that I told you before.”

3Then Jonah obeyed Yahweh and went to Nineveh. He went on and on until he arrived there. Nineveh was a very big city. There were many people and many buildings. When anyone went there and walked right through it, they had to keep going along the road for three days.

4Jonah started walking along a road in the city. He went on and on until the sun went down. Then he called out so that many people would hear him. Jonah said to them, “Everyone listen to this message. All of you must listen. In forty days God will come down to this city and he will kill you and destroy these houses of yours. So listen to me today.”

5The people in the city heard God's message and they knew that Jonah was speaking the truth. So they decided that everyone there would go without food. Then all the people took off their clothes and put on rough clothes made from goat hair. That is what they did in that country, so that God would know they had stopped doing wrong and were obeying God now. So everyone from the most important to the least important put on rough clothes.

6The king of Nineveh also heard God's message. He got up from his seat and took off the good clothes he was wearing, and put on rough clothes. And he went outside and sat down on the ground in some ashes.

7The king sent word to all the people of Nineveh. He said, “This word is from me, the great king of Nineveh, and from my officers. Not even one of you people in this city is to eat any food or drink any water. And the cattle and sheep also must not eat any food or drink any water.

8Everyone must put on rough clothes, and the cattle must too. And you must all pray to God and stop doing the wrong things you have been doing.

9Maybe God will change his mind and not be angry with us any more, so we will not die.”

10God looked down from above and saw that the people had stopped doing wrong things now and they were obeying him. So he changed his mind and didn't kill the people of Nineveh, even though he had said he would kill them.