NINEVEH REPENTS
Key verse: 5
NIV
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)
6 When 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.(D) 7 This 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.(E) 8 But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call(F) urgently on God. Let them give up(G) their evil ways(H) and their violence.(I) 9 Who knows?(J) God may yet relent(K) and with compassion turn(L) from his fierce anger(M) so that we will not perish.”
10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented(N) and did not bring on them the destruction(O) he had threatened.(P)
Cross references
- Jonah 3:1 : Jnh 1:1
- Jonah 3:4 : S Jer 18:7-10
- Jonah 3:5 : Da 9:3; Mt 11:21; 12:41; Lk 11:32
- Jonah 3:6 : Est 4:1-3; S Job 2:8, 13; S Eze 27:30-31
- Jonah 3:7 : S 2Ch 20:3; S Ezr 10:6
- Jonah 3:8 : Ps 130:1; Jnh 1:6
- Jonah 3:8 : Jer 25:5
- Jonah 3:8 : Jer 7:3
- Jonah 3:8 : S Job 16:17
- Jonah 3:9 : 2Sa 12:22
- Jonah 3:9 : S Jer 18:8
- Jonah 3:9 : S Joel 2:14
- Jonah 3:9 : S Ps 85:3
- Jonah 3:10 : S Am 7:6
- Jonah 3:10 : S Jer 18:8
- Jonah 3:10 : S Ex 32:14
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway
ESV
Jonah Goes to Nineveh
3 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to (A)Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now (B)Nineveh was an exceedingly great city,[a] three days' journey in breadth.[b] 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 (C)And the people of Nineveh believed God. (D)They called for a fast and (E)put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.
The People of Nineveh Repent
6 The word reached[c] the king of Nineveh, and (F)he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, (G)and sat in ashes. 7 And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, (H)“By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor (I)beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, 8 but let man and (J)beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. (K)Let everyone turn from his evil way and from (L)the violence that is in his hands. 9 (M)Who knows? God may turn and relent (N)and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.”
10 When God saw what they did, (O)how they turned from their evil way, (P)God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.
Read full chapterFootnotes
Cross references
- Jonah 3:2 : See ch. 1:2
- Jonah 3:3 : [See ver. 2 above]; See ch. 1:2
- Jonah 3:5 : [Matt. 12:41; Luke 11:32]
- Jonah 3:5 : See 2 Chr. 20:3
- Jonah 3:5 : See 2 Sam. 3:31
- Jonah 3:6 : [Job 1:20; Ezek. 26:16]
- Jonah 3:6 : Job 2:8
- Jonah 3:7 : [Dan. 6:26]
- Jonah 3:7 : [ch. 4:11; Ps. 36:6; Joel 1:18, 20]
- Jonah 3:8 : [See ver. 7 above]; [ch. 4:11; Ps. 36:6; Joel 1:18, 20]
- Jonah 3:8 : Jer. 18:11; 36:3
- Jonah 3:8 : Isa. 59:6
- Jonah 3:9 : 2 Sam. 12:22; Joel 2:14
- Jonah 3:9 : Ps. 85:3
- Jonah 3:10 : [Jer. 18:8]
- Jonah 3:10 : [Jer. 18:8]
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
1. A reluctant missionary (1-4)
The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time to go preach in Nineveh. This time, Jonah obeyed God s word. He went only because God commanded him to go. He preached the word God told him to preach. He did not love the people of Nineveh; he did not feel any compassion for the people living there in sin and ignorance; he was not sorry about God's impending judgment. There may be humanitarian motives for world mission, but the bottom line is obedience to the Lord's command.
2. Nineveh repents (5-1
)
An amazing thing happened. The Ninevites believed God. When the king of Nineveh heard God's word, he repented. He ordered everyone- people and animals--to repent. They turned from their evil ways. When God saw the sincerity of their repentance, he had compassion on them and did not destroy the city.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for your powerful word and for your compassion on repentant sinners. Help me to obey your word whether I feel like it or not.
One Word: Repent and obey God
