Jonah, 3
1. The word of Yahweh was addressed to Jonah a second time.
1. Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying,
2. 'Up!' he said, 'Go to Nineveh, the great city, and preach to it as I shall tell you.'
2. "Arise, go to Nin'eveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you."
3. Jonah set out and went to Nineveh in obedience to the word of Yahweh. Now Nineveh was a city great beyond compare; to cross it took three days.
3. So Jonah arose and went to Nin'eveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nin'eveh was an exceedingly great city, three days' journey in breadth.
4. Jonah began by going a day's journey into the city and then proclaimed, 'Only forty days more and Nineveh will be overthrown.'
4. Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's journey. And he cried, "Yet forty days, and Nin'eveh shall be overthrown!"
5. And the people of Nineveh believed in God; they proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least.
5. And the people of Nin'eveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.
6. When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his robe, put on sackcloth and sat down in ashes.
6. Then tidings reached the king of Nin'eveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, and covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
7. He then had it proclaimed throughout Nineveh, by decree of the king and his nobles, as follows: 'No person or animal, herd or flock, may eat anything; they may not graze, they may not drink any water.
7. And he made proclamation and published through Nin'eveh, "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,
8. All must put on sackcloth and call on God with all their might; and let everyone renounce his evil ways and violent behaviour.
8. but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them cry mightily to God; yea, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence which is in his hands.
9. Who knows? Perhaps God will change his mind and relent and renounce his burning wrath, so that we shall not perish.'
9. Who knows, God may yet repent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we perish not?"
10. God saw their efforts to renounce their evil ways. And God relented about the disaster which he had threatened to bring on them, and did not bring it.
10. When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God repented of the evil which he had said he would do to them; and he did not do it.
